When the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) elevated the issue of Olympic lifetime ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the British Olympic Association vowed to defend their rules. The BOA has in its policy a lifetime ban on athletes previously convicted of doping. British athletes will never be chosen to represent the country even of they already served their suspension. Two elite British athletes who are affected by this policy are sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar. Both athletes were sanctioned for taking performance enhancing drugs.

Chambers was caught using the designer steroid THG while Millar was suspended for taking the blood boosting drug EPO. This happened years ago so the WADA argued that preventing them to represent UK in the upcoming Olympics will constitute another sanction which is already disproportionate.

Lifetime Ban Fair said British Olympic Association

After the hearing on Monday, Lord Moynihan of the British Olympic Association is still optimistic that the court will give a favorable ruling. “I’ll be disappointed if we didn’t win because we fought hard to represent the interests of the athletes,” Moynihan said. “The findings may well dwell on fine points of law rather than the very strong moral arguments that are on the side of the athletes,” he added. He also expects that the Sports Court will rule as soon as possible for the benefits of the athletes concerned. Although he admitted that both parties has strong arguments during the hearing.

The BOA is the only Olympic association that implements the policy. In fact, this rule has been in place for the last two decades and has barred a number of Olympic athletes who were involved in the use of PED’s. Lord Moynihan explained that the lifetime ban on doping athletes is fair. “We have the right to select athletes who we feel will be right for Team GB.” They insist that the policy must be viewed as part of the selection process and not as a sanction. They also contend that the BOA is also entitled to decide who will represent the country.

The UK wanted to have a zero doping positive in the upcoming London Olympics. And enforcing the lifetime ban on athletes caught using steroids will reduce the risk of having another failed doping test for the team. “We have been working pretty hard to do that and we are clear that there is no room in Team GB for people who have knowingly cheated through the use of drugs,” said Moynihan. He also added that they wanted the Olympics to be a sports competition and not a competition between chemists’ laboratories.

British Athletes Affected by Olympic Lifetime Ban

Aside from Chambers and Millar who are both eligible to represent UK, there are at least 8 athletes who are suffering from the lifetime Olympic ban. They are Jade Mellor for boxing; Peter Meakin for canoeing; Callum Priestley for hurdling; Dan Staite for cycling; Jatinder Singh Rakhra for wrestling; and Carl Myerscough, Jamie Stevenson, and Kieren Kelly for shot put.

While David Millar is not expecting that he will be part of the British Olympic team, Dwain Chambers is still optimistic that he can represent the country in the Summer Olympics. Chambers was able to prove that he can win gold for the country with his good rankings in World Championships. “It’s quite scary and I’m nervous about it because I want to go to London 2012 but I don’t know if I will be able to,” as he shared to the media his opinion on the pending issue. “Ultimately, what I want to do is to be able to perform in front of the home crowd, and I haven’t been able to do that for a long time, and that’s one of the missing pieces in my puzzle,” Chambers added.

Legal Expert Says BOA may Lose Case

A lawyer who represented American sprinter LaShawn Merritt, another athlete who was involved in steroids, said that BOA may lose its case. Howard Jacobs helped Meritt in overturning the Olympic ban on the athlete. Meritt was sanctioned for testing positive for steroids in 2010. They went to CAS arguing that an Olympic ban would constitute a violation of the WADA rule which only impose a maximum 2-year ban. The CAS said the IOC’s rule 45 is considered an additional sanction and is not legal. “I think it’s most likely that the rule will be found to be a sanction,” Jacobs said.

The CAS is expected to issue the final ruling on April.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been successful in catching doping athletes in the previous Olympics. A number of athletes were already sanctioned or stripped off their medals because of failing drug tests for performance enhancing drugs. For this year’s London Olympics, the IOC is expected to conduct at least 5,000 tests. The tests include blood testing which will detect the use of human growth hormone and the blood boosting drug EPO. Urine testing is still doing its job in detecting various types of anabolic steroids.

However, British cyclist David Millar is not convinced that the IOC can catch 100 percent Olympic athletes involved in doping. Millar is a member of WADA’s athletes committee. The cyclist urged the IOC to conduct drug testing at least two months before the opening of the Olympic Games to effectively catch doping athletes. This is the period where most athletes would take performance enhancers. “The testing during the Games is a fantastic deterrent but it’s a pretty stupid athlete who would be using drugs during the Games,” he told the media.

