Former track coach Graham gets lifetime ban

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency today imposed a lifetime ban against Trevor Graham, who had coached such now-tainted track stars as Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin.

In a news release, the USADA said that the former track and field coach is prohibited from "coaching or participating in any capacity in any competition or activity authorized or organized by the United States Olympic Committee, USA Track & Field, the International Association of Athletics Federations and/or any other signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code or any signatory's member organizations."

Graham was convicted on May 29 of one count of lying to federal investigators, in connection with the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) scandal that dates back to June 2003.

The USADA originally had charged Graham with violating anti-doping rules that prohibit the possession, trafficking and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs. The "lifetime period of ineligibility" went into effect today.

USADA chief executive Travis T. Tygart explained the harsh sanction this way: "While drug use by athletes is a serious wrong to be addressed with stiff penalties, involvement in doping by a coach is even more reprehensible and must be dealt with through the most severe of all sanctions. It is truly disgraceful when a coach uses his position to assist athletes under his care in doping."

Photo: Former track coach Trevor Graham leaves the federal building in San Francisco on Nov. 16, 2006. Credit: Ben Margot / Associated Press