Here's some more background info on darbepoetin testing originally published in a 26 Feb article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Roy Masters
A drug test developed in Australia was used to strip two cross-country skiers of their gold medals as the Winter Olympics ended in a shroud of controversy. "Basically, they were running on super while everyone else was on standard," Dr Ken Fitch, of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission, said of the new drug detected in the blood of three athletes. Australia's IOC member, Kevan Gosper, who sat on the disciplinary hearing that ordered the expulsions, said: "We now have the resources to take drug cheats by surprise." The positive blood tests followed rumours in the past two weeks of some elite distance athletes beginning to use an undetectable chemical 10 times more powerful than erythropoietin (EPO). Darbepoetin is not on the banned list, yet the IOC deemed it had the power to prosecute under its "related compounds" clause because the drug has similar properties to EPO. The expulsions honour a promise made at the opening ceremony when the new president, Jacques Rogge, said the IOC would be tough on doping. A blood test developed by the Institute of Sport and the Australian Sports Drug Laboratory to detect EPO was used at the Sydney Olympics with a French-developed urine test. However, the Australian test was refined for Salt Lake City, allowing it to detect abnormally high levels of banned substances. What the new drug does Darbepoetin is used to treat anaemia by boosting the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen to muscles. Ten times as powerful as erythropoietin (EPO). Requires only one injection a fortnight, compared to three a week with EPO. Regards - Graham Thomas PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCES AGGRESSIVE PLAN FOR PRIVATIZATION OF OLYMPIC GAMES http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2002/021202.asp -----Original Message----- From: Philip Weishaar [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, 27 February 2002 2:42 To: track list Subject: t-and-f: Olympic DQ's In some ways I hate to bring this up but I am surprised noone has mentioned the 3 DQ's Sunday in Salt Lake for the using the newest version of EPO called darpopeitin (sorry about the spelling). Chemical just released and isn't even on the list of banned substances yet but certainly will be. What was interesting was that athletes who were DQ'ed were only DQ'ed for Saturday and Sunday's events. Earlier tests were negative so those events stood. The testers must be catching up with the users at least for a little while. phil weishaar Notice: The information contained in this e-mail message and any attached files may be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure or copying of this e-mail is unauthorised. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
