PAUL WALDIE
LONDON — THE GLOBE AND MAIL
A urine sample for a drug screening (Amy E. Voigt/NYT)
The London Olympics have yet to begin and already a handful of athletes have tested positive for doping, including one of the world’s top middle distance runners.
The positive tests include a steeplechaser from France, a discus thrower from Hungary and Alaoui Selsouli of Morocco, the fastest woman in the world this year over 1,500m. All of the positive results came from testing at events several weeks ago, but they indicate doping is still a reality in many Olympic sports.
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Hugh Robertson, Britain’s minister of sports and the Olympics, said the positive tests were a sign the system is working. “It’s much much better to catch drug cheats [before the Games,],” he said Monday. “I’d much rather we got them early. If we can’t do that, I’d much rather we got them after their competitions and the worst situation of all is that we don’t get them at all. So actually I’m rather encouraged by that.”
Once the Games begin in London drug testing will be done in a special lab donated by drug giant GlaxoSmithKline. The GSK lab, north of London, will analyze 5,000 samples taken during the Olympics and 1,250 from the Paralympic Games, more testing than any other Games. “The GSK lab gives us the very best possible chance of catching people who use doping,” Robertson said.
The number of positive tests has declined since the 2004 Games in Athens when there were 26 positive results, including six medalists. That number fell to 14 at the Beijing Games in 2008 (there was one positive test at the Vancouver Games in 2010).
The number of positives from Athens could still climb. Anti-doping officials have re-tested roughly 100 samples taken from the 2004 Games using newer testing procedures. Five have tested positive and officials are awaiting further testing before announcing the athletes involved. They don’t have much time. There is an eight-year statute of limitations on testing and the deadline for the Athens Games is Aug. 29. After that date all of the samples will be destroyed.
The International Olympic Organization is also still grappling with what to do with drug cheats who have served a ban but still compete in subsequent Games. The IOC adopted a rule in 2008 that prevented athletes who had been banned for at least six months from competing in the following Olympics. But the rule was struck down last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which said it went too far and amounted to a second punishment. As a result three athletes who have served bans will be competing in London – LaShawn Merritt of the United States as well as Britain’s Dwain Chambers and David Millar.
On Saturday, IOC President Jacques Rogge said the IOC is trying to come with a new rule to tackle the issue. Rogges said the measure should be in place next year. In the meantime, he said he welcomes athletes such as Merritt, Chamber and Millar.
“The athletes have the right to compete. I respect that,” he said. “We are going to change the rule, but those who are touched by the decisions of the court will respect that, and if I meet one of these athletes and he wants to shake my hand I will shake hands with the athletes without any reservation. That is life. You do not win everything and, if the court decides, you have to obey.”
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