The Athletics Congress Organization

The American free enterprise system is a major part of our society. Here, the profit motive is the engine that turns the country's wheels. Provide a service, get paid. In some families this translates to that quaint American civics lesson--paying a kid for grades. If Johnny brings home an A on his report card, he gets $5. That's called a performance incentive. It is really no different for the amateur athletes of the world, except that the incentive is considerably bigger.

The executive committee of The Athletics Congress, the national governing body for track and field, voted Saturday to recommend a two-year contract extension for executive director Ollan Cassell. TAC President Frank Greenberg of Philadelphia said that he had been instructed by the executive committee not to reveal the results of the vote, which came after 2 1/2 hours of discussion during a meeting at Denver.

In a precedent-setting move, a three-member panel voted unanimously Friday to suspend indefinitely three U.S. athletes and a coach who participated in a series of track and field meets in South Africa last month in defiance of an international ban. The hearing, called by The Athletics Congress, the national governing body of track and field, was to have determined the fate of 16 of the athletes and coaches who participated in the tour, but 12 requested a later hearing, which the panel granted.

In response to complaints from Gail Devers' coach, Bob Kersee, that officials were not protecting the women's 100-meter champion against unsubstantiated allegations of drug use, The Athletics Congress announced Friday the results of her tests from this year.

Marathoner Jeff Scuffins, quarter-miler Willie Caldwell and shotputter Tom Huminik were suspended Monday by The Athletics Congress for drug use. Caldwell, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Huminik, who attends North Carolina State, each were given two-year suspensions, while Scuffins, of Hagerstown, Md., was suspended for three months. The suspensions were effective immediately.

At an unprecedented news conference that brought together track and field officials and athletes and their agents, the message was sent out Friday that widespread rumors about drug use among the sport's elite athletes must stop. It was the first time that officials of The Athletics Congress had responded directly to drug allegations.

In response to complaints from Gail Devers' coach, Bob Kersee, that officials were not protecting the women's 100-meter champion against unsubstantiated allegations of drug use, The Athletics Congress announced Friday the results of her tests from this year.

Shotputter Randy Barnes is a day closer to competing in the Olympic track and field trials Tuesday because The Athletics Congress took no court action to prevent the banned world record-holder from throwing on Friday. Barnes received a preliminary injunction from a state circuit court judge in West Virginia on Monday, giving him the right to compete in the shot--even though he is serving a two-year suspension for steroid use.

The Athletics Congress expects a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order allowing suspended sprinter Butch Reynolds to compete in the Olympic trials, a TAC lawyer said Thursday. If that happens, an appeal will be filed immediately in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, said Peter Alkalay, a lawyer for TAC, the governing body of U.S. track and field. U.S.

The Athletics Congress, track and field's national governing body, said it will send legal representatives to Wednesday's federal court hearing involving suspended 400-meter world record-holder Butch Reynolds.

Most of the United States' world-class athletes missed the opportunity of a lifetime to stand up for some indispensable intangibles. They blew a chance to tell the world about the advantages that American citizens enjoy in the way of rights and values as bestowed by the U.S. Constitution. That Constitution gives Americans a personal freedom, liberty and dignity not yet attained by many foreign nations, even in Europe.

Discus thrower Kamy Keshmiri of Reno, who won the U.S. trials and has the longest toss in the world this year at 232 feet 5 inches, said he probably will appeal any ban or suspension by The Athletics Congress resulting from his positive drug test. TAC notified Keshmiri two days after the trials that he had tested positive in a "random, out-of-competition test."

Kamy Keshmiri, winner of the discus at the U.S. Olympic trials and the collegiate record-holder, said Friday he has been notified by The Athletics Congress that he tested positive for drugs at a random, out-of-competition test. TAC, the national governing body for track and field, said it would not have any comment on the matter. It is customary for TAC not to announce positive drug tests until an athlete has exhausted his appeals process. Keshmiri said from his Reno, Nev.

Shotputter Randy Barnes is a day closer to competing in the Olympic track and field trials Tuesday because The Athletics Congress took no court action to prevent the banned world record-holder from throwing on Friday. Barnes received a preliminary injunction from a state circuit court judge in West Virginia on Monday, giving him the right to compete in the shot--even though he is serving a two-year suspension for steroid use.

The word trials has taken on a new meaning here at the the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, as yet another athlete--shotputter Randy Barnes--petitioned a court and won the right to compete. A Kanawha County, W.Va., Circuit Court judge ruled Monday that Barnes, who set the shotput world record at Los Angeles in 1990, be allowed to participate in the event, which is scheduled to begin Friday.

The Athletics Congress expects a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order allowing suspended sprinter Butch Reynolds to compete in the Olympic trials, a TAC lawyer said Thursday. If that happens, an appeal will be filed immediately in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, said Peter Alkalay, a lawyer for TAC, the governing body of U.S. track and field. U.S.

The executive committee of The Athletics Congress, the national governing body for track and field, voted Saturday to recommend a two-year contract extension for executive director Ollan Cassell. TAC President Frank Greenberg of Philadelphia said that he had been instructed by the executive committee not to reveal the results of the vote, which came after 2 1/2 hours of discussion during a meeting at Denver.

The Athletics Congress, track and field's national governing body, said it will send legal representatives to Wednesday's federal court hearing involving suspended 400-meter world record-holder Butch Reynolds.