HGH and EPO are Better Used during Training

Millar said that most athletes will use steroids and other performance enhancing substances during the training period. “For drugs such as HGH and EPO, the window for using them is in the preparation phase, not actually during the Games or just before them,” he said. The British cyclist knows what he says because he too once used these drugs. In 2004, he was banned for 2 years after authorities caught him using the blood boosting drug EPO. EPO is a popular PED in cycling competitions because it can increase the stamina of the cyclist.

If the IOC will extend the testing at least 2 months prior to the opening of the games, they would likely catch more doping athletes. “They are hormonal-based which aims to make your body stronger to perform and you would be doing it in the two months beforehand, with the idea then to rest up and have a clean system going into the Games. That’s how it works,” Millar said.

IOC can Fund National Olympic Committees

David Millar also pointed out that smaller nations or national Olympic committees with budgetary constraints may not be able to implement effective anti-doping measures. “Often a lack of funds is a problem when it comes to the number of tests a country can carry out,” he said.

He cited as an example the case of UK Anti-Doping where the anti-doping policies are stringent to ensure that all British athletes competing in the upcoming London Olympics are all clean. If all national anti-doping organizations follow the same anti-doping measures like what the UK, USA, France and Australia is doing, then the campaign against doping will be more effective. This will create a more level playing field. The funding to cash strapped national anti-doping agencies can come from the IOC added Millar.

Pre-Game/On-Game Testing Programme Effective

On the other hand, the IOC claims that their pre-game drug testing programme is effective as evidenced by two previous Olympics. “This pre-Games testing programme proved to be efficient prior to the Beijing and Vancouver Games,” the IOC said in a statement.

The testing for various PED’s like steroids, HGH, and EPO will start immediately when the Olympic village opens and it will end on the day of the Closing Ceremony. Aside from the systematic urine and blood testing, the IOC will also conduct random testing. A new testing method for HGH will be implemented in the London Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee is confident that all stakeholders in the competition, from the national and international sports federations to anti-doping agencies, are doing their jobs in cleaning the sports. These organizations usually intensify their drug testing to eliminate doping athletes before they can get into the Olympic Games.

India’s elite women athletes were able to get a reduced punishment after they failed anti-doping test last year. An investigation was conducted by the Sports Ministry to shed light to the unusual number of positive tests. Investigators found out that the culprit is veteran Ukrainian coach Yuri Orogodnik. Athletes and officials said that the coach provided the women athletes with Ginseng supplement containing anabolic steroids.

The track and field athletes appealed their case saying that they should not be punished for the acts committed by their coach. The National Anti-Doping Panel gave them reduced sentences. From the usual 2 year ban, they were handed 1 year suspension from the sports. Athletes who received reduced sanction were Ashwini A.C., Sini Jose, Priyanka Panwar and Tiana Mary Thomas. These women belong to India’s elite track and field team and could represent the country in the London Olympics after serving their suspension.

WADA Blocking their Bid for London Olympics

However, it will not be easy for these women athletes to just return to the field. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recently made an appeal questioning the decision of the anti-doping panel. WADA wanted the standard 2-year ban for these athletes. The agency argued that the track and field athletes should be held responsible for their negligence. The anti-doping rules state that every athlete should be held accountable for any substance that they ingest. If they failed a steroid test, then they must be sanctioned with the standard 2-year ban. The women athletes tested positive for methandienone and stanozolol, both are anabolic steroids.

The WADA even gave examples of cases where the rule “no significant fault or negligence” applies. An Austrian skier for example was given a reduced ban after the CAS learned he inquired about the content of the nutritional supplement he was taking. The skier tested positive for the steroid nandrolone.

In another case, American swimmer Jessica Hardy also received favorable decision from CAS after the latter withdraws from the 2008 Olympic trials. Hardy also checked with the manufacturer about the ingredients of the supplement. Hardy tested positive for clenbuterol.

In the appeal by WADA, they contend that the Indian athletes did not show any efforts to question the supplements given by their coach. Athletes know that taking nutritional supplements is a risky thing because most of them contain banned substances. The supplement ginseng was allegedly purchased from China and was given to the athletes during the training season even without the approval of the sports organization.

Lawyer Defends Athletes

On the other hand, the lawyer of the women athletes argued that the contentions of WADA were baseless. The athletes helped in the investigation and were able to prove how the banned substances got into their system. They can’t also be held responsible for negligence because the coach is hired by the country’s sports organization.

The lawyer also explained that the different test results on four athletes could be the result of the different metabolisms of the athletes. Tiana’s sample showed positive for methandienone and stanozolol while the others only returned positive for methandienone.

