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Saturday, September 30
Many question Merkov's silver
Associated Press
PENRITH, Australia -- Kayaker Angel Perez beat the system to
get into the Olympics, but couldn't beat the world in the big race.
Now he's among those wondering if a Bulgarian beat both by winning
a silver medal despite hints of doping.
The Cuban-born Perez helped the United States finish sixth in
its first Olympic 1,000-meter K-4 finals Saturday (Friday night
EDT), shortly after Petar Merkov finished second in the 1,000-meter
solo kayak race.
The president of the International Canoe Federation says he's
"absolutely convinced" Merkov tested positive for a banned
substance at the Bulgarian national championships in late July.
He's asked the International Olympic Committee for help tracking
down the proof.
Perez didn't wait for that. He said the IOC made a mistake
letting Merkov compete.
"It's a shame," said Perez, who spent half of his first year
as an American fighting for his Olympic eligibility. "The IOC took
away the medal from the little girl in gymnastics because she took
cold medicine. This guy took the real stuff and they threw away his
sample."
Suspicion isn't enough to suspend Merkov, who reportedly showed
traces of a diuretic banned because it masks steroid use. He is
scheduled to compete in two more finals Sunday.
Merkov blew kisses and waved after receiving a medal he may not
get to keep, then failed to show up for a scheduled news
conference.
Perez laughed at the thought that he and Merkov beat the system.
"I think I have more credibility than him because everybody
believed in me completely," Perez said. "I don't see many people
believing he should be racing at these Olympics."
Perez defected in 1993 and began representing the United States
internationally in '97. He became a U.S. citizen last year, but
Olympic rules require three years of citizenship.
After being turned down by the IOC and the Court of Arbitration
for Sport, Perez won a last-chance argument to the CAS by arguing
he gave up his Cuban citizenship when he defected. The CAS later
dismissed an appeal by Cuba.
During Perez's six-month eligibility battle, Peter Newton, Stein
Jorgensen and John Mooney practiced with another paddler just to be
safe. Still, they knew their best chance for the first U.S. medal
since 1992 was with Perez on board.
"It would've been nice to have had the time we spent in limbo
in the boat together," Mooney said. "But that's racing. You can't
say `what if.' "
Perez and Newton will try again Sunday in a two-man, 500-meter
race.
"I think we have a good shot," Perez said.
Perez competed in the 1992 Olympics for Cuba, but his medal
chances ended with a broken paddle. An obstacle this time was wind
that caused choppy waters in several lanes.
The U.S. boat got off to a slower start than its competition and
never really made up any ground. The Americans, who had led early
in their only heat race, were fifth after 500 meters and sixth by
750.
The quad crossed the finish more than 4 seconds behind
gold-winner Hungary and was 2.28 seconds behind third-place Poland.
Germany won silver.
"We raced the best we could," Jorgensen said. "If we had
another lane, perhaps we would've been closer to a medal, but we
still might not have gotten one."
Perez was proud to be part of the first U.S. K-4 that reached
the medals race.
"I think it's a huge step for the U.S.," he said. "Hopefully
next Olympics we'll be in front."
Also Saturday, Birgit Fischer became kayaking's all-time leading
Olympic medal winner with nine and tied the German record for most
career golds with six, and Holmann's victory made him Norway's
greatest summer Olympian.
"From a technical perspective, the race wasn't really that
good, but the main thing is that we won gold," Fischer said after
winning the women's four for the second straight time and third in
four Olympics.
Fischer tied swimmer Kristin Otto and Reiner Klimke of
equestrian for most golds by a German. She can break the tie Sunday
in the women's pair.
"There won't be much celebrating tonight," she said.
Fischer, 38, also extended her own record for the longest span
between golds by a woman. Her first title came 20 years ago in
Moscow in the K-1.
Holmann won his second straight gold in the men's solo 1,000. It
was his fifth Olympic medal, topping the career total of wrestler
Jon Roenningen.
Italy's Antonio Rossi, who won golds in both K-2 events in
Atlanta, successfully defended his 1,000-meter title with Beniamino
Bonomi.
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