FINLAND: FINNISH ATHLETICS TEAM SAY THEY ARE NOT LINKED TO SPORTS COACH UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER DRUGS

Record ID: 649083

  • Title: FINLAND: FINNISH ATHLETICS TEAM SAY THEY ARE NOT LINKED TO SPORTS COACH UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER DRUGS
  • Date: 6th August 2005
  • Summary: HELSINKI, FINLAND (AUGUST 6, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF FINNISH ATHLETES AT NEWS CONFERENCE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINLAND'S ATHLETICS TEAM LEADER JARMO MAKELA SAYING: "The basic fact is that (coach) Kari Mattila and (athlete) Timo Tompuri have not had any relationship in coaching area since last autumn, autumn 2004 and that is why in the case where citizen Kari Mattila has any personal problems, they don't have any relationships towards Timo Tompuri, Finnish team, Finnish athletics or World Championships in Helsinki 2005" REPORTER: "Has the doping scandal affected the spirit within the Finnish team in any way at all?" MAKELA: "It was quite late yesterday evening when it came up on television and all the athletes were sleeping at the moment and I spoke about the topics with the leadership of the team, but I do not have any signals that it had been influenced negative and the experiences from track and field in the morning were rather good so I think it will be OK, the atmosphere in our team" REPORTER: "Have all the athletes in the Finnish team undergone doping tests before this competition and have all these tests been clean?" MAKELA: "Yes, several times during training periods and competition periods and everything is OK, hundred percent" REPORTER: "So you are confident that no Finnish athlete will be caught for doping in these competitions?" MAKELA: "Absolutely" 3. JARMO MAKELA TALKING TO JOURNALISTS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HELSINKI, FINLAND
  • Country: Finland
  • Reuters ID: LVABBIRP04PKAMTLPLV48PVJCFZW
  • Story Text: Finnish team say no links to coach under police
    investigation.




    Finland's athletics team leader said on Saturday
    (August 6) that his athletes did not have any links with a
    coach under police investigation and he is confident that
    no Finnish athlete will test positive for banned drugs.

    The police in Helsinki are investigating leading
    Finnish discus coach Kari Mattila, who was seized at home
    with large quantities of banned performance-enhancing
    drugs. Mattila is the former coach of discus thrower Timo
    Tompuri, who is taking part in the World Athletics
    Championships. Tompuri has been tested several times this
    year and all tests have been negative.

    If coach Mattila is found guilty, he could be sent to
    prison as well as being punished by the International
    Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

    But Finnish team leader Jarmo Makela said Mattila had
    no official links to the team and he had not been Tompuri's
    coach since the end of the 2004 athletics season.

    "The basic fact is that Kari Mattila and Timo Tompuri
    have not had any relationship in coaching area since last
    autumn, autumn 2004 and that is why in the case where
    citizen Kari Mattila has any personal problems, they don't
    have any relationships towards Timo Tompuri, Finnish team,
    Finnish athletics or World Championships in Helsinki 2005."
    Makela said the police investigation did not seem to
    have had any effect on team morale and asked if he was
    confident that no Finnish athlete will be caught for doping
    in these competitions he replied: "Absolutely"

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