Trevor Graham

Trevor Graham is a Jamaican-born former athletics coach, based in the United States.

Athletics career

Graham was part of the silver medal winning Jamaican 4×400m team at the 1988 Summer Olympics, running in the first round and semi-final, though not the final. [cite web
title = Results of 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Game: Athletics – 4x400m relay Men: Round 1
work = Japan Institute of Sports Sciences
url = http://recdb.jiss.naash.go.jp/jsp-examples/list_round.jsp?game=Games%20of%20the%20XXIV%20Olympiad&discipline=Athletics&event=4x400m%20relay%20Men&round=Round%201
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ] [cite web
title = Results of 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Game: Athletics – 4x400m relay Men: Semi-final
work = Japan Institute of Sports Sciences
url = http://recdb.jiss.naash.go.jp/jsp-examples/list_round.jsp?game=Games%20of%20the%20XXIV%20Olympiad&discipline=Athletics&event=4x400m%20relay%20Men&round=Semi-final
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ] He is a graduate from Saint Augustine's College with a degree in Business Management. [cite web
title = Sprint Capitol, USA - Coaches & Staff
work = Sprint Capitol USA
date = 2005
url = http://www.sprintcapitolusa.com/coaches_staff.html
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ]

Coaching career

print Capitol USA

Formed in 1993 by Graham and incorporated in 1997, Sprint Capitol USA was based at the Paul Derr Track on the North Carolina State University Main Campus in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Among the athletes who joined and trained with the group were:
*Shawn Crawford
*Justin Gatlin
*Alvin Harrison
*C.J. Hunter
*Marion Jones
*Tim Montgomery - 100m World Record revoked after he admitted accepting steroids and other performance enhancing drugs from BALCO
*Antonio Pettigrew
*Jerome Young
*Marcus Brunson
*Duane Ross
*Randall Evans
*Chandra Sturrup
*Me'Lisa Barber
*LaTasha Jenkins

BALCO scandal

Graham played a critical role in the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) scandal of June 2003, anonymously sending a syringe containing the designer steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) to the United States Anti-Doping Agency. In July 2006, Angel Guillermo Heredia testified before a US Federal Grand Jury that he had worked for Graham from 1996 to 2000, providing illegal performance enhancing drugs. While a number of athletes coached by Trevor Graham have received suspensions for drug use, he has always denied direct knowledge or involvement, and denies having ever met Heredia. [cite news
last = Wilson
first = Duff
title = Instigator of Steroids Inquiry May Be a Target
work = New York Times
date = 2006-07-20
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/20/sports/20track.html?ex=1311048000&en=de3ec843ee79b313&ei=5090
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ] After Gatlin failed a test for testosterone, announced in July 2006, Graham stated in an interview that Gatlin had been set up. [cite news
last = Pells
first = Eddie
title = Gatlin set up: coach
work = Associated Press
publisher = Globe and Mail
date = 2006-07-31
url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060731.DOPINGSIDE31/TPStory/TPSports/OtherSports/
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ] cite news
last = Mackay
first = Duncan
title = Gatlin turns into the fastest falling hero in the world
work = The Guardian
date = 2006-07-31
url = http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,,1833820,00.html
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ]

An unsent letter written by BALCO's Victor Conte to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency described the use of an oral testosterone by Graham that "will clear the body and be undetectable in urine in less than a week after discontinuing use." At the end of the letter, Gatlin was one of four athletes identified as using the drug. [cite news
title = In with the wrong crowd
work = The Daily Telegraph
date = 2006-08-01
url = http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,19970463-5001023,00.html
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ]

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on July 31, 2006 that Graham could face a two-year ban if evidence links him to any doping violations and the United States Anti-Doping Agency decides not to take action. [cite news
title = IAAF: Gatlin's coach might face two-year ban
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2006-08-07
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=2535356
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ]

On August 3, 2006 the United States Olympic Committee banned Trevor Graham from its training facilities [cite news
title = USOC bans track coach Graham from training sites
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2006-08-07
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=2538450
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ] . This was the first time a coach has received such a ban based on the excessive number athletes in their charge who have tested positive. As a result of the above events, Nike ended its contract with Graham in August 2006. [cite news
title = Nike ends contract with track coach Graham
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2006-08-25
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=2560973
accessdate = 2006-08-25 ]

On May 29, 2008 Graham was convicted of one count of lying to federal investigators. A mistrial was declared on two other counts as jurors could not reach a unanimous agreement. [cite web| last = Dubow| first = Josh| coauthors = Paul Elias and Raf Casert| title = Track coach Graham convicted in BALCO probe| publisher = Tampa Bay Online| date = 2008-05-30| url = http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ATHLETES_STEROIDS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
accessdate =2008-05-30 ]

The US Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygar, on July 15, 2008, confirmed a life ban on Trevor Graham for breaking anti-drugs rules: "It sends a powerful reminder that coaches are not above the rules. There's a misconception that they are because we don't drug-test them, but this shows that we'll use all of our authority. There's no opportunity to seek reinstatement. Any chance that he may have had for that has passed. He's waived that." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/7509350.stm bbc.co.uk, Coach Graham is handed life ban] ] His ban included participation in any event sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the IAAF, USA Track & Field or any other group that participates in the World Anti-Doping Agency program. [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/2008053708_olywire16.html seattletimes, Track coach Trevor Graham gets banned for life] ]

Footnotes