Tyler Hamilton Verdict
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Press Release
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Boulder, Colorado Feb 11, 2006 Olympic Champion cyclist Tyler Hamilton
received the final verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
today. He is very disappointed to learn charges he received a homologous
blood transfusion during the 2004 cycling season were upheld. Per CAS, ³the
appeal filed by Mr. Hamilton against the award dated 18 April 2005 rendered
by the AAA Panel is dismissed²
Hamilton steadfastly maintains his innocence and has gone to great lengths
to clear his name. He endured nearly seventeen months of arbitration and
media scrutiny with the same characteristic fortitude that has made him
popular as an athlete.
Mr. Hamilton¹s defense criticized the test methodology used to try to detect
homologous blood transfusion (transfusion of blood from another person). He
argued the test lacked proper validation, was rushed into use and did not
meet the standards of the scientific community. As a result, he maintained
the conclusions of such a test could not be trusted.
Well respected experts cited inconsistencies within his test data that could
only be explained by technical error or flaws within the methodology. Test
results from the Athens Olympic Games failed to type Mr. Hamilton¹s blood
correctly and generated biologically impossible results. In addition, they
are not in agreement with test results generated three weeks later at the
Vuelta Espana (Tour of Spain) that formed the basis for the doping charges
in this case.
The decision reached by CAS prohibits Mr. Hamilton from returning to
professional cycling until September 22, 2006. In addition to looking
forward to returning to racing, he will continue to defend his integrity and
fight for improvements within the anti-doping system.
Statement from Tyler Hamilton: "Based on my devastating personal experience
over the last year and a half, I am committed to fighting for reform within
the anti-doping movement. I do support the anti-doping mission and USADA,
however the current system has failed an innocent athlete and needs to
change.
"Out of respect to fairness and the rights of all athletes, there should be
clear separation between the agencies that develop new tests and those that
adjudicate anti-doping cases.
"Credible, independent experts, not those who funded or developed the
original methodology, should be charged with properly validating new tests.
I don¹t believe any athlete should be subjected to a flawed test or charged
with a doping violation through the use of a method that is not fully
validated or generates fluctuating results.
"I will also continue to support the formation of unions to help protect the
rights of athletes. My goal is to keep other athletes from experiencing the
enormous pain and horrendous toll of being wrongly accused."
--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
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