Three U.S. Boxers Fail Drug Tests : Committee Rejects Adams’ Appeal and Names Coulter Coach

LAS VEGAS — Three United States Olympic boxing team candidates were knocked out of this weekend’s Olympic team boxoffs after they flunked drug tests; one Olympic team head coach was sent packing, and another coach gained the job on a busy day Thursday at Caesars Palace.

First, Col. Don Hull, president of USA/ABF, announced that three boxers who were selected last weekend at the Concord, Calif., Olympic trials as “most noteworthy” opponents for the trials champions here this weekend tested positive for marijuana or cocaine.

The three who were thrown out of the boxoffs were Eric Griffin, light-flyweight from Houston; Lavell Finger, light-welterweight from St. Louis, and William Guthrie, middleweight from St. Louis. Hull said their replacements, who will challenge trials champions Saturday afternoon, would be Brian Lonon of Ft. Hood, Tex.; Charles Murray of Rochester, N.Y., and Darin Allen of Columbus, Ohio.

However, Lonon’s coach notified USA/ABF officials that Lonon could not make weight. Late Thursday night, federation officials were searching for a light-flyweight opponent for trials champion Michael Carbajal of Phoenix.

Hull later said an appeals committee of USA/ABF--amateur boxing’s U.S. governing body--had turned down Army Sgt. Ken Adams’ bid for reinstatement as Olympic head coach. Adams, 47, was awarded the position last October but was suspended last May after allegedly assaulting a staff member.

Then, in another surprise, Hull almost off-handedly said that assistant coach Tom Coulter of Syracuse will become head coach. It had been expected that Adams’ successor wouldn’t be named until after the boxoffs.

The three disqualified boxers tested positive under the U.S. Olympic Committee’s standard drug test program. Boxers at the five-day trials tournament were tested randomly until the finals, when all finalists were tested.

“The positive test results were forwarded (from the USOC’S drug-testing lab at UCLA) to the USOC medical officer, Dr. Robert Voy, and he informed us of the results (Wednesday),” Hull said. “To us, this is very regrettable, sad news.”

USOC drug testing involves urine samples taken in two vials following competition. One vial is tested after a competition. The second is always tested if the first result is positive.

Hull said the boxers were notified of the test results Thursday morning. They have the option to watch the second test being done or designate someone to watch it for them.

All three declined. Two of the positives were for cocaine and the other for marijuana.

The three disqualifications created these program changes for Saturday afternoon’s 12-bout boxoff, trials champions shown first:

106 pounds--Carbajal vs. an opponent to be named.

139--Todd Foster (Great Falls, Mont.) vs. Murray.

165--Anthony Hembrick (Ft. Bragg, N.C.) vs. Allen.

Adams didn’t learn of his fate until Hull revealed it at a news conference. Adams and his attorney, Robert Turman of Colorado Springs, Colo., stood behind about 20 reporters, listening to Hull.

Hull said the federation’s appeals committee agonized over the Adams issue. A key element in the appeal denial was a federation rule, Hull said, requiring all members who participate in boxing events to be “members in good standing.”

The seven-member committee voted by a “substantial majority,” he said, to deny Adams’ appeal.

After Hull left, Turman said he has not been permitted to submit a sworn affidavit taken from “the only disinterested bystander” in the May 12 incident, in which Adams was accused of choking USA/ABF controller Kerstan Dahl.

Turman wouldn’t reveal what was in the affidavit or from whom it was taken.

Turman indicated that he will file an appeal with the USOC and, if that fails, may file suit against the federation.

“It’s important to know that Adams and Dahl, 5 to 10 minutes after the incident, shook hands and apologized to each other,” Turman said.

Adams said: “The key thing for me now is that I want to clear my name. My name is important to me, too.”

Coulter, a 57-year-old coach and tavern owner from Syracuse, said after Adams and Turman left that he still hadn’t been officially informed that he is the first U.S. Olympic head boxing coach other than Pat Nappi since 1972.