USA SWIMMING PAY HALL'S FINE
Gary Hall Jr, who won four medals, including two golds for the US in
Sydney, came within a whisker of not being allowed to compete at all in
Sydney.
The controversial Hall, who shared victory in the 50 metres freestyle with
his Phoenix Swim Club teammate
Anthony Ervin in the 50 metres freestyle on Friday, received a fax
from FINA, swimming's international governing body, late on August 22.
The
letter demanded that Hall pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs, plus interest,
by August 24 or he would not be allowed to compete at the Games. The
letter
effectively gave Hall one day to pay the fine, which, said Hall, amounted
to
about US$8,000.
The timing was critical, as the deadline for federations to submit their
Olympic entries was August 25. "The timing was no accident," said Hall's
father, Dr. Gary Hall Sr, who raced to the silver medal in the 200m
butterfly behind Mark Spitz at the 1972 Games in Munich.
The fine, according to the younger Hall, was for appealing a three-month
suspension FINA had levied on the sprinter after he tested positive for
marijuana, a non-performance-enhancing drug, in May 1998. FINA imposed the
suspension claiming Hall's offense was a second infraction. Hall
maintained
that it should be considered a first infraction, since the first time he
tested positive - at the 1996 Atlanta Games - marijuana was not on the
list of
prohibited substances.
Hall's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne,
Switzerland, was rejected, and FINA ordered the swimmer to pay the fine for
appealing. He refused.
When he received the fax, Hall refused again to pay the fine, saying, "if
that means I won't compete in Sydney, then so be it. It's a matter of
principle."
USA Swimming, however, decided to pay the fine for Hall, allowing him to
compete in Sydney, but only as an advance against future services to be
rendered by the swimmer. Hall has agreed to conduct several swimming
clinics
for American youngsters, without remuneration, to repay the advance.
The decision to advance the money to pay Hall's fine and allow him to
compete
came only after considerable debate within USA Swimming. Reportedly,
National Team Director Dennis Pursley opposed paying the fine, but assented
to it after Hall agreed to conduct the clinics.
CRAIG LORD
Sunday Times
