DOPING NEWS 2005 News on all aspects of doping science, doping usage, anti doping control, and anti-doping code appearing in lay and business press are vitally important. The Doping Journal fulfills its obligation to inform interested scientists, athletes, funding agencies, regulatory bodies and legislators about the news stories on doping. Legal notice: 'Doping News' page of the Doping Journal is provided for educational purpose only. A reference for news at length of this page is not an endorsement or approval of a news article content. The list below does not make a claim to being comprehensive; It is no substitute for your own research, and should not be relied upon for any purpose. Further info is available at the Doping Journal disclaimer statement. Please note that Doping Journal may inadvertently omit certain national/international news stories due to the lack of information. If you notice an omission please let us know. Each citation may include URL links to related articles. Doping journal home page: http://dopingjournal.org ------------------------------------------- 22 January 2005 Armstrong in doping probe Agencies Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (22 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "ANNECY (France): French authorities have opened a preliminary inquiry into doping allegations made against six-time Tour de Fance winner Lance Armstrong in a book published last summer. Judicial officials confirmed the probe on Thursday but declined to give details, describing the case as confidential. The investigation centres on a magistrate's interview with Armstrong's former British assistant, Emma O'Reilly. Shortly before last year's Tour de France, O'Reilly made allegations in a book LA Confidential, The Secrets of Lance Armstrong. She claimed that Armstrong sent her on long road trips to pick up pills and dispose of used syringes. Because of allegations made in the book, Armstrong's Texas-based insurance company has withheld a $5 million bonus owed to him after he won his sixth Tour last July..." 20 January 2005 Gene doping, the next big thing confronting sports - A panel formed by WADA will meet next month to study the issuee Kevin Van Valkenburg The Telegraph, Calcutta, India (20 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Gene doping can make one run like Marion Jones. Sometime in the near future, an athlete might walk into a lab and ask for an injection that, with the prick of the needle, will bring a world of possibility. Take this and hit home runs like Barry Bonds, the athlete would be told. Take it and fly around the track like Marion Jones. This might sound like another story about steroids, back in the headlines after baseball announced last Thursday that it was adopting a stricter testing policy amid calls for reform, but it’s not. The topic is genetic doping. Because it uses DNA to stimulate or block natural chemicals — chemicals that make changes within the body at the cellular level — it won’t show up in a blood or urine test. With billions of dollars at stake every year in sports and the lure of fame stronger than ever, gene doping is expected to be the next major issue for sports to confront. Experts in the field of genetic research predict it could happen in five or 10 years. Or sooner. “I don’t think it would surprise any of us if tomorrow we picked up a newspaper and saw that (an athlete) had died of a stroke after getting involved with gene therapy,” said Dr Theodore Friedmann, director of the gene therapy program at the University of California at San Diego. He is considered by many to be the world’s leading authority in the field. Genetic doping has the potential to make a mockery of what is currently considered fair athletic competition. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has formed a panel to study the issue and come up with methods for detection. The panel of scientists, led by Friedmann, will meet for the first time next month. “There’s no firm evidence right now that people are using genetic manipulation to enhance performance,” he said, “but there have been a number of studies done with animals like mice and rats that suggest such a thing can be done..." 20 January 2005 Tennis: Kuznetsova's lawyers join tennis doping storm Reuters The New Zealand Herald (20 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "MELBOURNE - Svetlana Kuznetsova's lawyers entered the fray as the Australian Open doping scandal degenerated into largely a war of words between the Russian Tennis Federation and the Belgian Government yesterday. As the resilient Kuznetsova channelled her energy into matters more pressing - like trying to win a second Grand Slam title - Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev accused Belgian regional Sports Minister Claude Eerdekens of bias in the doping controversy. "What he has done is beyond any ethical norms accepted in the civilised sporting community," Tarpishchev said, echoing the sentiments on Tuesday of WTA boss Larry Scott. "He not only wrongly accused one of our top tennis players. By doing it, he also slandered the whole of Russia." Eerdekens revealed on Monday that Kuznetsova had tested positive for ephedrine at an exhibition event in Belgium last month. But the WTA cleared the world No 5 on Tuesday because the stimulant is permitted out of competition and also with a doctor's certificate. Kuznetsova, 19, admitted taking cough medicine during the exhibition event..." 