World 100 metres record holder Tim Montgomery has received a letter from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) alleging doping violations, his lawyer confirmed.
At least three other US athletes have also received letters from the agency which has been investigating the BALCO laboratory in the San Francisco area.
"We received a letter from USADA indicating that it has initiated proceedings alleging that Tim Montgomery has violated its rules," Montgomery's attorney Cristina Arguedas said in a statement.
"Tim Montgomery has not done anything wrong and we intend to fight any attempt to prevent him from running in the Olympics."
Montgomery is the partner of triple Olympic champion Marion Jones, who competed in a meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, yesterday.
The attorney for American sprinter Chryste Gaines, a member of the 1996 Olympic 4x100 relay gold medal winning team, also confirmed he had received a USADA letter charging her with a doping violation.
"We have received a letter from USADA." Cameron Myler said. "The letter has charged Chryste with a doping violation based on documents obtained in the BALCO investigation."
Under USADA guidelines, the initial letter starts a process that could lead to sanctions against an athlete. After a meeting between Montgomery and Jones with USADA officials two weeks ago, her lawyers showed Reuters and other journalists copies of calendars, ledgers and other BALCO documents the agency believes detail drugs use.
Arguedas criticised the USADA evidence. "The evidence we have been shown by USADA that we are still reviewing is inconclusive and internally inconsistent," she said. "There is also no foundational evidence to prove where it comes from and what it means." "It is fundamentally unfair to take away an athlete's reputation, his work and his dream based on meager information, flimsy documents and a flawed process.
"Tim Montgomery has done nothing wrong and he should have the right to run in the Olympics and the United States should have the right to put its best athletes on our Olympic team."