Sports DigestDRUGS IN SPORT: Olympic officials are looking into whether drug tests at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games can be rechecked for the newly-discovered steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone), the IOC said yesterday.Olympic lawyers are investigating the legality of retesting the samples and the IOC is also seeking scientific advice on whether the frozen, 19-month-old samples remain viable.
The IOC wants to be sure the quality of the samples is still good so that there can be no question of legal issues regarding potential degradation.
Don Catlin, who heads the Olympic drug-testing laboratory at UCLA, where the Salt Lake Winter Games samples are stored, told the IOC that between 200 and 300 of about 700 samples from the Games still exist and could be retested for the previously undetectable drug.
"I said, 'Yes, I have them, and yes, they can be retested'," Catlin told the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper.
As the scandal spreads across disciplines, the world swimming federation FINA said yesterday that samples taken during July's World Championships in Barcelona could be tested again for THG.
FINA said they have consulted an IOC-approved laboratory in Barcelona over performing THG tests if experts decide the samples should be retested.
"If the conclusion of the FINA experts will lead to the necessity of conducting tests for THG, FINA will proceed analysing samples from the World Championships held last July in Barcelona," they said.
The British Olympic Association is to test sports supplements to see if they contain banned drugs.
The association's Olympic Medical Institute has teamed up with British analytical company HFL, New Scientist magazine reported, and it hopes to have regular screening of supplements for 20 illegal, performance-enhancing substances in place by the end of the year.
Athletes' fears about supplements are backed up by a study from the German Sports University, which analysed 634 supplements and found more than one in seven contained substances which would have led to a positive drugs test.
ATHLETICS: Gregory Konchellah, son of former 800 metres champion Billy Konchellah, has joined the exodus of Kenyan athletes to swap nationality by defecting to Bahrain, Athletics Kenya's (AK) chairman has said.
Isaiah Kiplagat said he had received a letter from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which cleared Gregory Meritei Konchellah, also an 800 metres runner, to compete for Bahrain at next year's Olympic Games in Athens.
Some of Kenya's best runners are defecting to countries in Europe and the rich Gulf states in search of more recognition and bigger financial rewards.
FORMULA ONE: Former champion Jacques Villeneuve (32), has approached McLaren about a Formula One testing role after losing his drive with BAR.
"We have been approached by Jacques Villeneuve with regards to a role with the team in 2004," a spokeswoman said.
"However, no meaningful discussions have taken place."
