ON THE SIDELINES : Wide Blame Seen in Drug Scandal

Athletes, coaches and track officials all share the blame for Canada’s humiliation over the Ben Johnson scandal, the head of the Ontario Track and Field Assn. told a Canadian inquiry panel today.

Association Chairman Rolf Lund told the federal inquiry into drug use in amateur sport that “any knowledgeable coach would have noticed the (physical) changes” in Johnson and other top Canadian athletes, who have told the inquiry they took the banned muscle-building drugs for years. In fact, Lund said he suspected Johnson and others were using steroids as early as the mid-1980s, but he said he always lacked hard evidence to prove it.

Johnson tested positive for steroids at last fall’s Seoul Olympics and was stripped of a gold medal and new world record for the 100-meter dash.

Lund told the inquiry last week that he finally reported his suspicions about Johnson to Jean-Guy Ouellette, chairman of the Canadian Track and Field Assn., before the Seoul Olympics. Lund said that when he also confronted Charlie Francis with his suspicions, the sprinter’s coach threatened legal action and Lund dropped the matter.