Montgomery 'faces life ban'

Montgomery denies taking any performance-enhancing drugs

American sprinter Tim Montgomery could be facing a lifetime ban for alleged doping offences, according to reports.

The 100m world-record holder has been notified of charges against him by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), say the San Jose Mercury News and AP news agency.

Fellow athlete Michelle Collins was also notified that USADA would seek to ban her for life, said the reports.

Both sprinters, two of four Americans written to by USADA alleging possible doping violations, deny the charges.

Montgomery's lawyers have been requested to respond by Monday to the charges.

Under USADA protocol, persons charged with a doping offence may accept a ban, or seek either a hearing before an American Arbitration Association panel comprised of North American members of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) or go directly to the Swiss-based CAS.

Chryste Gaines and Alvin Harrison have also been informed they were being investigated.

Both reports suggested the USADA would push for lifetime bans against Montgomery and Collins.

But USADA confirmed only it "sent letters to several track and field athletes charging them" with doping violations.

USADA's leap to judgment on the flimsiest of so-called 'evidence' confirms our worst suspicions Tim Montgomery's lawyer, Howard Jacobs

It is the first time the agency has filed charges against an athlete who has not failed or refused to take a drug test.

"The USADA letter does not allege that Tim Montgomery took any banned substances," insisted Montgomery's lawyer Howard Jacobs in a statement.

Jacobs, one of Montgomery's lawyers, accused USADA of "McCarthy-like tactics in its efforts to ruin Tim's reputation".

USADA has built its cases on verbal evidence given to the federal investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco), rather than test results.

"The conclusion by USADA's review board ... to proceed with the adjudication process based on some vague assertion of Tim's alleged involvement with Balco further underscores the basic lack of fairness in this entire process," Jacobs said in a statement.

"USADA's leap to judgment on the flimsiest of so-called 'evidence' confirms our worst suspicions."

Three-time Olympic champion Marion Jones, who is also being investigated for possible doping but has not received a formal USADA notice, met officials from the anti-doping agency last month.

She has repeatedly denied ever using prohibited substances.