The "on" test combined with the French Urine test is what the IOC have given us. It is the "off" test with a larger window that goes back 4 weeks. It seems it has been reported that we have the detection ability of the "off" test when in reality the IOC panel only approved the inferior and less reliable "on" test. The combination means a small window for postives, much smaller than the IOC is advertising.
regards
Steve
Bennett
www.oztrack.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
From
http://www.olympics.smh.com.au/news/2000/09/11/FFXBF9HQTCC.html
IOC
defiant over drug testing accusations
The International Olympic
Committee has struck back at Australian scientists who have claimed that they
have chosen an inferior method of testing for the performance enhancing drug
EPO, while confusion reigned over the test's ability to detect recent drug
use.
The Australian Institute of Sport, which was involved in the
development of the EPO test, criticised the test, saying it could only detect
use of the banned drug within days of it being taken, rather than the
alternative test, which could detect the drug up to one month after
use.
Speaking on the ABC's Four Corners program last night, the
Australian Sports Drug Laboratory scientists and medical officials attacked the
IOC's decision to use the alternative testing method as disappointing and
ineffective. The IOC accused the scientists of sour grapes.
The IOC man
in charge of the Sydney Games and vice-chairman of the IOC medical commission,
Dr Jacques Rogge, said researchers often complained when their tests did not
pass scientific peer review.
EPO tests are already well under way. Ian
Thorpe yesterday became the first Australian swimmer to be given a blood test.
Of all athletes tested so far none have returned a positive test.
It has
become apparent that the IOC medical commission has perpetrated considerable
confusion about its latest drug detection methods in a bid to bluff Olympic drug
cheats.
Yesterday the two key men of the IOC medical commission had
completely differing opinions as to the timing of the blood test component of
the two-stage EPO test, which has been in place for just over a week.
It
has long been claimed that the urine component of the EPO test will only detect
its abuse by athletes who have used it in the past three days, with it being
most effective within 24 hours of use.
A positive urine test is essential
to convict a drug cheat.
But officials are divided as to the
effectiveness of the first phase of the test, the blood test, which is to be
used as an initial screening device and which can give valuable clues as to
whether an athlete may be abusing the drug. The athlete could then be targetted
for further testing.
IOC officials had been promoting the blood test as
going back 28 days, but it now appears the test may only detect the presence of
EPO markers going back 10 days.
The IOC medical director Dr Patrick
Schamasch, said yesterday that it "was not my goal to correct things" when
questioned over why the IOC had persistently fuelled the belief the blood test
could detect EPO going back nearly a month.
He said the blood test could
pick up EPO as far as eight to 10 days to satisfy legal requirements, but
positive tests could be returned on drug users who had used EPO less
recently.
Dr Schamasch said the model proposed by the Australian
scientists was not accepted by the independent peer group that examined it. "The
test was not reliable, it has to stand up in front of a court and we don't want
to lose the case," he said.
Scientists involved in the testing referred
inquiries to the IOC yesterday. Privately, several said the facts alleged in
last night's Four Corners were accurate, but that achieving blood tests at the
Olympics for the first time was still an enormous achievement.
The
Australian Olympic Committee president, Mr John Coates, yesterday warned that
athletes cheating with EPO were still taking a big risk.
Mr Coates said
the test was the best option, as anything that could not be confirmed with urine
would not stand up to legal challenge.
"The athletes are also entitled to
be satisfied that nothing has gone wrong in the testing procedure," he
said.
The chairman of the IOC medical commission, Prince Alexandre de
Merode, said scientists who claimed the blood test only went back three days
were "wrong". When asked how far back the test went, Prince de Merode said 21 to
25 days. "The blood test indicates 25 days," he said.
Yesterday one of
the most respected drugs experts, Mr Arne Lundqvist, revealed that genetic
research had already shown gene manipulation in mice could produce a boost in
EPO rates by a factor of 15.
He has urged urgent permanent funding in
this area to stay a step ahead of the drug cheats.
The IOC said it was
negotiating with two companies to conduct research into this area.
"The
research is quite advanced," Dr Schamasch said.
