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Athletics: Monty's admission

Disgraced sprinted never classed taking drugs as cheating

Last updated: 27th November 2009

Montgomery: Never classed taking performance-enhancing drugs as cheating

Former 100m world record holder Tim Montgomery has admitted he never classed taking performance-enhancing drugs as cheating.

The disgraced sprinter, who is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for possession and distribution of heroin and bank fraud, was banned from athletics in 2005 after failing a drugs test.

Montgomery, whose then record time of 9.78secs was wiped from the history books as a result of his ban, claims his desire to beat Maurice Greene led him to take performance-enhancing drugs.

However, he insists he never thought of the consequences of his actions.

"Maurice got in my head real bad," Montgomery, who used to keep steroids in the fridge, told The Times. "I wanted everything that he had.

"I would give anything to be the world's fastest. I wouldn't let anything get in my way.

"Did I feel I was crossing the line when I was doping? No, not coming from the streets. It wasn't even a second thought.

"I'm not going to sugar-coat it, there wasn't even a second thought that I was cheating. It was all about getting one over the system and if I could, I would."