Defeated American sprinter Gwen Torrence claimed that two of the three Olympic medalists in Saturday's 100-meter dash had used performance-enhancing drugs. All three denied it, and one called her a sore loser.
"In Seoul, I knew I didn't have a chance at a medal because only two runners and myself were clean," said Torrence, who finished fifth in that race and wound up fourth Saturday. "Then I come back here and I think three were not clean in the 100 here."Torrence did not use names, but said two of the three were medalists.
Later, Torrence amended her statement when she found out the order of finished was different than she at first though.
"Three of the eight athletes in the race were dirty. Gail is clean. I hope she comes back and whips their butts in the hurdles," Torrence said.
The gold medalist, Gail Devers of Van Nuys, Calif., said she had never used performance enhancers. She said she chose not to use beta blockers while recovering from the side-effects of Graves' disease, even though it would have helped her, because she knew she would have tested positive and would have been banned.
"I'm clean," she insisted.
Her coach, Bob Kersee, walked into the post-race news conference from an adjoining room to defend Devers.
"Gail Devers has been tested almost as much as my wife, Jackie Joyner-Kersee," he said.
Devers beat Juliet Cuthbert of Jamaica by just one-hundredth of a second, with Irina Privalova of the Unified Team another one-hundredth of a second behind in third.
"I think Gwen is a sore loser," Cuthbert said.
"I can speak for myself - I'm totally, 100 percent clean. She had a bad day, she's very upset, so I can understand her saying maybe the people who beat her today are not clean. I know I'm clean and I'll take a blood test."
Privalova dismissed the allegations as well.
"Everybody has different reactions to winning and losing," she said.
Torrence made her remarks to a small group of reporters. She did not seem angry.
"I would prefer to be blood tested," she said. "Blood test in front of the media, so everyone knows the results. I have a little boy I have to look at every day. I would never cheat."
The Seoul Olympics were scandalized when Canada's Ben Johnson tested positive after winning the 100 in world-record time.
"I don't think a Ben Johnson-type thing will happen here. Everyone knows what they're doing before they get here," Torrence said. "I just don't understand how it can be done, but apparently it can be done.
"It's frustrating because I work so hard and try so hard and hope it'll work out in the end, and unfortunately it doesn't."