The Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Jon Drummond is due to appear in court today after being arrested during an investigation into the alleged moving of marijuana through Los Angeles airport.
The American, a training partner of the world and Olympic 100 metres champion Maurice Greene, was being held in custody yesterday after being charged in connection with transporting a controlled substance, according to Deputy Roberta Granek of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department.
The 33-year-old Drummond was arrested early on Tuesday and was held until today's hearing, where he is expected to be released on $20,000 (£14,000) bail.
Granek said that drug task force members were monitoring departing flights at the airport when they arrested a man as he tried to leave the terminal with two audio speaker boxes containing marijuana. She added that subsequent surveillance led the task force to Drummond's home, a search warrant was served and he was arrested .
Drummond has been ranked among the world's top sprinters since 1991 after making his breakthrough at the World Student Games in Sheffield, when he won the 200m. His performances, however, have often been overshadowed by those of his training partners Greene and Ato Boldon, the gold and silver medallists in last year's Olympic 100m, a race in which he finished fifth.
Drummond has established himself as a firm favourite on the European grand prix circuit with his flamboyant performances and showmanship. He is also the lead singer and manager of Kirk Franklin & The Family, a group which reached No1 on the Billboard gospel chart in 1993.
Drummond's arrest is the latest blow to the training group of John Smith, the man acknowledged as the world's most successful coach.
Last month the International Association of Athletics Federations announced that Boldon had tested positive for a banned stimulant at a meeting in May and received a public warning. Then, two weeks ago, it was revealed that Inger Miller had been stripped of her bronze medal from the 1999 world indoor championships after failing a test for caffeine following the 60m.
In addition Smith himself is still facing the threat of civil action over a bar-room fracas with one of his former athletes, the world 100m hurdles champion Anjanette Kirkland, and her mother during the US championships in June.
