Sorry...tried to use spell check and the message posted blank. Some type of user error, I'm sure....

I was wondering what the dope control measures are at IMNA races, as well as at Hawaii? Someone recently told me Hawaii didn't start testing until Luc broke all the course records, sort of insinuating he was not clean.

I can't directly address Hawaii but from my experience as a ref the controls are unannounced and the Anti Doping folks show up early race morning and descretely set up. The top finishers both male and female get tested as well as some age groupers. You won't even know the testing is going on, this is to respect the privacy of the Athletes being tested. I won't go into any procedures but the national and international anti doping protocols are followed to the letter.

Eric

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"on your Left"

Do they use the IOC list of banned substances or some other one?

from the USAT rule book
Article VIII.

Doping Control Rules

8.1 Policy.

USA Triathlon condemns the use of substances or methods on the International Triathlon Union (ITU) list of classes of prohibited substances and methods. Additionally, USA Triathlon condemns the use of substances or methods aimed at artificially enhancing athletic performance. The use of prohibited substances or methods or the use of substances or methods aimed at artificially enhancing performance, frequently referred to as "doping," contravene the ethics of both sport and medical science, threaten the integrity and dignity of Olympic sport, erode public confidence in the Olympic Movement and jeopardize the well being of athletes. Additionally, the use of substances on the ITU prohibited substance list or the practice of artificially enhancing performance is inimical to the concept of sportsmanship and frustrates the desire to conduct fair athletic competitions. As a member National Governing Body of the United States Olympic Committee ("USOC") and as a member Federation of the International Triathlon Union ("ITU"), USA Triathlon adheres to the anti-doping rules of the USOC and the ITU. In addition, USAT complies with USOC Bylaws Chapter XXIII, Section 2(G), which provides that, as a condition of membership in the USOC, each National Governing Body complies with the procedures pertaining to drug testing and adjudication of related doping offenses of the independent anti-doping organization designated by the USOC to conduct drug testing. The USOC has designated the United States Anti-Doping Agency ("USADA") as that organization

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"on your Left"

"Someone recently told me Hawaii didn't start testing until Luc broke all the course records, sort of insinuating he was not clean."

you could argue both sides of this. it's very inconvenient for WTC to have a positive test, because it raises the specter of the TV show broadcasting a winner 3 weeks after the race, and then in subsequent airings, who's since been publicly caught with a positive test. so from a business point of view, it's actually better for WTC to NOT have testing, and the more drugs are suspected, the more WTC would be nervous of a test.

that said, it's possible WTC doesn't even know when tests will occur. it's USAT who'll control when testing takes place, i'd presume.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I think the worst marketing move cycling ever made was to implement more stringent testing. The biggest effects have been to drive away sponsors and give the sport a [self inflicted] black eye. I am not so sure the riders would have supported testing to the degree they did if they had understood the tradeoff was a cleaner sport for far lower salaries.

So have any of those bodies approved the use of the urine test for EPO? Last I paid attention to the battling drug lists of the IOC, WADA, etc. the UCI was the only body that had.



**Does the NBA have a special exception from the USOC doping regs or something? There is no way in hell they would pass those tests.

Interesting point of view. I believe that cycling is before off and easier to market now, with stringent testing, than before. The first thing I think about if you tell me "Festina" is "doping" not "watch". Do I want to wear a Festina watch or jersey? Nope! As I remember it, cycling had 2 options in 98: get clean or disappear.

I believe they went to testing due to riders dieing or being hospitalised during races from drugs

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"on your Left"

The NBA, NFL and MLB all have drug testing so the question was whether to have testing sufficient to placate the sponsors or to try and actually catch people using dope. If the enhanced testing were done in a context of rigorous doping controls being implemented in all major sports there would be no problem since nobody would look any worse than the rest, but going out on that long dry limb by yourself is foolish.