The former world shot put champion C J Hunter last night claimed that he was offered a deal by Istvan Gyulai, the general secretary of the International Association of Athletics Federations, to cover up his positive drugs test on the eve of the 2000 Olympics.
Hunter, who was married to the sprinter Marion Jones at the time, alleged Gyulai had offered to keep details of his positive test for the anabolic steroid nandrolone confidential if he withdrew from Syd ney citing injury. The American, speaking about the affair publicly for the first time, claims the offer was made before an event in Brussels on August 25, 2000 - a meeting at which Sandro Giovannelli, the IAAF competitions director, was also present.
Gyulai is alleged to have told him: "Don't say anything and we will make sure everything is fine so you can come back next year."
Hunter claims he agreed to the offer because he was already suffering from a knee injury that required surgery.
An independent report commissioned in 2001 by USA Track & Field accused the IAAF of deliberately trying to cover up the tests. It claimed that Gyulai had told the US governing body on August 26 that it had "reached an agreement" that Hunter would not take part in the games. However Gyulai claims Hunter begged the IAAF to conceal four positive tests in 2000 in order not to upset Jones.
"There was no backroom deal at all," said Gyulai. "There was a possibility to keep the confidentiality until after the Olympics - if he accepted that he could not compete."
