U.S. Officials Investigating Rumors of Hazing in Track

USA Track and Field officials are investigating a possible incident in which two veteran members of the U.S. men’s track team allegedly hazed and intimidated three younger teammates last week.

The incident allegedly involved veteran sprinters Maurice Greene and John Capel against younger sprinters Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon Jr., and 400-meter hurdler Kerron Clement, all here for the World Championships.

“We are aware of the rumors and we are definitely looking into them,” Jill Geer, USATF’s director of communications, said Tuesday.

Clement finished fourth Tuesday night in the 400-meter hurdles final. Asked afterward if he had been harassed by teammates, he said, “I really can’t speak about that.”

Gay and Spearmon could not be reached for comment, nor could Greene or Capel.

Spearmon’s agent, Ray Flynn, said, “If there was something, I don’t know about it. He’s fine.”

John Smith, who coaches Greene and is the U.S. men’s team’s head coach, said rumors of an incident were “news to me. I don’t know where anything like that would come from. We had a great practice today, as a matter of fact.”