20 January 2005 Kuznetsova a Star After Doping Allegations Richard Vach Tennis-x.com (19 January 2005) [FullText] [Related reports: TurkishPress.com] [Author contact] Leading text: "Winning the US Open was one thing, but after riding out false allegations of drug doping, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova feels she has finally reached the big time. "I worked for this all my life," she said. "It was a big dream for me. And I was not so famous. Now everybody is coming to my press conference, looking at my practice. It feels totally different. I feel like a star here. This is the funny thing." Not necessarily funny-good for the introverted Russian. Kuznetsova returned to the court Wednesday after the WTA Tour said they would not seek action after allegations by a Belgian sports official over drug tests done during an exhibition last December. The Russian tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine, found in over-the-counter cold medicines, that is legal in out-of-competition play..." 20 January 2005 Race group plans to rein in horse doping Carl Campanile NYPost Online Edition (19 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Horse-racing officials announced they will start testing thoroughbreds for illegal, performance-enhancing "milkshakes" yesterday, as 17 people charged in a gambling scandal linked to equine doping were arraigned in federal court. The tests for the so-called "shakes," which involve a sodium bicarbonate cocktail fed into a horse's stomach, will begin early next month, and could lead to "severe" penalties, the New York Racing Association said. "Any violation of this new testing procedure will be met with stiff penalties," NYRA chief Charles Hayward said. The tests will take place at NYRA-administered tracks at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. The new penalties have not yet been worked out yet. Dr. Ted Hill said "milkshaking" was a known problem with harness racing horses and "standardbreds," but was identified as a problem with thoroughbreds only after a study was done in California last summer. "Until very recently [milkshaking] was not considered to be a problem in thoroughbred racing," said Hill, the steward for the NYRA tracks. The new rules come as the crew of alleged race-fixers and illegal gamblers appeared in federal court in Manhattan to be arraigned. The 17 named in the indictment are allegedly part of a massive gambling scheme which operated in five states including New York, where sources said Belmont Park was "riddled" with doping and loan-sharking. The group's alleged ringleader, Gerald Uvari, 67, of Florida, pleaded not guilty to a slew of gambling charges that could get him 368 years in prison..." 20 January 2005 Doping Baseball Winston-Salem Journal Journalnow.com (19 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Excerpt: "It is a sad commentary on the state of Major League Baseball that the relatively weak anti-doping program announced last week is being praised by management and the players' union. Rob Manfred, baseball's chief negotiator, said that the program "is as good as any policy in any professional sport." Donald Fehr, the players' union leader, said the policy successfully deals with the steroid problem. But their words are mostly hollow hype. The new anti-doping program will not cover amphetamines and will provide for relatively minor punishment the first three times a player is caught using steroids. The program was forced upon players as Congress threatened to intercede, but it is still not as strict as that for minor leaguers. It pales compared with that for Olympic athletes... The financial rewards for bulking up are significant. As player salaries spiral, a slap on the wrist won't dissuade players from hitting the illegal juice. The much-hyped program that baseball commissioner Bud Selig praised last week will dock a player for only 10 days worth of salary on the first offense, 30 days on the second and 60 days on the third. When players earn multimillions more by bulking up with steroids, the loss of 10, 30 or 60 days' salary simply becomes part of the cost of doing business. Only on fourth offense does a player lose a full season. Compare that to the two-year suspension that Olympic athletes face when caught for the first time. Second offense carries a lifetime Olympic sports ban. When it comes to amphetamines - stimulants that greatly increase a player's alertness and energy levels - baseball does even less. It does nothing, in fact. Amphetamines are not on the list of banned substances. This is so despite the death late fall of Ken Caminiti, a former National League most valuable player who died of a drug overdose and who had commented on the widespread use of amphetamines in baseball. Baseball has taken a small step toward controlling its drug problem, but it has not taken a decisive step. Fans will still go to the ballparks this spring wondering if they're watching players or drug addicts." 