Montgomery threatens legal action

World 100-metre record-holder Tim Montgomery has threatened legal action over any attempts to ban him from the forthcoming Athens Olympics.

Montgomery has received a letter from the US Anti-Doping Agency, claiming that they had documentary evidence against him of drug violations, despite the fact that he has never failed a drug test.

The sprinter is one of four top-flight athletes sent letters and more could be on the way according to the US Olympic Committee, following evidence from documents seized by Federal investigators at the BALCO laboratory in California.

However, Montgomery's lawyer, Cristina Arguedas, has insisted that he will fight any attempts to ban him from the Olympics. "Tim has been a willing participant in the drug-testing process and he has passed every test he has ever taken," he said.

"The evidence we have been shown by USADA and are still reviewing is inconclusive and internally inconsistent," Arguedas added.

Montgomery shot to fame by setting a world 100 metres record of 9.78 seconds in September of 2002, beating fellow-American Maurice Greene's record by just 0.01 of a second.

Filed by Rob Wright