TNT Sports
Hamilton vows to fight
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Published 22/04/2005 at 12:33 GMT+1
Olympic time trial gold medallist Tyler Hamilton has vowed to fight his two-year suspension for doping. "While I am obviously disappointed with the ruling, the fight will continue," the American told his personal website. Hamilton was the first-ever cycli
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Taking comfort from the 2-1 split decision by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Hamilton reiterated his attack on the brand-new test that caught him even though he failed the same blood doping check in both the Olympics and the Vuelta.
The Boulder resident got to keep his gold medal because the Athens b-sample was unusable, but he failed the same blood test one month later in Spain.
"This is not just a battle to clear my name, but also a mission to improve the way athletes of all sports are tested and the manner in which they are treated should they find themselves charged with an offense," the Massachussets native said after the suspension.
The laboratory's "failure to provide the measure of uncertainty means its testing method failed to meet the prevailing standards of the scientific community," Christopher Campbell wrote in his dissenting opinion.
"In this case, USADA should not be able to sustain its initial burden of proof and the case against Mr. Hamilton should be dismissed."
ROGGE AND POUND ATTACKED
Campbell also chastised the public statements on Hamilton by IOC President Jacques Rogge and World Anti-Doping Agency boss Dick Pound:
"Athletes should not have to worry that high-ranking officials are sending clear messages to the arbitrators to find the athlete guilty regardless of the facts of the case," wrote Campbell. "The IOC and WADA should consider making rules prohibiting such conduct to comply with a very important fundamental principle of the Olympic movement, fairness."
"We know we made sound arguments in our case and someone heard us," Hamilton concluded thanking fans for their support.
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