USOC Adopts Random Drug Test Plan

Now the U.S. Olympic Committee knows how Pogo felt when he said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”

With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, it was assumed in this country that the new villain in the war against anabolic steroids and other banned substances was China. It turns out the rest of the world thought it was the United States.

USOC officials were informed of that last year by a prominent International Olympic Committee member, Germany’s Thomas Bach. He also told them that some German athletes had even considered boycotting the Games in Atlanta this summer because they feared U.S. athletes would not be tested as vigorously as others.

That perception could only have been reinforced by the strange decisions, first by U.S. Swimming and then by the American Arbitration Assn., that allow swimmer Jessica Foschi to continue competing despite testing positive last summer for a steroid.

But even before the Foschi case, the USOC was alarmed enough to formulate the world’s most aggressive drug-testing program, one calling for random, no-notice testing of athletes in all Olympic and Pan American Games sports. That program, which will cost $2.77 million a year, was adopted Saturday at the USOC’s board of directors meeting here. It begins immediately for some athletes, including weightlifters, but for most after the Olympics.

“We weren’t in tune with how people in the rest of the world felt about us,” USOC President LeRoy Walker said. “I think our [individual sports federations] have done a very good job of testing, but we weren’t able to say, ‘Here is the USOC plan.’ Now we have something concrete that tells the world, ‘We are serious.’ ”

FACTOID

To be considered by the International Olympic Committee as the host for the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta had to become the U.S. Olympic Committee’s official candidate. The other finalist was Minneapolis-St. Paul.

NEWSMAKER

Bud Greenspan’s latest documentary, “100 Years of Olympic Glory,” premieres tonight on TBS. It is the film version of his book of the same title, which chronicles some of the greatest moments of the Modern Games’ first century.

While in Los Angeles last week, Greenspan predicted that historians 100 years after the Atlanta Games will still be marveling at Carl Lewis. Two gold medals would give Lewis 10, more than any other athlete in the history of the Summer Games. Greenspan said Lewis could win them in the long jump and 400-meter relay, as he did four years ago in Barcelona.

“I find Carl to be the greatest athlete of the century--greater than Paavo Nurmi, greater than Mark Spitz,” Greenspan said, referring to athletes who have nine gold medals.

“He reaches the occasion more than anyone I know. What he did in Barcelona was extraordinary, going from the trials--when everybody, including me, wrote him off--to two gold medals. He’s not one who lends himself to emotion, but I’m getting more emotional about him every day.”

Those who wrote off the 34-year-old Lewis this year no doubt are scrambling for erasers. He ran a wind-aided 10.10 seconds in the 100 recently in Texas. His first 200 of the season comes Sunday at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut.

LAUREL WREATH

With contributions from the USOC, USA Wrestling and private donors, the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club has been formed by Nancy Schultz in memory of her late husband, the Olympic gold medalist who was murdered. The club sponsors 20 wrestlers attempting to earn berths on the Olympic team.

THORN WREATH

Looking for better citizens of the world for Dream Team III, to erase some of the bitter memories left behind by Dream Team II, USA Basketball selected . . . . Charles Barkley?

THIS WEEK

A victory either Friday or Saturday in Augusta, Ga., will earn Fernando Vargas of Oxnard a berth U.S. Olympic boxing team.

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Olympic Scene Notes

The world gymnastics championships begin today in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but they will determine champions only in individual events. Unwilling to risk injuries or their reputations, the top two U.S. women, Shannon Miller and Dominique Moceanu, are not competing. . . . How good is U.S. light heavyweight boxer Antonio Tarver of Orlando? Glenn Robinson of the Bronx, who was scheduled to fight the world champion in the finals of the Olympic trials week before last in Oakland, didn’t show. Robinson said he misunderstood the schedule and was in his room resting, but officials said he wanted no part of Tarver. Robinson then was disqualified from the consolation finals Sunday, which was probably fine with him because a victory would have given him a berth in the box-offs this week against--guess who?--Tarver.

Track Coach Jim Bush, who coaches defending Olympic 400-meter champion Quincy Watts, said they were happy for Michael Johnson when the Atlanta schedule was changed so that he can compete in the 200 and 400. “Now he can get a gold and a silver,” Bush said. Watts will run the 400 Sunday at Mt. SAC. . . . John Godina, world champion in the shotput, was still recovering from a chest injury when beaten by almost three feet by Kevin Toth in the Texas Relays. Godina dropped the bar on himself while bench pressing.

With two World Cup races remaining, former world champion road cyclist Lance Armstrong needs a strong finish to move into the top 15 in the standings and earn an automatic berth on the U.S. Olympic team. He is tied for 16th. . . . Need a room for the Games? Atlanta’s organizing committee is releasing hotel rooms that it will not be using, most within 20 miles of the city. Some can be had for $100 a night. . . . Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier have made themselves available for the U.S. Olympic team that will be selected later this month. But Sampras said he will not play singles and doubles like he did in Barcelona. “I want to see the Dream Team and other events this time,” he said.

Times staff writer Maryann Hudson contributed to this report.