Ben Johnson Flunks Drug Test, Olympic Doctor Says : Track Star Examined for Steroids

Canadian Ben Johnson, who won the Olympic 100 meters gold medal in a world record time of 9.79 seconds, tested positive for anabolic steroids, a member of the International Olympic Committee’s medical committee said today.

Prof. Gustavo Tuccimei, the president of the Italian Sports Doctors Assn., said, “A positive drug test has been conducted on Ben Johnson.”

He said that the president of the anti-doping committee, Prince Alexander Meroude, was on the point of presenting documentation to the executive of the International Olympic Committee, “who will consider the report of the drug testing authority.”

Prof. Arnold Beckett, the head of the IOC’s accredited drug testing laboratory in London, said early Tuesday in Seoul that “it would be premature to say that Ben Johnson will be suspended. All that we can say is that the test taken after the 100 meters final proved positive.”

Sources in Seoul said Johnson was notified that he had tested positive but his manager, Larry Heidebrecht, said he would have no comment on the report pending an announcement by the IOC.

Sources close to Johnson said his coach, Charlie Francis, was notified by the IOC medical commission that one of the sprinter’s urine samples tested positive.

Johnson plans to appeal the finding on grounds that the urine sample was mishandled, the sources said.

Johnson, 27, beat defending Olympic champion Carl Lewis of the United States in the highlight event of the Seoul Olympics Saturday, breaking the world record time of 9.83 seconds he had set in the World Championships in Rome last year.

It took Johnson nearly an hour to supply a urine specimen after winning the race.

The news broke in Seoul at 5:30 a.m. and Johnson was not immediately available for comment.

Under rules implemented by the International Amateur Athletic Federation last year, any athlete who tests positive for banned drugs receives an automatic two-year ban from competition for a first offense.

The Hankook Ilbo, a Korean language newspaper, reported today the IOC’s top medical officials held an hours-long meeting to discuss Johnson’s urine sample.

The newspaper did not say if Johnson would be disqualified or his gold medal withdrawn, but said the Canadian delegation had been notified.

Johnson won the fastest 100-meter dash in Olympic history, clocking four-hundredths of a second faster than his own world record set in Rome a year ago.

He edged American Carl Lewis, who set an American record of 9.92.

Afterward, Johnson said the most important thing on his mind was beating Lewis. Later, he had second thoughts and contradicted himself. The medal, he decided, was most important.

“Anybody can break a world record,” he said. “But the gold medal is mine.”

In Ottawa, Canadian Sports Minister Jean Charest said earlier that the International Olympic Committee was reviewing the drug test of “a Canadian athlete.”