Olympic notes: USADA wants more regulations on supplements

The leader of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency wants regulations tightened on supplement manufacturers selling dietary products that contain designer steroids.

Travis Tygart made the call for additional enforcement after federal authorities filed a search warrant Tuesday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, then combed through the home of Maurice Sandoval, former chief executive officer of American Cellular Labs.

Food and Drug Administration agent Jeff Novitzky, head of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation, wrote in an affidavit unsealed Thursday that he believes Sandoval’s old company, along with a Max Muscle store, are distributing two kinds of undetectable designer steroids popular among high school football players.

“Kids think they’re safe because you can buy them over the counter without an ID and without a whole lot of money,” said Tygart, CEO of Colorado Springs-based USADA. “We all know there are some that are masqueraded as what should be illegal steroids.”

Tygart wouldn’t comment on USADA’s role in the raid but said the operation reveals “the current regulatory system for dietary supplements allows these unscrupulous steroid salesmen to endanger the health of our youth.”

“It sends another loud signal that BALCO was a huge step in the fight to protect a level playing field,” he added. “Those same investigators are still focused on protecting our clean athletes for the integrity of competition.”

Mixed results for wrestlers
Olympic Training Center wrestler Dremiel Byers marked a runner-up finish July 17 at the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan. His OTC teammates, Jeremiah Davis and Faruk Sahin, didn’t place.

Judo players struggle
OTC judo player Lindsey Durlacher dropped two matches July 19 at the Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv, Israel. Also of the OTC, Christal Ransom won, Katie Sell lost and Jake Larsen tied July 16 against Brazil in Porto Alegre.

Triathletes in action
OTC resident Sarah Haskins Kortuem won the women’s division of the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon on July 11 in Minneapolis, and the OTC’s Andy Potts took second in the men’s race. OTC resident Gregory Billington was fifth July 11 at the San Francisco Triathlon.

Shooters on podium
OTC resident Corey Cogdell won a gold medal in trap this month at the shotgun national championships at Fort Carson. Also of the OTC, Jacob Turner finished second in trap, and Lance Bade was third; Frank Thompson placed third in skeet, and Sean McLelland was fourth; and on the women’s side, Amber English was fourth in skeet.

Etc.
A U.S. Paralympic military sports camp starts Thursday in Colorado Springs. … A U.S. Olympic Committee minority conference begins Saturday at the OTC. … The National Junior Olympic Shotgun Championships run through Saturday at Fort Carson.