RiPHRaPH

A former member of the US junior national cycling team has filed a lawsuit claiming that he was tricked into using banned, performance enhancing substances by his coach and trainer.
Gerrik Latta of Oregon alleges in a negligence lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Denver that he was given illegal drugs under the guise that he was receiving safe and legal vitamins.
He is suing USA Cycling, the United States Cycling Federation and his former coach and trainer for unspecified damages.
Latta, who began bicycle racing in 1988 when he was 16, claims that former coach Rene Wenzel instructed trainer Angus Fraser to give him several injections in England in 1990 before the World Championships.
He said Wenzel and Fraser assured him the injections were safe and legal vitamins.


I OPENED MY MORNING SPORTS SECTION TO THIS REPORT

Raiyn

Vitamins by injection. Ok riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight Let me guess Tony Montana (Scarface) dealt in powdered sugar!

oxologic

If there were really such coaches, athletes would be at such a disadvantage.

We never know in such a world.

jmlee

Actually, vitamins by injection are not that uncommon. Vit B, for example, is sometimes given this way. A needle-phobic friend had to suffer his father's mania for giving him injections every once in a while, although he admitted that he felt great shortly after the injection. I don't know, however, what the benefits or drawbacks are to this method.

This is definitely an interesting case, though. If the cyclist is right, it would be pretty damaging for U.S. cycling. It could also be a case of bitterness from a kid who didn't develop as he hoped and now seeks to blame it on his coaches.

Did the article say anything about the evidence he has? Was he actually caught with the stuff in his system? If it has been washed out, he'll have a hefty burden of proof.

Cheers,
Jamie

nathank

well, i'm not familiar with the case, and there are many many possiblities...

but i think considering that professional sports have become a business and winning is everything, it unfortunately is not too unlikely that there are coaches like this.

the coach could have simply thought it was in the 16 year-old's best interest b/c it would help his career and surely help the coaches career... if the coach believed in using performance-inhancing drugs (which obviously many did in the past b/c of the high incidence) what difference is it if he does it with or without the kids knowledge (i personally think there's a difference, but i mean from his perspective).

performance-inhancing drugs are such a difficult issue... the pressure to succeed is so high... and what if others are using and you're not. that means you won't win unless you are significantly better than those who gain the edge by using drugs.

thus, while it hurts to hear about all the drug usage and see things like the massive disqualificiations in tdF or the Olympics (xcountry skiing for example), not to mention the constant surveilance and mistrust and testing of athletes like Lnace Armstrong, i think it is necessary to set the playing field level.

RiPHRaPH

THE DATE OF THE ALLEGED INCIDENT WAS 1990. that is a long time before filing a suit.

TdF and Olympics should have a steroid/performance drug competition and a clean one. like in bodybuilding.

ChipRGW

There was more to the story...

Latta also received water bottles with supplements in them and a suppository, the lawsuit said.

Two other members of the four-person team that competed in 1990 World Championships -- Greg Strock and Erich Kaiter -- have come forward with similar allegations in lawsuits that are still pending.

John Pineau, the Denver attorney who represents all three former cyclists, said the conduct of the cycling officials may be indicative of a greater problem with athlete doping.

Bill Senter, an attorney for USA Cycling, said he hadn't seen the latest lawsuit or heard of Latta's claims. But he said the allegations made by Strock and Kaiter have been vigorously denied.

...one coach, 3 different athletes, lends a bit of credibility to the story.

ChipR.

Bokkie

I think it was the Listerine mouthwash solution used in his Camelbak.

bac

No question, but why does he have to sue USA Cycling and the United States Cycling Federation also? Oh yeah, they may not have done anything wrong, but they have deep pockets.

Brains

This is not an isolated case - In the mid 1990's I personally had to get a 16 year old kid into a hospital when he flipped out half way up a mountain in Switzerland.

We found out later the casue of the problems were the steroids he was being given by his Rugby Coach with the full knowledge of his parents.

There was no medical reason for him getting steroids, it was purely to bulk him up and make him faster.

(For American readers:
Rugby is the original game from which American Football is derived, it is however played without all the armour, but the basic physical requirements are the same, you have to be built like a truck and have the abilty to do 100m in under 10 seconds)

RainmanP

And the ability to ignore and play on with minor annoyances like broken teeth, broken fingers, etc. The rugby club at my university sold bumper stickers one year as a fund raiser.

"Give blood: Play rugby!"
"It takes leather balls to play rugby!"

Arsbars

Thats wacked.. if you are stupid enough to let someone inject with you with something..you are stupid enough to take it to court and prolly get a couple million dollars

Cyclesister

Wacked is right!

Bokkie

I used to play the game and I still love watching it. One thing I realised is that an IQ less than 10 does no harm either.

orguasch

I am against doping per se, but filing a case after 10 years, why, because your'e cycling career never got off the ground and now your trying to make something out of it, "common man, wake up...