The head of the panel was also baffled by the arguments of WADA. The fact that the agency did not contend how the banned substances entered into the system of these athletes contradicts with their appeal asking for the 2 year ban and would even bring the case to CAS if necessary.

The next hearing is set on February 29.

A weightlifter from Ukraine recently received 4-year ban from the sports after the International Weightlifting Federation found her doping. Olha Korobka was slapped with 4 years suspension after she tested positive for anabolic steroids in the world weightlifting championships in Paris last November. The 27-old weightlifter from Ukraine declined to comment on her case when asked by the media. The weightlifting federation also did not give elaborate information about the failed steroid test.

Aside from the suspension, Korobka was also stripped off her three bronze medals in the said competition. The Ukrainian weightlifter competed in the 75kg category. She will be barred from competition up to November 2015. This would mean that she will be missing the 2012 London Olympics this summer. Korobka represented her country in the Beijing Olympics and got silver medal. But her hope for another medal in this year’s Olympics disappeared.

Media reports from her home country revealed that her coach Vasyl Kulak has been fired by their weightlifting organization.

Canadian Wrestler also received 2-Year Ban for Steroids

Meanwhile, a Canadian Greco-roman wrestler was also banned for two years after the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES) found various banned substances in his system. Two anabolic steroids and a diuretic were found in the urine sample of Wrestler Colin Daynes during an in-competition testing last December. Another substance was also detected which is commonly used to counter the side effects of steroid use.

The 37-old wrestler, who is also a former Olympian, forfeited his title in the 163 lb category in the tournament held in Winnipeg, Manitoba last year. His suspension will end on December 18, 2013.

Daynes did not contest the result and acknowledged the doping violation. Based on several online news agencies, Daynes used the anabolic steroids boldenone and drostanolone. The diuretic found in his system which is used to flush out steroids and excess water was furosemide. The estrogen receptor modulator Tamoxifen was also detected. The combination of these steroids and the other mentioned substances is typical for a cycling user.

Wrestling Canada will not Tolerate Doping

Wrestling Canada issued a statement regarding this incident. According to its executive director, Tamara Medwidsky, doping of any kind will not be tolerated in their sports. “This incidence highlights the need for our association to continue building a culture in all Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines where doping of any kind is not permitted or even contemplated,” he added.

Daynes will also bid goodbye to London Olympics this summer. He was caught in the wrestling qualification trials so he will not be able to represent his country again. Daynes competed in the Greco Roman Wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Steroids Used to Recover from Injuries

The wrestler explained to the media that he was taking the substances because of the advice of his doctor. “That was the advice of the naturopathic doctor I was seeing,” he said. Daynes claimed that he was recovering from an injury but he did not know that those medications are banned. All of the drugs found in his system are in the list of WADA’s prohibited substances.

The Olympic drug testing program will be at its peak when the 2012 London Olympics starts in July. They already launched the most “high-tech” anti-doping lab in the history of Olympics. Every Olympic athlete is about to face the most advanced and most comprehensive drug testing procedure to be conducted in a 4,400 square meter anti-doping lab using new testing methods and equipment.

The Olympic anti-doping laboratory can accommodate up to 6,250 samples during the competition, surpassing the 4,770 test at Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Organizers are certain that up to half of competitors will be tested more than once amongst the expected 10,500 athletes to participate at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. A ratio of one in two athletes will be subjected to test for performance enhancing drugs. Doping athletes will certainly think twice as the percentage of getting caught is doubled with the new anti-doping laboratory.

Anti-Doping Procedures for the 2012 London Olympics

The Anti-Doping workforce is composed of 150 scientists, led by Professor David Cowan from the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London. They will target major individual sports and high risk events plus those athletes who showed unusual achievements in their fields.

Olympics athletes are required to submit two samples, A and B. After which the samples will be securely transferred to the anti-doping lab in Harlow to be screened for more than 200 compounds. It will be tested individually for performance enhancing drugs such as erythropoietin (EPO), anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.

More than 1,000 people will be in-charge of collecting and processing samples. Most of them are volunteers who are committed to work in the Essex-based anti-doping lab. Organizers said that most results will be known within 24 hours since the laboratory will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Positive result of doping athletes will be returned after 48 hours, with the exception of the performance enhancing drug erythropoietin (EPO), which will take 72 hours. Furthermore, the blood and urine samples taken from the athletes will be stored for eight years to facilitate retrospective testing when new test for more drugs are developed.