15 January 2005 Harness Racing News: Doping allegations made against Poulin Rangiawha, Jeremy Harnesslink.com (15 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Standardbred driver Rene Poulin is among 17 people charged in a crackdown on gambling after he allegedly drugged a horse two years ago at Aqueduct. Poulin, 54, is charged for doping a 6-Year-Old gelding named A One Rocket in the first race at Aqueduct on December 18, 2003, according to the New York Post. He pleaded not guilty to federal gambling, horse doping and fraud charges in a Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday (January 13). The New York State Racing and Wagering Board suspended Poulin's racing license on Friday. Authorities estimate that over four years more than $200 million in bets were processed through the gambling operation Poulin was allegedly connected to. Poulin is a winner of 1399 races and $11.6 million lifetime..." 14 January 2005 Baseball players agree steroids bad for game By John Fay, Enquirer staff writers The Enquirer - Cincinatti.com (14 January 2005) [FullText] [RSS Feed] [The Enquirer contact] Leading text: "Major League Baseball's newly adopted steroid policy calls for more testing and stiffer penalties for steroid use. The new rules, announced Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the owners meetings, happened only because the rank-and-file players wanted it. So it's not surprising that the players greeted the news warmly. "It's a good thing," Reds catcher Jason LaRue said. "The legitimate guys who work hard and are clean won't be overlooked." Said Reds first baseman Sean Casey: "It's a step in the right direction. Either you play clean, or you don't play." Every player will be tested at least once each season. There will also be off-season and random testing, with no maximum number of checks. Players would be suspended 10 days after a first positive test, 30 days after a second positive test, 60 days after a third positive test and one year after a fourth positive test. The suspensions are without pay and will be made public..." 14 January 2005 Doping probe targets publications Correspondents in Paris The Australian (14 January 2005) 164(7): 58-62 [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "French police searched the offices of the weekly magazine Le Point and sports daily L'Equipe overnight in connection with the doping scandal that rocked cycling team Cofidis last year. Journalists at the two publications said police, led by investigating magistrates, spent several hours in their offices. At Le Point, police seized two computers and ordered two journalists to report for questioning. At L'Equipe, journalists declined to reveal whether any equipment had been seized during the search. Sources close to the investigation said the searches were linked to an investigation of possible leaks within the police force of information about the drugs affair, which saw the team accused of widespread doping..." 13 January 2005 AP Breaking News: Baseball's new steroid policy just another a bunt at doping Wilstein, Steve, AP Sports Columnist San Francisco Chronicle (13 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Baseball players and owners are high-fiving themselves and think they've quieted critics by agreeing to a slightly stronger steroid-testing program. Don't be fooled: The new policy announced Thursday is progress that will keep the politicians at bay, but it's still just a bunt, not a home run, in the effort to rid baseball of performance-enhancing drugs. It's a watered-down version of the minor league anti-doping program that commissioner Bud Selig has been touting. It's more PR and a dangerous delay in acting decisively. Baseball released some details of the revised program, which, unlike the current system, includes penalties for first-time offenders. The penalties are still paltry: a 10-day suspension for a first positive test, increasing to one year for a fourth positive. Contrast that with the World Anti-Doping Agency's code, adopted by most Olympics sports, where the penalties are normally two years for the first positive test, a lifetime ban for the second. Penalties, as crucial as they are to success against doping, are only part of the solution. There are all those devilish details about when and where players can be