USOC Will Outlaw Blood Doping, but Fails to Agree on Drug Testing

The U.S. Olympic Committee passed unanimously a resolution outlawing the practice of blood doping but heard disagreement on its proposal for random drug testing at Olympic Training Centers.

The USOC, which appointed a special committee last fall to look into a drug-control program, had sent a memorandum to the national governing bodies of each Olympic sport, asking for voluntary compliance. George D. Miller, the USOC secretary general, reported that 20 of the governing bodies had approved the memorandum.

There was no disagreement on conducting drug tests at the time of various competitions, but some USOC members--including athletes themselves--said the proposal was vague and protested plans to test at random at the training centers, where many athletes live for months at a time.

“Who’s going to want to go to the training center?” said runner Henry Marsh, chairman of the USOC Athletes Advisory Council. “You’re trying to get the most conducive environment possible (for training). They have enough to worry about without worrying about taking a cold medication.”

Marsh and others contended the banned substances listed for testing by the International Olympic Committee, which would be followed by the USOC, would include many over-the-counter medications.

Blood doping refers to the intravenous injection of blood or red blood cells into an athlete’s body, whether his own blood or that of another person, to increase oxygen in the bloodstream.

“All of you remember the problem at the L.A. Games regarding cycling,” Miller said. “It was not until recently that it (blood doping) was on the IOC list because there is no way to test for it.”

Kenny Bernstein won his third race of the 1985 season to highlight the 21st running of the Budweiser Springnationals at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.

Bernstein, 40, of Dallas, set a quarter-mile track record of 5.739 seconds en route to his ninth National Hot Rod Assn. Funny Car victory and a $20,000 payday.

He beat Billy Meyer of Waco, Tex., in the final with a time of 5.812 seconds, his slowest effort of the rain-plagued weekend.

Other pro winners in the $737,750 event were Bill Mullins of Pelham, Ala., who upset defending champion Gary Beck of Hemet, Calif., in the Top Fuel final; and Warren Johnson of Duluth, Ga., who earned his 12th career victory at the expense of rookie Bruce Allen of Lapeer, Mich., in Pro Stock.

Douglas Vaillant, who was lightweight boxing champion of Cuba in the late 1950s and fought a world championship bout in 1963, was found hanged in a park near the Miami River, police in Miami said.

The death was an apparent suicide, said city homicide detective George Cadavid.

“He was a star in Cuba; he was number one in the world,” said former boxer Frankie Otero, who now works as a booking agent and promoter. “He must have felt like he didn’t want to be part of a world that didn’t need him anymore.”

Vaillant, 47, apparently hanged himself Friday in a small park along the Miami River, Cadavid said. The body was discovered Saturday.

Vaillant had been working for the city of Miami Recreation Department teaching boxing to youngsters in a program at Shenandoah Junior High School.

Vaillant challenged Carlos Ortiz for the world lightweight title in 1963, losing on a knockout in the 13th round.

Sharannpour, ridden by Angel Cordero, raced to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $238,000 Bowling Green Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park.

Onyxly drew off to a big early lead only to be collared after a mile by eventual runner-up Flying Pidgeon and Sharannpour. Long Mick finished fast to get third.

Sharannpour took the Red Smith Handicap on June 1 in his New York debut after racing in California.

The 5-year-old son of Busted-Shamim covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:18 1/5 to earn $142,800 for Jerome Moss. The winner returned $5, $3.60 and $3.20.

Jim Kropfeld piloted the Miss Budweiser hydroplane through a wall of water to win the $110,000 Miller-American Thunderbolt Classic at Liverpool, N.Y.

“This is a water sport and sometimes you get wet, “ said Kropfeld of Cincinnati, who was washed down by 7-Eleven hydroplane driver Steve Reynolds as the pair exited the first turn of the 10-mile final heat.

“The water completely covered the canopy over the cockpit and we were fortunate that the boat ended up headed in the right direction,” said Kropfeld who averaged 106.278 m.p.h. in claiming his 11th Unlimited victory.