Reynolds Expected to Be Able to Run Indoors : Track and field: No additional IAAF sanctions likely against world record-holder in 400 meters.

Despite threats by the International Amateur Athletic Federation to take further disciplinary action against Butch Reynolds, the world record-holder in the 400 meters apparently will remain free to run during this winter’s indoor track and field season.

Officials of the IAAF, the ruling body of the sport, predicted this week that their governing council will decide in meetings beginning Friday at Jakarta, Indonesia, not to add to the more than 28 months in suspensions that Reynolds has served since he failed a drug test in August 1990.

But IAAF President Primo Nebiolo of Italy denied Wednesday published reports that Reynolds has been offered a $2-million settlement of the judgment he won in November against the federation in U.S. federal court. The IAAF was ordered to pay him $27.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

“The settlement is that we have disqualified him and the disqualification is finished and Reynolds can compete,” Nebiolo told Reuters.

After Reynolds’ initial two-year penalty expired on Aug. 14, 1992, Nebiolo persuaded the council to suspend him through the remainder of the year for conduct detrimental to the sport because of his persistent legal battles against the IAAF.

Reynolds has maintained that his drug test after a meet at Monte Carlo was flawed, a position supported by the U.S. Track and Field Federation, the U.S. Olympic Committee and various U.S. courts.

When Reynolds won his most recent judgment against the IAAF, Nebiolo recommended another suspension and a countersuit. But he met resistance from within the council, led by vice president Ollan Cassell of the United States.

“I’ve had some private conversations with Primo, and it doesn’t seem he’s going to push this through,” Cassell said before leaving for Jakarta. “It’s hurting track and field. If you want to promote what’s positive about our sport, you’ve got to put this situation behind us and let the kid run again.”

Reynolds, who trains in Palo Alto, plans to compete for the first time this year on Feb. 5 in the Millrose Games at New York.

He also was on the verge of committing to run the 500 meters against Olympic intermediate hurdles champion Kevin Young on Feb. 20 in the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena. But he learned that the date conflicts with U.S. trials for 200- and 400-meter runners who want to compete in the March 10-14 indoor World Championships at Toronto.

“It’s a shame that in a country that doesn’t have that many indoor meets, we have two scheduled on the same day,” said Reynolds’ manager, Brad Hunt.

U.S. track officials said they were unable to find another convenient date for the trials. But Al Franken, Sunkist promoter, said they told him that they assumed his meet was on a different weekend and did not check until they had made firm plans for the trials.

“Typical track and field stupidity,” Franken said.