TORONTO -- A drug manufacturer said Thursday it gave medical investigators records indicating Ben Johnson's personal physician bought quantities of the steroid found in the sprinter's urine at the Olympics.
Sterling Drug Ltd., a subsidiary of Sterling Drug Inc. of New York and the only North American manufacturer and distributor of the performance-enhancing steroid stanozolol, confirmed it sold the substance to Dr. Mario Astaphan.
The records were turned over to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, which is investigating Astaphan's role in Johnson's positive drug test during the Games in Seoul, South Korea.
'We have reviewed our records and would confirm we have sold stanozolol to Dr. Astaphan,' Joe Kiefer of Sterling said, but would not say how many times or in what quantities Astaphan had made purchases.
Traces of stanozolol were found in Johnson's urine after he sprinted to victory in the 100-meter race Sept. 24 in a record 9.79 seconds. After the drug test, he was stripped of his gold medal and the record, and banned from competing in international sport for two years.
The Canadian government banned him for life but is holding a separate inquiry into the affair, the biggest scandal in modern Olympic history.
Stanozolol is the generic name for the steroid, marketed for use under the brand name Winstrol in North America. It is used to stimulate muscle growth but was originally designed to help prevent angioedema, an allergic condition that causes swelling and itching, and treat certain forms of osteoporosis, brittle bones.
'We researched our records to see where our distribution of Winstrol was, and then the Astaphan inquiry was announced and we provided our information to the College,' Keifer said.
After Johnson's disqualification, published reports accused Astaphan of supplying steroids to many athletes. Astaphan has admitted to giving Johnson steroids, but said it was a type permitted by the International Olympic Committee.
A College spokeswoman said the organization had not received medical records from Astaphan. In a meeting last Friday, Astaphan promised to deliver his records on Johnson and other patients within a week.
The College also planned to ask the Canadian government for help in obtaining evidence from athletes. None has volunteered information, partially because of fear of reprisals from the government for admissions of steroid use.
'We're asking the Ministry of Fitness and Amateur Sport for a form of amnesty for these athletes,' College spokeswoman Linda Franklin said.
