Drugs cloud over Athens team
Australia's team for the Athens Olympics is expected to be finalised this week provided authorities can resolve at least two drug scandals.
Hanging over the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) as it prepares to name about 450 athletes for Athens are the drug-tainted cases of weightlifter Caroline Pileggi and cyclist Jobie Dajka.
But champion swimmer Dawn Fraser raised the stakes on the weekend when she said some of Australia's top athletes had been using drugs for years.
"I'd hate to think we get some athletes over there (the Athens Olympics) that win medals and prove positive on their drug tests and I can see that happening," Fraser said.
"I've known about it for quite a number of years and I know that some of our top-line athletes have been taking these drugs."
AOC president John Coates admitted the doping scandals had tarnished Australia's clean reputation.
"I think mud does stick, there's no doubt about that," Coates said on the weekend.
He said he had written to John Mendoza, the head of the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA), to get confirmation on whether any other athletes have pending drug infractions.
"I think it's very important we don't select people who have breached any of our doping codes and we owe that to the clean athletes, who are the great majority of the team," he said.
The deadline for the AOC to provide Athens organisers with the team is July 21, but the places of both Pileggi and Dajka hang on decisions expected this week.
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