Timothy "Tim" Montgomery (born January 28, 1975) is an American former track and field sprinter who specialized in the 100-meter dash. In 2005, he was stripped of his records--including a now void men's 100 m world record of 9.78 seconds set in 2002--after being found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs as a central figure in the BALCO scandal. Since retiring from athletics, he has been tried and convicted for his part in a New York-based check fraud scheme and for dealing heroin in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
Montgomery's first major medal was an Olympic silver in the 4 × 100 metres relay from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He was a 100 m bronze medalist at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics, then shared in the relay gold medals with the United States team at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. He took an Olympic gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics with the American relay team. He initially won a silver medal in the 100 m at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, but this was annulled due to doping. His official personal best for the 100 m stands at 9.92 seconds, making him a sub-10 second sprinter.
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Career
Born in Gaffney, South Carolina, Montgomery was initially a basketball and football player, before trying out for track.
Montgomery studied at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, and transferred to Norfolk State University in 1994. Located in the Hampton Roads area of the Virginia port city of Norfolk, Norfolk State was known for its strong track program. While in school, he competed in several junior track events, and did well in the sprint and relay events.
Montgomery did not qualify for the 1996 Summer Olympics 100 meters, although he did compete in Atlanta in the heats of the 4 x 100 metres relay team that eventually finished second behind Canada. He qualified for his first major international tournament in 1997, and won the bronze medal at those World Championships, finishing third behind Maurice Greene. Two years later, he came in sixth in the individual final, but did win a gold medal with the US relay team.
Montgomery did not qualify for the individual 100 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, though he again ran as an alternate in the heats of the relay event; in the final, the USA won the gold medal.
Montgomery broke Greene's 100 m world record by 0.01 seconds in September 2002. With a tailwind of 2.0 m/s (the maximum allowed), Montgomery ran 9.78. This record was later discredited because of doping.
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Steroid scandal and retirement
Montgomery did not qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing seventh in the final of the United States Olympic trials. Before the trials, however, he was charged with using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). While he has not returned a positive drug test, according to press reports he testified to the agency that he, along with a number of other prominent athletes (including baseball star Barry Bonds), obtained steroids and human growth hormone from BALCO, a laboratory near San Francisco. The USADA sought a four-year suspension on Montgomery, who appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On December 13, 2005, the CAS found Montgomery guilty and imposed a two-year ban. On top of the ban, all of Montgomery's results and awards since March 31, 2001, including his former world record, had also been stripped. After the ban was announced, Montgomery announced his retirement. The investigation also implicated his former partner Marion Jones, winner of the women's 100 metres at the Sydney Games.
On November 24, 2008, Montgomery admitted to taking testosterone and human growth hormone before the Sydney Games 4 x 100 metres relay, in which he helped claim the gold medal. It remains unclear though how the admission will affect team-mates Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, Maurice Greene and Kenneth Brokenburr. An IOC spokeswoman said the committee would look into the matter as part of its open file on the BALCO investigation.
Money laundering charge
In April 2006, Montgomery was indicted and arrested on fraud charges for his alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme. He is accused of depositing three bogus checks totaling $775,000. Montgomery allegedly received $20,000 for his participation. His former coach, Steve Riddick, was also a defendant in the case.
Riddick served a prison term of five years and three months. Marion Jones served a six-month prison term for lying to investigators about the check-fraud scam.
Montgomery pleaded guilty to the charges on April 9, 2007. He was sentenced to 46 months in prison on May 16, 2008.
Heroin arrest
On May 1, 2008, an indictment was unsealed that accused the 33-year-old sprinter of dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in the Hampton Roads area over the past year, according to The Virginian Pilot, the daily newspaper in Virginia Beach. Montgomery told the newspaper he knew nothing of the accusations and that his arrest was a "total surprise." In October 2008, Montgomery was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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