Greene

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP):

Track and field's world governing body threw its support yesterday behind Maurice Greene and dismissed doping allegations against the former Olympic and world sprint champion.

Greene also denied the accusations, which were made by a witness in a US Government investigation and reported Saturday in the New York Times.

"None of this is new," International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) spokesman Nick Davies told The Associated Press. "There is no reason to take action against Maurice."

Davies said the IAAF would continue to use Greene as one of its goodwill ambassadors to promote the sport in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

"With every ambassador we do an immediate check with the doping department," Davies said by telephone from IAAF headquarters in Monaco. "In this case, they said, no we don't have anything."

Supplier

A witness in a US government investigation into sports doping said he advised and supplied banned substances to athletics coach Trevor Graham and his athletes, including Greene and Marion Jones, The New York Times reported.

"I read about this guy and this rumour four years ago," Davies said.

Citing court filings, the New York Times said that Angel Guillermo Heredia, identified as Source A in the felony indictment, agreed to be a cooperating witness when investigators confronted him with evidence of his own drug trafficking and money laundering.

Times reported that Heredia said he has provided prosecutors with the names of many elite athletes and Olympic medal winners, as well as documentation.

12 Olympic medalists

Among his clients, the paper said Heredia identified 12 Olympic medalists, including Greene, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion who has never been previously linked to doping. Greene, who retired in February, never failed a doping test.

He told Britain's Daily Telegraph in yesterday's edition that he had met with Heredia but did not receive or use any drugs.

"This is a bad situation for me," he was quoted as saying. "My name's coming up in something and it's not true. ... I have met him before and when he was talking to me, I told him I don't believe in this stuff."

Davies said the US Anti-Doping Agency had been looking into the link for years without finding any proof.

"If it was Maurice, it was not enough to even interest USADA, who are very interested," Davies said.

Record holder

Greene won the gold in the 100 metres in Sydney and was part of the winning relay team. He also won five World Championship gold medals and still holds the indoor 60m world record.

Greene was linked to doping as part of the case against athletics coach Trevor Graham, who is charged in the United States with three counts of making false statements. He has pleaded not guilty.

"I have met with a lot of people who wanted me to try this and that," Greene said.

Sticking to the decision

"Everyone wanted me to work with them. But me getting anything or doing anything? I have not.

"My stance has always been that there is no place in our sport for drug users. I have always said that you should be banned for life if you come up positive, even once. I stand by that."

Greene said he used to pay for items for other members of his training group, but didn't know what he was paying for.

"Our group was very close and things always came up," he said. "I would pay for stuff and not care what it was. I've paid for things for other people."