Dealing With Doping

Just when it looked like doping controllers were slowly catching up to the much fitter athletes, a huge hurdle got in their way. The story broke in September 2003 when the BALCO laboratory was raided by United States criminal investigators. This came after a tip-off to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) from a leading track coach.

THG, a designer steroid, was the super drug and anti-doping agencies around the world had to scramble to try and preserve an already tarnished sports image. Despite THG and the increase of doping cases in Germany — an increase from 50 in 2003 to 80 in 2004 — Roland Augustin, head of Germany's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), said that analysis has improved on all levels.

Athletes who thought they could skirt around drugs tests by discontinuing usage shortly before screenings were caught unawares. Augustin said he was nevertheless surprised by the patent use of steroids and the investigations from the Athens games. The most spectacular case was the fall of Costas Kenteris, the Greek 200 meters gold medal winner at the Sydney Olympics.

German athletes feel discriminated

Drugs tests are not conducted with the same frequency and the same thoroughness around the world. Germany's athletes complain that they are tested too often. Augustin did not refute that.

"Internationally speaking, there are clearly shortfalls in drug testing," he said. In some countries there is no functioning control system, particularly when it concerns testing outside of international competitions.

To address the difficulties present in countries where testing is not so thorough, investigators from abroad could be sent in. But Augustin pointed out that there are two large hurdles.

Firstly, visas must be issued and that often happens with great delay so that an athlete could be warned, he said. Secondly, even if samples are taken, the probes sometimes can't be taken out of the country or are held up in customs and are then unusable.

Budgets too small

The battle against doping is particularly difficult in the entire Arab and Asia regions, where such countries as Iran, Vietnam and also China head the list for drug use. But Belarus and Ukraine are also among some of the top offenders.

Investigators are the first to admit that if the international sports community hopes to address the issue of doping effectively, it's going to need financial backing. NADA has a measly €1.2 million ($1.6 million) budget. The state provides just 13 percent of that backing, while allotting €2 million each year for sport sponsoring.