Olympic Sprinter Pettigrew Admits Doping

Former Olympic gold medalist Antonio Pettigrew passed all his drug tests during his career—but admitted in court yesterday that he took steroids. The confession came at the trial of his former coach, Trevor Graham, who has pleaded not guilty to charges he lied to federal authorities investigating doping allegations. Pettigrew testified that Graham encouraged him to use banned substances in 1997.

The sprinter admitted he performed better after taking the drugs. “I was running incredible times as I was preparing for track meets," he testified. "I was able to recover faster." Pettigrew won a gold medal in Sydney in 2000 in the 4x400 meter relay. It's unclear what penalties he may now face. (More Antonio Pettigrew stories.)