UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee has defended himself after introducing British discus thrower Brett Morse to an Icelandic coach who was banned for two years for an anabolic steroid.
Morse, who was a finalist at this year’s World Championships, is now working with Vesteinn Hafsteinsson, a former thrower who tested positive for nandrolone while competing at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
UK Athletics suggested the switch was the athlete’s own decision, but Morse’s former coach, Nigel Bevan, who coached the discus thrower for four years taking him to the edge of world-class standard, has accused Van Commenee of orchestrating the move.
While sprinter Dwain Chambers and thrower Carl Myerscough remain excluded from domestic grand prix meetings on account of their previous two-year drug bans, the move to introduce the once-banned coach is a controversial one. However Van Commenee said he had no doubt Hafsteinsson runs a clean programme.
“I live with the regulations given to me,” said Van Commenee. “We’re talking here about a coach who served his ban, who has coached for many years, whose athletes are of the highest calibre in the throws and has never ever had a positive test among his athletes.
“He is a very strong advocate against drugs. He is the leader of an IAAF-accredited training centre in Europe. I have no doubts about his integrity and I see no problem.”
