Court Order Gives Butch Reynolds Hope

Butch Reynolds, the world record-holder in the 400 meters, was granted a temporary restraining order that could allow him to attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials.

Reynolds, Ohio State star and the 1988 Olympic silver medalist, has been banned from competition since 1990 because of a positive test for an anabolic steroid. The International Amateur Athletic Federation, the world governing body for track and field, denied his appeal May 11.

The order, issued in Columbus, Ohio, by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Kinneary, allows Reynolds to compete in Saturday’s Bruce Jenner Classic at San Jose.

Reynolds, in California preparing for the Jenner meet, said: “This is a victory, but not a victory that says he can run in the Olympics . . . but it’s still a victory.”

However, a U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman said there was no way Reynolds would be allowed on the team unless the IAAF lifted its two-year suspension.

“No amount of court work is going to get him into the Olympic Games,” said Mike Moran, director of public information and media relations. “The IAAF controls, not the USOC and not a court.”