Doping's high point

International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch said yesterday that major doping scandals will indirectly help sport in the long run.

Samaranch, paying a courtesy visit to the executive committee of UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, said the scandals surrounding Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and this summer's Tour de France must be seen in a positive light.

"Of course, these cases are not good for sport in the short term, but in the long run they have had a positive effect." Until Ben Johnson tested positive in Seoul in 1988, the IOC were almost alone in the fight against doping.

"The positive aspect of that case, and of the Tour de France this year, was that it called to the attention of federations and governments the extent of the problem. Now they are working together with the IOC on the same principle that doping is wrong."

The sports federations will meet in February to implement sanctions against doping. "This is a positive aspect of these major doping scandals of the past," said Samaranch. "They could help speed up the fight against doping."

Samaranch was visiting UEFA as soccer is one of three sports - the others are cycling and tennis - who are not entirely happy with all aspects of the doping initiative launched by the IOC and which is the subject of a world-wide meeting of the Olympic sports federations next February.

Samaranch is also planning to meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter on January 6th to work out a compromise over soccer's stance on the issue.

FIFA agrees with the anti-doping initiatives in principle, but has reservations about the implementation of sanctions which could be interpreted as restraint of trade.

Samaranch admitted that former Olympic sprint champion Florence Griffith Joyner's reputation had suffered in the wake of Johnson's positive test for steroids at the Seoul Games.