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(02-20) 14:19 PST SACRAMENTO, (AP) --
Despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's repeated denunciations of steroid use among bodybuilders, the annual bodybuilding contest that bears his name has come under the spotlight for steroid use ever since federal drug agents swept in to subpoena current and past competitors last year.
Schwarzeneggger, a former bodybuilder and seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, will be on hand again this year at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, scheduled to begin on March 5. He's attended the festival every year since it first began in 1989.
The raid by federal agents at last year's gathering helped lead to the indictments of competitors Milos Sarcev and Dennis James. The two men are awaiting trial in a Des Moines, Iowa, federal court on charges of illegally distributing steroids.
Sarcev has also been linked to Victor Conte, the figure at the heart of the scandal involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, which has implicated stars from baseball, football and track and field.
Conte, who was at the competition when the subpoenas were served, lists several bodybuilders as clients for his "nutritional services."
"Everybody in bodybuilding takes drugs," said Wayne DeMilia, who for 25 years ran the International Federation of Body Building's pro division, a job that included supervising the Arnold Classic and overseeing drug testing for the show, testing that he admits competitors knew how to cheat.
In 1993, shortly after becoming governor, Schwarzenegger became executive editor of Flex, a popular bodybuilding magazine. The February issue features the indicted James in a picture spread and carries a column by his alleged coconspirator, Sarcev.
In this year's Arnold Classic, two of the 14 invited competitors, Victor Martinez and Craig Titus, have served time in jail on steroid-related offenses. Titus has decided to skip the show. A third, 32-year-old Lee Priest, has admitted using steroids throughout his career.
The Arnold Classic has become one of the Columbus-area's most popular annual tourist events. Besides the bodybuilding competition, the three-day extravaganza will include over 20 sports and physical activities, including gymnastics, ballroom dance, archery and cheerleading.
Schwarzenegger, whom associates say still has a financial stake in the event, will personally hand out awards to the winner of the bodybuilding competition, including $100,000 in cash, an Arnold Schwarzenegger Chronograph watch that retails for $38,400, and a new Hummer.
The governor admits he used steroids during his bodybuilding career, which ended in 1980, when the substances were legal without a prescription. The governor says he now opposes the use of steroids and other illegal drugs and encourages young people to stay away from them.[/font]
(02-20) 14:19 PST SACRAMENTO, (AP) --
Despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's repeated denunciations of steroid use among bodybuilders, the annual bodybuilding contest that bears his name has come under the spotlight for steroid use ever since federal drug agents swept in to subpoena current and past competitors last year.
Schwarzeneggger, a former bodybuilder and seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, will be on hand again this year at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, scheduled to begin on March 5. He's attended the festival every year since it first began in 1989.
The raid by federal agents at last year's gathering helped lead to the indictments of competitors Milos Sarcev and Dennis James. The two men are awaiting trial in a Des Moines, Iowa, federal court on charges of illegally distributing steroids.
Sarcev has also been linked to Victor Conte, the figure at the heart of the scandal involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, which has implicated stars from baseball, football and track and field.
Conte, who was at the competition when the subpoenas were served, lists several bodybuilders as clients for his "nutritional services."
"Everybody in bodybuilding takes drugs," said Wayne DeMilia, who for 25 years ran the International Federation of Body Building's pro division, a job that included supervising the Arnold Classic and overseeing drug testing for the show, testing that he admits competitors knew how to cheat.
In 1993, shortly after becoming governor, Schwarzenegger became executive editor of Flex, a popular bodybuilding magazine. The February issue features the indicted James in a picture spread and carries a column by his alleged coconspirator, Sarcev.
In this year's Arnold Classic, two of the 14 invited competitors, Victor Martinez and Craig Titus, have served time in jail on steroid-related offenses. Titus has decided to skip the show. A third, 32-year-old Lee Priest, has admitted using steroids throughout his career.
The Arnold Classic has become one of the Columbus-area's most popular annual tourist events. Besides the bodybuilding competition, the three-day extravaganza will include over 20 sports and physical activities, including gymnastics, ballroom dance, archery and cheerleading.
Schwarzenegger, whom associates say still has a financial stake in the event, will personally hand out awards to the winner of the bodybuilding competition, including $100,000 in cash, an Arnold Schwarzenegger Chronograph watch that retails for $38,400, and a new Hummer.
The governor admits he used steroids during his bodybuilding career, which ended in 1980, when the substances were legal without a prescription. The governor says he now opposes the use of steroids and other illegal drugs and encourages young people to stay away from them.[/font]
