"I was disappointed in the decision, particularly if they found their decision based on Kelli White's testimony," Howard Jacobs said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced Tuesday that it found Americans Montgomery and Chryste Gaines guilty of doping charges and banned them two years.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and CAS based the bans on testimony from former world sprint champion White and evidence gathered in a criminal investigation of the California-based Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

"They took what she said and contorted it to say there was an admission," Jacobs said.

"What she testified was that she asked Tim if the 'clear made his calves tight?' White never testified that Tim told me the 'clear made his calves tight.'" Authorities believe the "clear" is a once undetectable steroid, now known as tetrahydrogestrinone.

Jacobs had earlier accused USADA of using "McCarthy-like tactics in its efforts to ruin Tim's reputation."

He also questions how strong USADA believed their case to be if they kept changing what penalty to hand out.

"They asked for a lifetime ban until the end of the hearing then they asked for a four-year ban," Jacobs said.

CAS, the world's equivalent of a supreme court, settled on a two-year ban.

Jacobs represented former world 100 metre record holder Montgomery throughout the hearings but they "parted ways" two weeks ago.

"I haven't talked to him and I am not representing him," Jacobs said.

Asked why they cut ties, he said, "I don't want to get into that."

The ban also means that Montgomery is stripped of his results and prize money dating back to March 31, 2001.

Montgomery set the world record of 9.78 seconds in September 2002 before Jamaica's Asafa Powell broke it with a 9.77 run in June in Athens.

Before Montgomery, the world record was held by American Maurice Greene who ran a 9.79 in 1999 in Athens.

The decision also means that Greene reclaims his American record based on his Athens performance.

"We are obviously pleased that Maurice Greene gets his record back, but we are saddened by the fact this is a bad mark on the sport," said Greene's agent Emanuel Hudson on Tuesday.

"I congratulated Maurice Greene on getting back the American record in the 100 metres.

This means he has held the American record for six years."

Another of Hudson's clients, sprinter Ato Boldon, placed fourth in the 2001 World Championships but will now be credited with third place.

"I also congratulated Ato for moving up and getting the bronze in the 2001 World Championships," said Hudson, president of Los Angeles-based HSInternational.

Montgomery's 2001 American 100 metre crown now goes to runner-up Bernard Williams.

Montgomery's ban is retroactive to June 6, meaning he will be eligible to compete again in the summer of 2007.

-Nampa-AFP

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