UK Athletics chief executive David Moorcroft is hopeful the sport will not be plunged into crisis despite Dwain Chambers testing positive for the new designer drug.
As Britain's European 100 metres champion vowed to fight to clear his name, Moorcroft played down fears that around 20 US athletes could also have been caught out.
But he admitted he was "shocked" at the revelations concerning Chambers which have left him facing a two-year ban if the `B' test confirms the initial result from an out-of-competition test in Germany last August.
US athletics chiefs revealed that four athletes had so far tested positive for THG (tetrahydrogestrinone).
"This situation is really difficult but it is a price worth paying," said Moorcroft of the emergence of the previously undetectable drug. "There are some sports in some countries that pay lip service to the issue of drug testing.
"We throw everything at testing. We will do it to everyone, we test without notice, we will target test on any leads we are given. It is symptomatic of a sport which deals with the issue positively."
"I have been relatively close to the sport in the last 30 years. There will always be people who want to cheat whatever, but I think the sport is cleaner than ever."
Chambers insisted last night that he was no drugs cheat and blamed his California-based nutritionist Victor Conte for the positive test which could wreck his hopes of challenging for a medal at next year's Olympics.