Names In The News

French Lab’s Activities Could Lead To Dismissal Of Doping Charge Against Landis

Documents show the French lab that produced positive doping results against ‘06 Tour de France winner FLOYD LANDIS “may have allowed improper access to [his] urine samples,” one of a “number of errors that could jeopardize the case against Landis.” A similar error committed by the lab in ’05 resulted in doping charges dismissed against Spanish cyclist INIGO LANDALUZE. Two technicians from the lab “were involved in both the original urine analysis and a second, validating test.” Int’l standards prohibit technicians from doing both tests. The lab also had documents “clearly linking Landis to his sample, a possible violation of anti-doping rules” (L.A. TIMES, 2/23).

ESTATE PLANNING: BOBBY HAMILTON JR. last week said that he and his daughter, HAYLIE, own Bobby Hamilton Racing, the team founded by his late father who died in January. A day earlier, LOIS VANCE — trustee of the will and the team’s acting owner — said that the ownership group also includes Hamilton Sr.’s widow, LORI. Vance added that it is “yet to be decided how the ownership interests are structured,” but Hamilton Jr. said that the trust “names just he and Haylie” (NASCAR SCENE, 2/22 issue).

TRAINING DAY: U.S. military veteran JAMES STUCK, who lost the lower half of his right leg while serving in Iraq, will be the “first to benefit from a new [USOC] program that allows military veterans interested in preparing for the Paralympics to be resident-athletes at various USOC-affiliated training sites.” He will train with the U.S. men’s sitting volleyball team at the Univ. of Central Oklahoma for the ’08 Games (USA TODAY, 2/23).

NAMES: Royals broadcaster DENNY MATTHEWS will be inducted into the Baseball HOF as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award (K.C. STAR, 2/22)....The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld an ’06 ruling in St. Louis County in which a judge agreed that former NBAer SCOTTIE PIPPEN owed U.S. Bank over $5M in principal, interest and attorney fees from a “dispute over a private jet and company Pippen once owned” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/23).