Tammy Thomas

Tammy Thomas (* approx. 1970 in Yazoo City , Mississippi ) is a former American cyclist .

Sporting successes

2001 Tammy Thomas was second in the sprint at the UCI Track World Championships in Ballerup near Copenhagen . The following year, she took first place in the sprint at the World Cup race in Sydney .

Doping and litigation

In 2000, Tammy Thomas tested positive for testosterone in qualifying for the Olympics ; later tests showed that in 2001 she had also been doped with the previously undetectable norbolethone . Investigations revealed her connections to the Bay Area Laboratory (Balco), whose customers also included track and field athletes convicted of doping , Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery . She was banned from cycling for life.

When asked by the “ Grand Jury ” in November 2003, Thomas stated that he had never taken steroids and had not been a Balco customer. In April 2008, she was found guilty of false testimony, which Thomas responded with verbal outbursts. Three months later, she was sentenced to six months of house arrest and five years probation. Since Tammy Thomas studied law after the forced end of her cycling career, she had to fear that she would never be able to work in a legal profession.

While Tammy Thomas appeared as a slim, female person at the trial in 2008, she was noticeable for her masculine appearance during her cycling career. A drug investigator reported during the trial in spring 2008 that she had just shaved her face during the unannounced inspection visit and had also weighed around 20 kilograms more. A doctor confirmed in court that Tammy Thomas had male characteristics such as deep voice, beard growth on the face and chest, and baldness in 2002.

After cycling

Tammy Thomas had to give up her plan to become a lawyer. Today (2013) she lives in Ridgeland , Mississippi , works as a personal trainer and organizes bootcamps . According to her, she is suffering from the medical and psychological consequences of doping and the scandal that followed. She also stated that she had been sexually abused by her then coach Carlos Laborde ; this also made her to dope.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ktvu.com: "Cyclist Tammy Thomas Convicted In Steroids Case"  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessed on May 13, 2010  
2. ^ New York Times v. October 10, 2008 accessed on May 13, 2010
3. ↑ SFGate.com: "Cyclist appeared to be shaving face, drug tester tells jury" accessed on May 13, 2010 (English)
4. ↑ Doping scandal haunts former cyclist Tammy Thomas on usatoday.com v. 1st of March 2013

Web links

• Tammy Thomas in the database of Radsportseiten.net
• New York Times v. August 10, 2004