Rick Reeno
11-04-2004, 01:23 AM
WBC Executive Director Mauricio Sulaiman, has defended heavyweight champion,
who's revealed he was wrongly given a steroid as an amateur, without his
knowledge, and then banned from participating in the olympics.
Vitali discusses this in his autobiography just out, which is entitled Among
Brothers. Vitali insists that entirely without his knowledge, a doctor gave
him a steroid, to treat an old leg injury, which he'd picked up in a kick
boxing contest.
It then showed up in a subsequent routine drug test, and Vitali was bounced
off the 1996 Ukrainian Olympic Team, in spite of being personally innocent.
In his eight years as a pro, Vitali has never tested postive for any banned
substance.
Mauricio Sulaiman said: "What happened to Vitali as an amateur was
absolutely tragic. But what occured then was not his responsibility, or his
fault. I know that Vitali is a totally honorable honest person, and he's
participated in boxing without the slightest problem. [details (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=193)]
who's revealed he was wrongly given a steroid as an amateur, without his
knowledge, and then banned from participating in the olympics.
Vitali discusses this in his autobiography just out, which is entitled Among
Brothers. Vitali insists that entirely without his knowledge, a doctor gave
him a steroid, to treat an old leg injury, which he'd picked up in a kick
boxing contest.
It then showed up in a subsequent routine drug test, and Vitali was bounced
off the 1996 Ukrainian Olympic Team, in spite of being personally innocent.
In his eight years as a pro, Vitali has never tested postive for any banned
substance.
Mauricio Sulaiman said: "What happened to Vitali as an amateur was
absolutely tragic. But what occured then was not his responsibility, or his
fault. I know that Vitali is a totally honorable honest person, and he's
participated in boxing without the slightest problem. [details (http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=193)]