Eight years later, Australia’s Michael Rogers may finally be edging closer to claiming a belated Olympic bronze medal.
The International Olympic Committee is still investigating whether to readjust the medals for the men’s road cycling time trial at the 2004 Athens Olympics following American rider and gold medallist Tyler Hamilton’s admission of doping.
The IOC has renewed its request for the US Anti-Doping Agency to provide documents on the Tyler case so it can proceed with its own procedures to formally strip him of gold and possibly move other cyclists, including fourth-placed finisher Rogers, up in the medals.
The move comes as the Russian Olympic Committee presses its bid for retired Russian rider Viatcheslav Ekimov, who finished second behind Hamilton at the 2004 Athens Games, to be upgraded from silver to gold.
The case is gaining in urgency because the IOC’s eight-year statute of limitations for revising results is running out.
“We have asked for the documentation in order to be able to act,” said IOC vice-president Thomas Bach.
“USADA told us they’re still looking into the matter.”
After years of denials, Hamilton told CBS’ “60 Minutes” last year that he had repeatedly used performance-enhancing drugs.
USADA said at the time that Hamilton had turned over his gold medal to the doping agency. USADA also said it would continue to cooperate with the IOC “as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation” into doping in cycling.
The IOC executive board hoped to take action on the case at its upcoming meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday and Wednesday, but any decision will likely be postponed.
Bach said the IOC would eventually act on its own if it doesn’t receive the US files.
The eight-year deadline comes up in August, but the IOC board has several more meetings scheduled before then when it could issue a ruling.
“We would of course start our own disciplinary procedure, and then we would make an inquiry into the case,” Bach said. “We will do everything we can to fight for clean sport.”
Before adjusting the results and reallocating the medals, the IOC wants to be certain there is nothing in the US investigation that implicates other riders or their coaches from the Athens cycling competition.
