Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Positive drug tests at the Olympics: the athlete biological passport comes of age?



It is interesting reading my old blogs in the light of the recent success reported by the IAAF in catching six people doping via the indirect method of analysing blood samples over a number of years: the so-called “biological passport”.




It seems like some of my more earlier views may have been a bit too negative about the success of the scheme. A major new weapon seems to be the “plea bargain”. Admit doping and you get a two-year ban. Don’t and you will get four years if you fail your appeal. I am not sure what the British Olympic Association will feel about this though, given their concern about short bans. But it does avoid the risk of WADA losing a case at the Court of Arbitration for sport. Perhaps more interesting is the use that these admissions could have on the case of those who do not fess up. The passports from those who own up could be compared to those who have admitted doping, hence strengthening the prosecution case. 



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