Ms Crystal Cox is a American Athlete competing in the Women’s 4 x 400m relay event at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
In January 2010, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) received a document from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), entitled “Acceptance of Sanction,” which had been signed by the Athlete on 26 January 2010. Pursuant to such document, the Athlete, amongst other things:
1.) acknowledged that she used “performance enhancing drugs, which are banned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), including anabolic agents and hormones, which (she) received…between 2001 and 2004.”
2.) accepted a “4 year period of ineligibility…beginning on [26 January 2010]”; and
3.) accepted a “disqualification of the competitive results obtained on and subsequent to November 3, 2001, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes”.
The Athlete’s acceptance of sanction resulted from information received by USADA during separate investigations arising from information obtained during the BALCO doping conspiracy.
By letter dated 26 October 2010, the IOC informed the Athlete, through the USOC, that an IOC Disciplinary Commission was convened to examine the case. In this letter, the IOC formally requested that the Athlete submit a written defence by 30 November 2010. The Athlete failed to respond hereafter.
Therefore on 21 July 2012 the IOC Executive Board decides:
1.) The Athlete, Crystal Cox, United States of America, Athletics, is disqualified from the women’s 4 x 400m relay event, where the team had placed 1st at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
2.) The IAAF is requested to follow-up accordingly, in a timely manner,
(a.) to determine whether the Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation on or after 1 March 2004, and
(b.) if so, to interpret the IAAF Competition Rules 2004-2005, which came into effect on 1 March 2004, as to whether the Athlete’s disqualification has any effect on the results obtained by the US women’s 4 x 400m relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, of which the Athlete was a member.
3.) In the event that,
(a.) the IAAF does not determine that the Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation on or after 1 March 2004; or
(b.) the IAAF does determine that the Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation on or after 1 March 2004, but that the IAAF’s interpretation of its New Rules do not lead to the disqualification of the US Relay Team, then the result of the US Relay Team shall stand.
4.) The USOC is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the Medal and Diploma awarded to the Athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event.
