Viral Infection Forces Jacobs to Withdraw

Regina Jacobs, considered a top medal contender in the women’s 1,500 meters, has withdrawn from the Olympics because of a viral infection.

U.S. women’s team coach Karen Dennis confirmed Jacobs’ withdrawal today in Brisbane, Australia.

“She has been plagued with a respiratory problem for the past three weeks,” Dennis said. “She has been working with her medical team.”

A replacement has not yet been picked, Dennis said, although the logical candidate would be Shayne Culpepper, the fourth-place finisher at the U.S. Olympic trials in July at Sacramento. Culpepper’s husband, Alan, is a member of the 10,000-meter team.

*

An Olympic culture infused with corporate endorsements and lacking unified leadership makes athletes more likely to turn to drugs in their quest for gold, according to a White House-financed study released Friday.

The 107-page report, released one week before the start of the Sydney Olympics, criticizes the International Olympic Committee and other sports governing bodies for their “crazy quilt of jurisdictions” and inconsistent policies for combating performance-enhancing drugs.

*

Brian Sando, Australia’s team doctor, told the Sydney Morning Herald that “recreational drugs” such as marijuana should be dropped from the Olympics’ list of banned substances.

Sando, who is also chairman of the Australian Sports Drug Agency, said that while narcotics were a major social problem, most of them did nothing to enhance performance in sports.

*

A member of Canada’s Olympic equestrian team was banned from competition for life after testing positive for cocaine. The Canadian Equestrian Federation said Eric Lamaze was barred when he flunked a second test for the drug. . . . Robin Lyons, a Canadian hammer thrower dropped from the Olympic team after testing positive for steroids, lost her appeal. A doping review panel from the Canadian Center for Ethics upheld the suspension of Lyons, who denied taking steroids and said she was “not Ben Johnson.” . . . British cyclist Neil Campbell was found guilty of a drug offense and banned from competition for a year.

*

Germany’s Grit Breuer, the world indoor 400-meter champion, pulled out of the Olympics because of a back injury. . . . Roy Oswalt struck out seven in four shutout innings, leading the U.S. Olympic baseball team to a 3-1 victory over Australia in a tuneup for the Sydney Games at Gold Coast, Australia. The U.S. improved to 2-0 in its six-game exhibition series leading to the Olympics. . . . Russell Coutts, who skippered New Zealand to America’s Cup dominance, will coach the U.S. Olympic soling team of Jeff Madrigali, Craig Healy and Hartwell Jordan during the match-racing portion of the competition in Sydney. . . . Hal Haig “Harry” Prieste has confessed to taking the IOC flag after the closing ceremony at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, and now he wants to return it. IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch revealed that the 103-year-old American Olympian would return the flag in Sydney next week. . . . Sebastien Grosjean of France, ranked 28th in the world, pulled out of the Olympic tennis tournament because of an unspecified injury. His place will be taken by Fabrice Santoro.