French scandal will grow, says athletics chief

NARBONNE, France, July 29 (Reuters) A doping scandal hurting French middle-distance running is not over yet and the names of more athletes involved should soon be revealed, the head of French athletics told Reuters.

Over the past year three athletes, French 1,500 metres record holder Hind Dehiba, Latifa Essarokh and Nordine Gezzar, have been suspended for two years after testing positive for banned substances.

''A year ago, I had said there were dodgy people in (French) middle-distance running,'' French Athletics Federation (FFA) president Bernard Amsalem told Reuters in an interview yesterday.

''A year ago, I knew this already. Now the rumours are proving to be true, networks are beeing unveiled.'' The 27-year-old Dehiba and her husband and coach Fodil were arrested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport in January after vials containing human growth hormone (HGH) were found in her luggage on their return from training in the United States.

The French federation ordered tests which showed traces of the banned blood-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO) in her A and B samples.

In an apparent effort to have her ban reduced, Dehiba has since told the FFA and world body IAAF that several other athletes also used drugs. She said a retired Moroccan athlete was providing them with banned substances, notably EPO and HGH.

''It is out of the question,'' Amsalem said when asked whether the FFA might reduce Dehiba's ban because of her cooperation. ''The IAAF will do what they want.'' More scandals would follow, and not just in France, Amsalem said.

''Until September, athletics will be rocked even more, certainly in our country but not only. There are two Moroccan networks involving Moroccan athletes based in Europe, notably in Spain. They should be unearthed very, very soon.

''We are currently working on a list of some 15 people, all French middle-distance runners,'' Amsalem added. ''For the moment I have no information regarding the sprints or throws.'' Amsalem said the FFA was in close collaboration with its Moroccan counterpart on the case. Most of France's top middle-distance runners are of North African descent. Dehiba and Essarokh are both Moroccan-born.

REUTERS TB KN1947