UK NEWS

RACE TO BEAT OLYMPIC CHEATS

Jones was sentenced in January

Sunday June 8,2008

By James Murray

WITH the Beijing Olympics less than two months away, runner Usain Bolt smashed the world record for the 100 metres with an electrifying time of just 9.72 seconds in New York last weekend.

And the fastest man on the planet had a message for anyone who dared suggest his magnificent performance had been chemically enhanced.

“I know I’m clean and I ain’t worried,” he said, welcoming any test for drugs.

“I’ve been running fast over the years and I’ve shown my potential, so I’m not really worried.”

The 6ft 5in inch Jamaican is being tipped to win gold in the 200 and 100 metres in Beijing. Over the years, these events have been mired in drug-taking controversy.

Twenty years ago, Jamaican-born Ben Johnson was stripped of the 100 metres gold he won for Canada at the Seoul Olympics when it was discovered he had used steroids.

American Marion Jones was stripped of her five medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics after admitting using steroids. She is halfway through a six-month prison sentence for perjury.

Now the global battle against Olympic drugs cheats is being stepped up. The World Anti-Doping Agency is toughening its operations and targeting those who supply the drugs to the athletes.

In Britain, the National Anti-Doping Agency could soon see its staff doubled to 40. It will also offer cheating athletes the option of shorter bans if they pass on details of their suppliers.

The anti-doping officials have been meeting with the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, the Home Office and Customs to hammer out a policy aimed at breaking the supply chain.

The agency is considering recruiting former customs’ investigators and police detectives to beef up its role in the run-up to the London Olympics in 2012.

A source said: “The production and distribution of these drugs and stimulants is well-organised and sophisticated. Up until now it has been very difficult to get the people behind the organisations because usually the athletes do not cooperate with investigations.

“So from next year athletes and sports men and women will be told that if they cooperate and name names their bans will be shorter.”

The agency plans to carry out more than 1,500 tests on the 300 British athletes going to China this summer.