Korda: Suspended For Steroids?

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

December 22, 1998 / 7:28 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

The International Tennis Federation admitted Thursday that it own appeals committee was wrong in not suspending Australian Open champion Petr Korda after he failed a drug test.

After complaints from some top players, the ITF said Thursday it would seek to overturn the ruling and impose a one-year suspension on Korda, who tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone at Wimbledon in July.

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ITF president Brian Tobin, speaking at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, said the federation was unhappy with the Dec. 22 decision of the appeals committee and would seek to overturn it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Tennis has been criticized for a lenient policy toward drugs and Korda's case was seen as the latest example, coming just weeks before the Feb. 2-4 IOC-sponsored world anti-doping summit.

The ITF appeals committee acknowledged Korda tested positive for a steroid on July 1 at Wimbledon, but cited "exceptional circumstances" in deciding against any suspension. Korda was only stripped of his Wimbledon prize money and ranking points.

The committee accepted Korda's explanation that he had no idea how the drug got in his system.

But Tobin said the appeals committee's decision did not reflect the ITF's wishes. He said he agreed with players who believe the excuse was insufficient reason for Korda to escape a suspension.

"I question if that is a legitimate reason for reducing the penalty," Tobin said Thursday. "We did prove that he was positive, and if it happened to me I'd say the same thing."

The ITF, at Korda's urging, Thursday released the full findings of the appeals committee.

The committee, which received a character reference in Korda's defense from three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, concluded Korda acted "innocently and reasonably" and described him as an "honest, open and reliable witness."

The committee also:

acknowledged there were minor flaws in the testing and custody procedures of Korda's urine sample, but said it was satisfied with the positive results "beyond a reasonable doubt."

dismissed arguments by Korda's lawyer that the steroid mighhave entered his system by eating meat from animals that had ingested the steroid.

dismissed the defense argument that a mixup might have occurred with the sample of a female player who was taking oral contraceptives containing norethisterone.

noted that Korda's was the only positive test at Wimbledon.

ITF spokesman Alun James said the federation expected to lodge its initial appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports on Friday or Monday. He said a ruling could take up to four months.

In the meantime, Korda is free to defend his title in this month's Australian Open and to play in any tennis event, James said.

Top-ranked women's player Lindsay Davenport criticized tennis officials, saying, "It seems that in tennis there's always exceptions made for players for whatever it is."

And Swedish player Jonas Bjorkman claimed that tennis officials "cover up" positive tests and accused authorities of being "scared" to act.