Russell Investigation Continues In Canada

PHOENIX, Ariz., Aug. 16. WITH the swimming world’s attention turning to the 2006 Pan Pacifics held in Victoria, British Columbia, a recent stain on the Canadian swimming tradition has made its way back to the forefront. The saga of Cecil Russell looks to continue as the recently reinstated coach of the Dolphins Swim Club in Oakville, Ontario, Canada may have lied to Canadian sports officials during his reinstatement process.

According to a July 15, 2002 report by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com, Russell, the previous coach at Cardinal Gibbons and Fort Lauderdale Swim Team from 1997-2002 was banned from coaching in the United States in 2002. Russell, who had been banned from coaching for life in Canada for distributing anabolic steroids, would not be able to coach in the U.S. as USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus chose to adhere to the ban in the States.

According to FINA, a sanction imposed by any member must be recognized by all.

"If Russell is banned for life by the Canadian federation, we are obligated to respect that ban," Wielgus said at the time. "He is not allowed to be associated with swimming."

According to a seven-page case review hearing report, "upon a thorough review of the evidence filed, the board is satisfied that Mr. Russell conspired to import, and through his home and place of business supplied, possessed and sold, banned substances."

Russell's attorney, Jeffrey Schroeder, said Russell was arrested and convicted of conspiring "to traffic controlled drug (anabolic steroid) between Feb. 1, 1993 and Sept. 6, 1995." under the Food and Drug Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.

According to Randy Starkman, a sports reporter for the Toronto Star, Russell acquired a lift on his Canadian ban on Oct. 29, 2005 from adjudicator Graeme Mew at a hearing held by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the country's anti-doping authority.

Also according to Starkman, a key piece of evidence never made its way to Mew during the reinstatement hearing as Russell’s March 4, 2004 judgment by the U.S. District Court in Arizona showing Russell pleaded guilty in September 2003 to conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute ecstasy and was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, was not part of the appeals documentation.

On Tuesday, Starkman and the Toronto Star obtained a copy of the judgment and reported that Russell had cooperated with authorities in the prosecution of his co-conspirators and the judgment against him was sealed.

According to the Toronto Star, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, which appointed the arbitrator, said it is considering bringing the new information to the attention of Mew to see if he can revisit his ruling.

"Another option for us would be to get an injunction to reopen the case," Centre CEO Paul Melia said. "The road we were going down was to try and find out if indeed he had perjured himself during that reinstatement hearing."

Also according to the Toronto Star, Federal Sports Minister Michael Chong had ordered officials to review the Russell case after a Star story in July detailing the coach's checkered past and stating that Russell was reinstated despite strong indications he had not been exonerated in Arizona.

Gary Toft, the spokesman for the minister, said the review is still underway.

"This (new) information will be part of that review,” Toft said. “We are also consulting the appropriate parties to determine the implications of this information."

Russell declined to comment to the Toronto Star on Tuesday, referring the matter to his lawyer, Gary Boyd, who was noticeably perturbed when told about the latest development.

"I've certainly got to look at this and have a long chat with Cecil," said Boyd, who represented him at his reinstatement hearing. "None of us likes surprises."

According to Starkman, Russell testified in 1997 about his role in helping a steroid ring associate incinerate his murder victim's remains. It was part of a deal with authorities to get a lighter sentence for a steroid trafficking conviction a year earlier. He told the court he ran a steroid operation from February 1993 through September 1995 which grossed between $700,000 and $1 million per year and took less than an hour a day to run.

Also according to Starkman, he would find an even more potentially lucrative drug operation three years later in Spain, where he was coaching eventual Olympic bronze medallist Nina Jivanevskaia. He was arrested right on the pool deck there in June 2000 as the alleged supplier in an international ecstasy ring. Court documents stated that Russell and his co-conspirators were planning to ship 500,000 ecstasy tablets, concealing them in ceramic windmills, picture frames and taped under plates. Russell was reportedly getting $5 per tablet.

Russell told the Star last month that he'd been completely exonerated in the ecstasy case. Mew mentioned in his ruling there were letters proving Russell's exoneration that were presented by his counsel. His lawyer Boyd said yesterday a letter he presented at Russell's hearing from his American attorney, Nathaniel J. Carr, stated that a "whole bunch of charges had been withdrawn."

For the complete Toronto Star story, please visit The Star.

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