Marathon battle in store for blood test campaigners >From http://www.athletics-online.co.uk/110412epo.htm 12th April, 2001 The campaign of many of the world's leading marathon organisers to persuade the authorities to implement widespread and standardised blood-testing is yet to yield positive action and could prove lengthy. This is despite representatives from the IAAF and four other Olympic sports meeting with the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) yesterday and expressing commitment to the furthering of blood-testing. Twenty-five major marathons and half-marathons have so far signed an agreement calling for changes in the IAAF's rules to make it an offence to refuse to take a blood test - inside or outside of competition. The IAAF has responded that the organisers can already use the test for the banned substance EPO that was introduced at last year's Olympic Games. However, without athletes being forced to comply, any cheats could simply compete elsewhere or stop using the drug a sufficient time before racing while still benefitting. Following yesterday's meeting, WADA announced in a statement: "The need to extend the use of these tests for in and out-of-competition testing to have the maximum impact was . . . recognized." WADA spokesman Casey Wade said the agency would support the IAAF in any out-of-competition testing programme. "If it makes sense and the IAAF wants to do it, we'll be there," he said. "We'll be supportive and we'll help collect the samples. There's no question about that because that's where it really is the most efficient." However, the IAAF need to make the first move, whereas it is up to now expecting road races like the Flora London Marathon and New York City Marathon to take the initiative. Dr Arne Ljungqvist, the IAAF's Anti-Doping Chief, is in discussion with the Flora London Marathon on the issue. He said this week: "The organisers are free to go ahead and collect blood samples at their competitions and have them analysed in accordance with the Sydney protocol." But Nick Bitel, the Chief Executive of the world's largest marathon, believes it is up to the the IAAF to take the lead to remove the suspicion that often surrounds distance runners. "We know that blood testing is in its infant stage and we're not saying that blood testing is the panacea," he admitted. "We're saying that it's an extremely useful tool and, at the moment, we cannot force athletes to partake in blood testing." "If we introduce blood testing and an athlete says 'no', then there's no comeback on the athlete," he added. "We need the rules to be changed to enforce blood testing and that's the problem at the moment." Bitel expanded upon the changes to the rules and protocols that the marathon organisers are requesting be made before 31st August. "There's a couple of things needed," he said. "One is a rule change to make it a doping offence to refuse to take a blood test." Outlining the second requirement, he said: "What we're interested in is the protocols, for EPO specifically at this stage, that were introduced in Sydney. There is no absolutely widely agreed protocol for precisely what the test is and whether something's a failure or not a failure." Out-of-competition testing is of perhaps greater importance as the window of detection for EPO by means of the method used in Sydney is only a matter of days. "The distance runners aren't competing that often so out-of-competition testing is an absolute necessity," Bitel declared. However, this presents even greater difficulty as far as the IAAF is concerned. "The main problem is logistic and, probably, juridical," said DR Ljungqvist. "To go to a home of an athlete, knock on his or her door and ask for a urine sample is already a difficult matter which includes many logistic problems. "But to knock on the door and ask the athlete to lay down for a venipuncture with the withdrawal of a certain amount of blood is something else. Venipuncture requires medical personnel and sterile conditions. "Also the legal aspects of this type of approach need to be evaluated." A more positive Wade said: "The way it is right now, it's quite effective but to be the most effective you have to have some out-of-competition testing as well and that's something we're supportive of and we're looking at developing with these federations. So we'll be doing it, it's just a case of developing some protocols." In the meantime, testing for EPO looks set to be confined to the major championships. The combination of both a blood and urine test that was used in Sydney is due to be employed at August's World Championships in Edmonton.