The anti-doping laboratory was funded by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) at an expense of £20 million. Being the producer of some of the drugs on the WADA list of banned substances, issues was raised on GSK sponsorship on the anti-doping lab. Chief executive Sir Andrew Witty however cleared and insisted that there is no conflict of interest since Professor Cowan and his Kings College Team will be in-charge of the testing.

Drug Free Game Still Not Guaranteed

The UK Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson promised there would be no place to hide for doping athletes. Although he added that there’s still no assurance of a drug-free game, advancements in the newest anti-doping lab is expected to double the chance of trimming down the numbers of athletes who use performance enhancing drugs. “But we can guarantee that we have got the very best system possible to try and catch anybody who even thinks of cheating, he said.”

Even Professor Cowan, the chief drugs scientist in the London Olympics, admitted that it will be impossible to guarantee a drug-free game. Athletes now turn to PED’s which are also produced in the body like EPO and HGH. The use of anabolic steroids like nandrolone is decreasing because it can be detected easily.

However, with all the preparations and new technology, there’s a good chance of detecting doping athletes. “The testing for these Games has the benefit of four more years of advancement in science, newer equipment, and new technology that makes the detection super-fast,” said Cowan.

With the capacity of the latest anti-doping technology being able to detect more than 240 prohibited performance enhancing drugs in less than 24 hours, doping athletes should consider the risk of being caught and opt to rather play fair.

Olympic athletes who are taking HGH supplements should be wary because WADA is now planning to implement a new testing method for human growth hormone. Although the Olympics adopted HGH testing years ago, no single athlete was caught using the synthetic human growth hormone. There were at least 8 positive tests recorded in different sports disciplines but it was not in Olympic competition. This is the reason why the World Anti-Doping Agency and other anti-doping institutions around the world continued their efforts to find a better testing method. Actually, this current method is used as an alibi of the NFL player’s association in resisting the implementation of the HGH test in football.

New HGH Testing Method in Time for London Olympics

In a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, WADA Director General David Howman said that an improved method of testing HGH could be in place in the coming London Olympics. “We hope to introduce the test this year. It will open a new window in the fight against doping,” Howman said.

The current method uses the isoform test which can only detect the presence of human growth hormone in the body up to 72 hours. Experts say that advanced dopers can evade detection because of the limitation of the test. Last year, the USADA and UK Anti-Doping met to discuss the merits of the new method of detecting HGH. Both anti-doping bodies agreed that the improvement in the detection method will help them combat doping in professional sports. Now that WADA made the announcement, the new method has been validated by their scientists and is ready for implementation.

Howman also said that they are working on new testing methods that can detect blood transfusions. This is another doping method used by professional athletes especially in endurance sports. EPO is another concern of WADA. They want a more comprehensive testing for this banned substance. They noted that some laboratories do not include EPO tests because of the cost of testing.

The Biomarker Test for Synthetic HGH

The new method of detecting synthetic HGH is called biomarker. It will also use blood samples but its detection period is longer as compared to the isoform test. According to Tygart of USADA, the biomarker test can detect HGH use from 10 days up to 21 days. This is indeed a dramatic improvement from the current method. Another good thing about this new method is it can be used together with the existing HGH test. This can be a significant deterrent to doping athletes especially in the Olympics.

One significant difference of the biomarker test is on how it detects synthetic growth hormones in the body. The isoform test looks for the presence of HGH in the body while the biomarker looks for certain chemicals that were produced by the body after using HGH. So a biomarker test is more focused on the effects of artificial human growth hormone in the body. Anti-doping scientists say that this development in catching HGH users is the product of 12 years of research.

Percentage of Doping Athletes Could be Higher

Howman also added that based on their research there could be at least 10% of professional athletes who are taking banned substances. So authorities should not be complacent and must continue their efforts to curtail doping in sports. “If there is more than 10 percent of the athletes in the world being tempted to take the shortcut by taking prohibited substances, then we’ve got an issue that is not being confronted as well as it should be,” the WADA director said.

However, he clarified that it doesn’t mean that a lot of Olympic athletes are into doping. “People go to the Olympic Games very well prepared for a big event, knowing if they are going to make a mistake it is the worst shame they can bring upon themselves, their family.” This is an event that athletes will less likely take shortcuts. Howman said that cheating athletes are usually caught in pre-game testing. He also warned those who would try to circumvent the anti-doping rules. “The real sophisticated guy might try to get away with it. But the program is going to be extensive,” he added.