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FYI. Prepare for increased governmental and political concern over anabolic steroids and cheating athletes. Check this out: http://espn.go.com/oly/news/2003/1016/1639608.html and numerous other new articles, including this one:
Athletes in the dock after discovery of hitherto undetectable steroid
AFP
WASHINGTON - American anti-doping chiefs on Thursday revealed that a new
anabolic steroid, which up until now has escaped all known doping controls,
has been found in the test samples of several American athletes who competed
at the national championships.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has refused to name the athletes
concerned, named the product Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) - a synthetic
anabolic steroid.
USADA said in a statement the substance was initially found during analysis
of the contents of a syringe handed in, under anonymity, by a "top"
athletics coach who claimed the drug came from a well-known laboratory in
California.
USADA chief Terry Madden has refused to name the athletes concerned but said
in a statement the unnamed coach told him that several American and
international athletes were concerned.
Madden said the agency is confident that the BALCO laboratory, which is
operated by Victor Conte, who has worked in the past with American
footballers, body-builders and athletes such as Kelli White and Marion
Jones, was the source of the substance.
"The coach contacted us by phone early June," said Madden. "(He) told us the
names of US and international athletes who he said were using an
undetectable steroid.
"The coach subsequently sent USADA a used syringe containing some of this
substance. USADA sent the contents of the syringe to the International
Olympic Committee accredited anti-doping laboratory at UCLA.
"Dr. Don Catlin, the head of the laboratory, identified a designer steroid,
which would not have been detectable in normal laboratory testing."
The UCLA claims to have since developed a test to detect the drug, the
source of which the unnamed coach said was BALCO chief Victor Conte.
Conte's company specialises in supplements aimed at boosting performance and
strength and its internet site boasts that both triple Olympic champion
Jones and world 100 metres record holder Tim Montgomery have used its
products.
Conte angrily hit back at the accusations.
"In my opinion, this is about jealous competitive coaches and athletes that
all have a history of promoting and using performance enhancing agents being
completely hypocritical in their actions," he said.
"As many will soon find out, the world of track and field is a very dirty
business and this goes far beyond just the coaches and athletes."
The USADA statement added: "In the last few days, several positive A sample
results for the steroid THG have now been reported to USADA. These results
have come from samples collected in-competition at the 2003 USA Outdoor
Track and Field Championships and samples collected out-of-competition by
USADA.
"The athletes, USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the
sport in the United States, the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) have all been
notified of the positive A sample results."
Madden said the affair has resulted in "doping of the worst sort".
"What we have uncovered appears to be intentional doping of the worst sort.
"This is a far cry from athletes accidentally testing positive as a result
of taking contaminated nutritional supplements.
"Rather, this is a conspiracy involving chemists, coaches and certain
athletes using what they developed to be undetectable designer steroids to
defraud their fellow competitors and the American and world public who pay
to attend sports events."
Madden said the USADA conducts "nearly 6,500 drug tests on top-level
athletes annually, both in-competition and out-of-competition without notice
at the athletes training sites and homes".
Athletes in the dock after discovery of hitherto undetectable steroid
AFP
WASHINGTON - American anti-doping chiefs on Thursday revealed that a new
anabolic steroid, which up until now has escaped all known doping controls,
has been found in the test samples of several American athletes who competed
at the national championships.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has refused to name the athletes
concerned, named the product Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) - a synthetic
anabolic steroid.
USADA said in a statement the substance was initially found during analysis
of the contents of a syringe handed in, under anonymity, by a "top"
athletics coach who claimed the drug came from a well-known laboratory in
California.
USADA chief Terry Madden has refused to name the athletes concerned but said
in a statement the unnamed coach told him that several American and
international athletes were concerned.
Madden said the agency is confident that the BALCO laboratory, which is
operated by Victor Conte, who has worked in the past with American
footballers, body-builders and athletes such as Kelli White and Marion
Jones, was the source of the substance.
"The coach contacted us by phone early June," said Madden. "(He) told us the
names of US and international athletes who he said were using an
undetectable steroid.
"The coach subsequently sent USADA a used syringe containing some of this
substance. USADA sent the contents of the syringe to the International
Olympic Committee accredited anti-doping laboratory at UCLA.
"Dr. Don Catlin, the head of the laboratory, identified a designer steroid,
which would not have been detectable in normal laboratory testing."
The UCLA claims to have since developed a test to detect the drug, the
source of which the unnamed coach said was BALCO chief Victor Conte.
Conte's company specialises in supplements aimed at boosting performance and
strength and its internet site boasts that both triple Olympic champion
Jones and world 100 metres record holder Tim Montgomery have used its
products.
Conte angrily hit back at the accusations.
"In my opinion, this is about jealous competitive coaches and athletes that
all have a history of promoting and using performance enhancing agents being
completely hypocritical in their actions," he said.
"As many will soon find out, the world of track and field is a very dirty
business and this goes far beyond just the coaches and athletes."
The USADA statement added: "In the last few days, several positive A sample
results for the steroid THG have now been reported to USADA. These results
have come from samples collected in-competition at the 2003 USA Outdoor
Track and Field Championships and samples collected out-of-competition by
USADA.
"The athletes, USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the
sport in the United States, the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) have all been
notified of the positive A sample results."
Madden said the affair has resulted in "doping of the worst sort".
"What we have uncovered appears to be intentional doping of the worst sort.
"This is a far cry from athletes accidentally testing positive as a result
of taking contaminated nutritional supplements.
"Rather, this is a conspiracy involving chemists, coaches and certain
athletes using what they developed to be undetectable designer steroids to
defraud their fellow competitors and the American and world public who pay
to attend sports events."
Madden said the USADA conducts "nearly 6,500 drug tests on top-level
athletes annually, both in-competition and out-of-competition without notice
at the athletes training sites and homes".