tested, how the tests will be handled, which laboratories will do the analyses, and how extensive the list of banned drugs will be..." 13 January 2005 Sports arbiters set sights on dopes Kernaghan, Jim, The London Free Press Sports Columnist The London Free Press Sports (12 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Now that they've got a pretty good handle on doping, the people who arbitrate sports appeals are going to work on dopes. Dopes, as in wackos like the defrocked Irish priest who came out of the blue to push an Olympic marathon runner into the crowd and out of gold- medal contention. Richard McLaren, who spoke yesterday to the Canadian Club of London about drugs in sports, will participate in the aggrieved marathoner's quest for a gold medal as a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima may have been en route to a gold medal in Athens when Cornelius Horan burst from the crowd and grabbed the runner, propelling him into the crowd on the opposite side of the street. De Lima regained his balance, if not his rhythm, and got back into the race to finish third and win the bronze. The runner, whose once-large lead had been slowly shrinking, lost several seconds and eventually was overtaken by Stefano Baldini of Italy, the winner in two hours, 10 minutes, 55 seconds, and Mebrahtom Keflezighi of the United States (2:11:29). De Lima finished in 2:12:11. The Brazilian federation protested the result and sought a duplicate gold for de Lima but was rejected..." 6 January 2005 Spain to toughen anti-doping code No Author Rediff.Com Sports (5 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "Spain is to introduce an anti-doping code to improve detection procedures, speed up the implementation of sanctions and clamp down on the trading of banned substances. "The national anti-doping plan will be based on a combination of prevention, control and punishment in order to reach the goal of zero tolerance in the use of banned substances in sport," sports minister Jaime Lissavetsky was quoted as saying by the Spanish media on Wednesday. "The cheats have to understand that they will not be allowed to win this battle." Lissavetsky said Spain had become a centre of trading in banned substances used in many sports but that the government had started to take measures to deal with the problem. "In the past there was a certain degree of permissiveness which allowed banned substances such as human growth hormone to be acquired in our country," he said. "But since September it can no longer be sold in chemists and we are also carefully monitoring the amount of EPO that is being sold in each chemist in the country." Leading Spanish sportsmen such as distance runner Alberto Garcia, cyclist Santi Perez and cross country skier Johan Muehlegg have tested positive for the blood-boosting agent EPO in recent years. Lissavetsky said the introduction of the new code would help boost Madrid's bid to hold the 2012 Olympics by demonstrating the country's commitment to combat doping in sport..." 6 January 2005 Chinese doping center ratified for 16th consecutive year No Author Chinaview.cn (5 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "The Chinese Doping Center has received the accredited laboratory certificate issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) announced here on Wednesday. The laboratory director Wu Moutian showed to Xinhua the certificate, which is signed by WADA president Richard Pound..." 3 January 2005 Rogge takes hard line on doping From correspondents in Berlin The Weekend Australian (1 January 2005) [FullText] [Author contact] Leading text: "The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made great strides in its fight against doping in 2004, but athletes who miss doping tests should be immediately disqualified in future, according to IOC president Jacques Rogge. In an interview in Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the International Olympic Committee head said 2004 represented a breakthrough in the battle against doping, adding there had been a complete change in the mentality against drug cheats. "We need stricter punishments on athletes who fail to appear for tests," he said. "They should be disqualified, period. "Anyone not available should have at most an hour or two. "But no more exceptions for those who miss three, four or five tests." Rogge applauded an eight-year suspension recently handed to US sprinter Michelle Collins. "That would have been impossible earlier," he said. "I welcome this change in mentality." Rogge said the efficiency of tests had improved considerably even in the past six months and would get even better. "What's most effective is the unannounced tests," he said..." Watch latest original research on doping published in other journals. Click here. HOME HELP FEEDBACK RECENT CONTENT SUBJECT COLLECTIONS PUBLISH IN DJ REGISTRATION Copyright © 2005 by The Doping Journal, ISSN 1812-948X