De zaak Julien Despaux

French Skater Accused of Doping
Elevated testosterone level reported for medal winner

The French skater has been accused of doping at the the 2007 World Speed Skating Championships in Cali, Colombia, where he won three silver medals. Elevated levels of testosterone were found in one of Despaux's urine samples, said Carlos Orlando Ferreira, vice president of the Federation International of Roller Sports and president of the Colombian skating federation.

"We regret this very much," Ferreira said. "The athlete has a right to have his second sample checked. The French skater must show that the testosterone wasn't produced artificially; that it was the result of other medical substances or that his body produces abnormal amounts of testosterone." Unless he can vindicate himself, the 22-year-old skater will be banned from the sport for two years and be unable to compete in national or international events. In August, Despaux won silver medals in

 three track events at the World Championships: the 300 meter time trail, the 500 meters and the 1000 meters. Officials did not say whether Despaux would be stripped of his medals.

Despaux is the first skater in memory to be accused of doping after competing in the World Championships. Two years ago, 16-year-old Corey Gahan of Florida was barred from competing in the junior division of the World Championships after elevated levels of testosterone were found in his urine. Gahan, a former junior national champion, was banned from the sport for two years. His father, James Gahan, later pleaded guilty to providing his son with steroids. He is awaiting sentencing and faces as much as 10 years in prison.  (By Planet staff, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007)
 

De zaak Corey Gahan

Tampa Man gave steroids to skating son

A man pleaded guilty in federal court to giving his 13-year-old son steroids while the boy trained to compete internationally on a roller-skating team. James Edward Gahan, 41, formerly of Lady Lake, entered his plea on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun III. A sentencing date has not been set, but Gahan faces a minimum of one year in federal prison. The maximum he could get is a 10-year sentence. Federal court documents say that Gahan's son began competing as an amateur inline roller skater in competitions organized by USA Roller Sports in 2002. Gahan would take his son to storefront clinics called the Pasco Medical Center or Physicians Wellness Institute to receive anabolic steroid injections, which federal prosecutors say Gahan also received. Federal prosecutors say Gahan gave his son steroids and other performance-enhancement drugs until at least August 2005, when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency tested the boy and found the drugs in his system. The boy was training to qualify for USA Roller Sports' junior national team, to represent the United States at an international competition in China. The investigation also led to the arrests of John Todd Miller, who operated Pasco Medical Center and Physicians Wellness Institute in Pasco County, and Phillip C. Pavicic, a skating trainer, for supplying the boy with steroids. In 2005, a judge sentenced Pavicic to six months in federal prison. Miller's sentencing hearing has been delayed several times, but he's scheduled to go before a judge on Sept. 19. (By St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer
Published August 28, 2007)