Double Olympian Liza Hunter-Galvan would not try to qualify for the London Olympics despite an international court ruling clearing the way for those who have served doping bans.

“I’m not sure if I have good or bad feelings about the ruling, because I don’t care any more,” the marathon runner said.

From Nzherald.co.nz:

The 42-year-old won the Christchurch Marathon in June after a two-year ban for taking the blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) in 2009 but suspects she would not be welcome if she did qualify.

“In a nutshell how do you chase a spot that isn’t there?” Hunter-Galvan said. “Whether the ban was lifted or not I realise that the biggest hurdle I face is not my age, desire, commitment, injuries, qualifying standard, financial burden, or [the] poor choice I made. Rather it lies in being accepted.

“I have no interest in going through another legal battle, they take a toll on your soul,” the runner said, a reference to the Beijing Olympics where she placed 35th after appealing her earlier non-selection to the Sports Tribunal.

Hunter-Galvan is the only New Zealander to have tested positive to EPO, which is abused in sport for stimulating the production of red blood cells that boosts the amount of oxygen delivered to the muscles.

Tags: Beijing Olympics, EPO, erythropoietin, London Olympics

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LaShawn Merritt, the Olympic 400m champion, has been handed over a ban of 21 months after he was found making use of over-the-counter products.

Merritt returned three positive drug tests and will only be eligible to compete again on 27th July, 2011 that means that he will be free to defend his defend his title at the London Olympics.

From Guardian.co.uk:

Merritt, who also won the world 400m title in Berlin last year, admitted using an over-the-counter male enhancement product containing dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone.

The American Arbitration Association’s ruling confirmed Merritt had demonstrated at his hearing his positive tests were as a result of taking a product, ExtenZe, which he bought at a convenience store, and that he did not take it to enhance his track performance.

“He wasn’t training so he wasn’t thinking about track,” the ruling said. “His mind-set when purchasing the product was thinking about having sex with a woman. It never entered his mind that the product contained a steroid derivative. He admitted he did not look at the label.”

Merritt was devastated when he found out what had caused his positive tests.

The ban on Merritt was backdated to 28 October 2009.

Tags: dehydroepiandrosterone, LaShawn Merritt, London Olympics, pregnenolone, steroid derivative

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London is under pressure to toughen its stance on use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Will the 2012 Summer Olympics host city give in?

Presently, the International Olympic Committee is yet to receive any definitive action by the British government regarding legislation that will outlaw possession, supply and distribution of performance enhancing drugs.

The IOC would prefer that Britain should follow the path other European nations have taken. Countries like Sweden, Italy, Greece, and Germany have stricter doping laws where violators and suppliers can be imprisoned.

IOC’s chairman of medical commission Arne Ljungqvist, said he would be pushing for a change in the British law.

“I think legislation is very important that criminalizes certain offenses as detailed in the WADA code because it allows public authorities to intervene where we cannot,” Ljungqvist said, who is also a board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“We as sports authorities have our limited possibilities regulated by our code. We can do testing but we cannot do searches,” Ljungqvist added.

Britain is expected to have a new independent anti-doping agency in place by next year but it is still recalcitrant as far as criminalizing doping.

“This is on my agenda so that Britain does have a law in place at the time of the Games which will allow them to take the same action as the Italians did if a similar situation occurred,” Ljungqvist said.

Ljungqvist was referring to the incident at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin when the Austrian cross-country skiing team was exposed of practicing blood doping. Italian police conducted search on said team’s accommodations and came up with banned substances and paraphernalia.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Arne Ljungqvist, International Olympic Committee, IOC, London Olympics, Performance enhancing drugs, steroid, steroids, WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency

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In a recent telephone interview with Reuters, Usain Bolt insists he is squeaky clean and that he has gained track stardom due to hard training.

Bolt also answers back to American sprint superstar Carl Lewis’ scrutiny that he may be on some performance boosters when he smashed world records at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.

Lewis has dropped some controversial comments during his interview with Sports Illustrated. His comments have sparked indignation in Jamaica, Lightning Bolt’s country.

“I’m still working with the fact he dropped from 10-flat to 9.6 in one year,” American Lewis was quoted as saying. “I think there are some issues … countries like Jamaica do not have a random (dope control) programme so they can go months without being tested.”

But Bolt attempts to negate Lewis’ insinuation.

“I know I’m clean. I work hard for what I want,” said the 6-foot-5 sprinter.

“I know what he said,” said the Jamaican. “To me it doesn’t really matter what he said, a lot of people were saying that.

“When you run the 100 metres that’s what you get. As long as you’re fast they start saying that.

“It’s like a trend. I’m trying to change that. It’s a bad image for the sport.

“Carl Lewis can say whatever he wants. That’s just his opinion.”

Indeed, a lot of tongues went a-wagging when Bolt won the gold in 100m, 200m, and 4×100 relay events – quite easily in the view of many observers. Thus, the suspicion that Bolt maybe using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs for such an impressive runs.

But Bolt says he owed it all to strict training.

“The 200 is also sprinting, that was key,” he said. “The only thing I had to do was get my start right and I got my start right.

“That’s why my last 50 metres are so good because I’ve got speed and endurance.”

Bolt also denies the accusations thrown at him by many of his naysayers that there is inadequate testing program in his country, as well as in other Caribbean nations.

“For sure we get tested in the Caribbean,” he said. “They like to come to your house early in the morning.

“It’s not cool getting up at six, seven in the morning when you’re just trying to enjoy your sleep. But I know what it’s for and it’s fair. We get tested all the time.

“When you’re in the top 20 in the world you get random tested. They get to know your whereabouts.”

Further, Bolt talks about his career path. He says he would definitely defend his records at the London Olympics in 2012.

I’ll be in London … I hope it isn’t cold,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that. “I can be champion again. I’ll be 26 then. I have a lot of time on my hands. All I have to do is stay focused, train hard and be ready.”

And track fans would probably see him in the 400 meters.

“In the future I’ll probably step up to 400 metres,” he said. “But it’s a lot of work. I’m not ready for that kind of work.”

Tags: anabolic steroids, anti-doping program in Caribbean countries, Beijing Olympics, Carl Lewis, Jamaica, London Olympics, steroids, Usain Bolt

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