Drugs in sport

Sports: Doping battle at breaking point - WADA chief

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:01:04 +0000

Agence France-Presse

The fight against doping cheats in sports could reach breaking point if more money is not found to finance testing programmes, a top official told AFP.

The director-general of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), David Howman, believes that his organisation is under increasing pressure to catch cheats.

But governments, already feeling the pinch of the global economic crisis, have been unwilling to match their demands with hard cash.

"It really worries me because I think nobody knows how much we have to do now," Howman said in an interview.

Cycling: UCI suspend Venezulan Ubeto for doping

Agence France-Presse — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:45:18 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Lampre's Venezuelan rider Miguel Ubeto has been suspended after testing positive for the banned "GW1516" substance, the International Cycling Union announced Wednesday.

The UCI said Ubeto had tested positive for the GW1516 sulfone, a metabolic modulator, in a urine sample collected from him in an out-of-competition test on April 16.

RugbyU: Saint-Andre rejects Benezech doping claim

Agence France-Presse — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:15:57 +0000

Agence France-Presse

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre on Sunday rejected an inference by a former France star that he was encouraging doping by backing a rise to around 50 minutes per match of active play from a current average of nearer 40.

"I have been coaching for 12 years and I have never asked a player to take something. For me, rugby is an exceptional sport and you can make it by drinking water and being clear" of illegal aids, said Saint-Andre.

Golf: Singh sues PGA Tour over deer antler doping charge

Agence France-Presse — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:01:10 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Vijay Singh sued the US PGA Tour on Wednesday, claiming the tour damaged his reputation with an "unwarranted" pursuit of an anti-doping case against him that was dropped last week.

"I am proud of my achievements, my work ethic, and the way I live my life," Singh said in a statement issued through is attorney, Peter R. Ginsberg. "The PGA Tour not only treated me unfairly, but displayed a lack of professionalism that should concern every professional golfer and fan of the game."

Olympics: Australia forces athletes to answer doping probes

Agence France-Presse — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:45:15 +0000

Agence France-Presse

The Australian Olympic Committee said Saturday it had introduced new rules forcing Australia's athletes and officials to truthfully answer questions put to them by the country's doping authority.

The AOC said failure to cooperate with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) would result in athletes or officials being ruled out of future Australian Olympic teams.

Cycling: WADA chief criticises Puerto outcome

Agence France-Presse — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:15:50 +0000

Agence France-Presse

The Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) David Howman has criticised the decision of the judge in the Operation Puerto trial to not release over 200 blood bags for inspection.

Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was given a one year suspended sentence on Tuesday for endangering public health in the way he performed blood extractions and transfusions on a number of high-profile cyclists.

IOC deplores ruling to destroy doping evidence in Spain

Agence France-Presse — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:00:27 +0000

Agence France-Presse

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday deplored a ruling by a Spanish court that bags of blood seized in a doping case be destroyed, preventing further probes into what has been described as the world's biggest doping network.

Over 200 bags of blood were seized from Eufemiano Fuentes, a sports doctor sentenced on Tuesday to a year in prison for performing blood transfusions on top cyclists, often combined with banned substances.

Golf: No PGA ban for Singh over deer antler spray

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:30:05 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Fiji's Vijay Singh will not be suspended by the US PGA Tour for doping as a result of using a deer antler spray known to contain a prohibited growth-enhancing substance.

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the decision on Tuesday after Singh had appealed a sanction brought against him by the tour after he admitted to using the deer antler spray in a January story in Sports Illustrated.

The spray contained IGF-1, a substance listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and PGA Tour prohibitive lists and one the tour had warned players against using in August of 2011.

Cycling: Spain anti-doping agency to appeal doctor ruling

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:00:52 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Spain's state anti-doping agency said it would appeal a court ruling that blood bags confiscated from a medical doctor who was sentenced Tuesday to a year in prison for performing blood transfusions on top cyclists be destroyed.

In her ruling Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria said Eufemiano Fuentes offered the blood doping treatments for money, posing a "significant risk to the health" of those receiving the blood and banned him from practising as a sports doctor for four years.

Cycling: Doping case doctor sentenced to one year

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:00:38 +0000

Agence France-Presse

A Spanish court on Tuesday sentenced a medical doctor who performed blood transfusions on top cyclists to a year in prison for endangering public health in a case keenly watched because of claims the practice extended to other sports.

Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria said that Eufemiano Fuentes, 57, offered the blood doping treatments for money, posing a "significant risk to the health" of those receiving the blood.

She refused however to release to sporting authorities bags of blood seized from Fuentes which could identify other sportsmen he treated.

Cycling: Doping case doctor sentenced to one year

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:30:53 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria said that Eufemiano Fuentes, 57, offered the blood doping treatments for money, posing a "significant risk to the health" of those receiving the blood.

Cycling: Doping case doctor sentenced to one year

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:30:40 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria said that Eufemiano Fuentes, 57, offered the blood doping treatments for money, posing a "significant risk to the health" of those receiving the blood.

Cycling: Doping case doctor sentenced to one year

Agence France-Presse — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:26:46 +0000

Agence France-Presse

Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was sentenced to a year in prison by a Madrid court on Tuesday after being found guilty of endangering public health by administering blood transfusions to top cyclists.

A former trainer of the Kelme cycling team, Jose Ignacio Labarta, was also found guilty and handed a four-month jail term. but the three other co-accused in the case -- Yolanda Fuentes, Manolo Saiz and Vicente Belda -- were cleared.

Cycling: Operation Puerto ruling to be announced

Agence France-Presse — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:16:00 +0000

Agence France-Presse

The Operation Puerto doping trial involving Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and four co-accused is set to conclude on Tuesday with Judge Julia Patricia Santamaria set to give her ruling on whether the five were guilty of endangering public health.

Fuentes is on trial with his sister and fellow doctor Yolanda as well as Manolo Saiz, Vicente Belda and Ignacio Labarta who held various positions in the Liberty Seguros and Kelme cycling teams.

We must look at global drugs rules - UK chief

Thomson Reuters — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:30:43 +0000

Thomson Reuters

(Reuters) - The Godolphin doping scandal should prompt international racing authorities to look at bringing consistency to the rules on using drugs, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chief executive Paul Bittar said on Friday.

Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni was disqualified for eight years on Thursday by the BHA after admitting administering anabolic steroids to 15 of the horses he trained in Newmarket, England for owner Sheikh Mohammed.