2004 US Women’s Relay Team Striped of Gold Medal for Doping Charges

Even though there are four women on the Gold winning 2004 Women’s Relay Team, only one was found to be using illegal enhancement drugs and that would be sprinter Crystal Cox. The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) confirmed on Tuesday that the four year period of disqualifications and ineligibility from 2001 came after her admittance of her participation in the BALCO schem e (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative), said a statement released earlier by the IAAF.

Cox was on the Gold winning 4 x 400 meter US Relay Team from Athens and according to the IAAF regulations and rules which went into effect in 2004, any type of doping is not allowed in Olympic caliber athletes. There have been many athletes caught up in the BALCO conspiracy including famed record setting runner Marion Jones who was asked to give back her gold medals after testing positive for various enhancement drugs.

The BALCO scandal was in part the discovery of several professional athletes that were using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs to help them achieve phenomenal goals in their chosen fields. The Bay Area Laboratory Corporation was a business out of San Francisco accused of supplying Major League Baseball player’s steroids to help them hit better among other things. It was in 2002 that a US Federal investigation went in to the laboratory and uncovered the BALCO scandal.

Cox recently admitted to using anabolic steroids during a period of time between 2001 and 2004 which would disqualify her for the Olympic team and any subsequent medal earnings. Cox did not actually run in the winning race, she ran in the qualifying race which put Monique Hennegan, Monique Henderson, Captain Sanya Richards and Dee Dee Trotter up for the gold metals. Some might say this is not fair because Cox did not actually run the medal winning race, however she did run the race that qualified the winning team. The Olympic committee is very strict on technicalities.

The IOC – International Olympic Committee will open up a formal investigation into the doping allegations as soon as it can and has already disqualified the 2004 US Women’s 4 x 400 relay team.

The silver medalist (in the 4 x 400 meter) winners, Russia will step up to claim the gold meals later this month.