Ban Asked on Any Who Vie in S. Africa : Sanction Proposals on U.S. Athletes, Drugs, to Go to USOC Board

The U.S. Olympic Committee’s 21-member administrative committee has recommended suspension of any athlete who competes in South Africa from further competition in any sport over which the USOC has control.

The proposal will be placed before the USOC executive board, which is expected to endorse the stronger sanctions at its Oct. 20-22 meeting.

The committee’s unanimous recommendation for strong sanctions to discourage athletes from competing in South Africa came at a meeting here this weekend.

It follows a decision by the International Olympic Committee earlier this month to ban from the Olympic Games any athlete who competes in South Africa.

Coupled with the administrative committee’s recommendation on South Africa is a proposal to broaden the suspension of any athlete who violates the USOC’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Any suspension for violation of that policy, too, will extend to any sport in any USOC-controlled competition, if the executive board approves it next month.

A shot-putter who tests positive for steroids, for example, would not be allowed to compete in a weightlifting event governed by the USOC under the proposed policy.

‘Moral Questions’

“It just seems that those two issues are so important and involve moral questions that they should be brought to the executive board’s attention,” said USOC President Robert Helmick. “It seems to us that as to drugs and as to the South African issue, it’s so clear.”

At the U.S. Olympic Festival in Oklahoma City this summer, discus-thrower Carol Cady was allowed to compete in women’s weightlifting, despite her suspension from track and field for competing in a meet in South Africa after the Summer Games last year. If the new policy is approved, it would prohibit such participation.

Helmick also said the search for a new USOC executive director has been narrowed to five candidates. He said a schedule for interviewing the five will be set up in the next several weeks. The USOC is looking for a replacement for Baaron Pittenger, the current executive director, whose term expires in December, 1990.