The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced today that its Joint Inquiry Commission with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today released a further report regarding the case of Jerome Young.

In the report, the Commission, composed of representatives from WADA and the IOC, said it had “read the decision taken by the USATF (USA Track and Field) Doping Appeal Board [regarding the Young case] and cannot understand how, based on the facts presently available to the Commission, any authority could have reached the conclusion that there was no doping offense.” The Commission concludes that the proper authorities, such as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) “are now called upon to enforce and uphold their authority.”

“The Commission’s report makes it clear that the time has come for action in this case,” said Richard W. Pound, WADA’s president. “There can no longer be any question that the IAAF and USOC must thoroughly investigate what happened prior to the Sydney Games, why Young was allowed to compete, and take action immediately to deal with the situation. We owe this to all Olympic athletes who competed in Sydney and, in particular, to those in the 4 x 400 relay who were, perhaps, unfairly deprived of a medal.”

Pound commended the IOC’s decision, announced today, to form a disciplinary commission that can take action once a review is completed by the IAAF.

“I’m pleased to see that the IOC has taken action prior to the October 1 deadline,” Pound said. “This now leaves the door open for any necessary disciplinary action once the appropriate review has been completed. This also provides an opportunity for the IOC to continue to demonstrate its leadership in the fight against doping in sport.”

The USOC recently confirmed to the IOC that Jerome Young was the athlete that tested positive for a banned steroid a year before the Games, but was cleared by USATF and allowed to compete in Sydney. Contrary to the rules of IAAF, USATF refused to disclose the name of that athlete to the IAAF. Young competed in the early rounds of the 1,600-meter relay and was one of the team members awarded a gold medal for the final victory.

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