Bill Schuffenhauer, the former decathlete from Ogden, confirmed Saturday that he will be the replacement for a bobsledder banned from the top sled in the Winter Games.
Schuffenhauer had been chosen as an alternate for the American Olympics bobsled team, supporting Todd Hays' team. But then one of the regular members of the Hays team, Pavle Jovanovic (Toms River, N.J.) tested positive for traces of a steroid and was banned from the sport for two years.
Steve Mesler (Buffalo, N.Y.) was named to the 10-member team in Jovanovic's place. But the question remained concerning Schuffenhauer and Mesler, who was the starter and who the alternate.
That was answered during a press conference Saturday in the Winter Olympics Main Media Center, located in the Salt Palace. The Utahn confirmed that he is the starter. He will help crew the four-man sled that most commentators feel has the best chance in 46 years of winning a medal for the American men.
Also during the media session, a controlled but obviously furious Hays lashed out at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Olympic Committee for the action against Jovanovic.
Schuffenhauer said racing at the Utah Olympic Park "couldn't be more of a perfect situation for himself."
He had trained in track and field for many years in hopes of making the Olympics.
He was especially pleased about competing in his own state.
For many athletes, Schuffenhauer said, competing in the Olympics means "they're kind of out of their comfort zone. And for me, being that it's my home state, I'm so comfortable and so relaxed.
"I'm focused on what's going on. It's just wonderful."
Hays (Del Rio, Texas) maintains that Jovanovic was the victim of a contaminated nutritional supplement, and did not knowingly use a steroid.
Hays pulled a stack of nutritional power eatables from his backpack, saying they are available free everywhere in the Olympic Village, where athletes stay. He also distributed copies of a statement by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) warning that if athletes take nutritional supplements "you may test positive for a prohibited substance which is not disclosed on the product label!"
He insisted that Olympics officials are not educating athletes about contaminants that could be hidden in supplements.
Banned substances might be lurking in everything from aspirin to vitamins, Hay said. He had to stop taking all these because he was "so scared that somehow, some way, the aspirin company has put in something that has been mislabeled, and my Olympic dream's over."
He has to stick to eating the basics, Hays added. "I drink water, I eat chicken breasts, and eat salad with no dressing. And that's all I can eat" and still get any sleep at night.
Hays then fired a searing blast at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. national Olympic committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee.
"And I can't speak for the others, but I know a lot of them are the same way. They're in fear for something like this happening, some crazy little thing like this, and then have the USADA and the NOC hold you up like a trophy, show you off to the world to validate their existence."
When a reporter asked him about athletes coming clean about drug use, Hays shot back, "What is frustrating is guys like you that are trying to incite inflammatory comments that you might be able to put on TV news."
E-MAIL: bau@desnews.com