CHICAGO — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has launched the opening phase of a voluntary pilot program that it hopes will improve the accuracy of doping tests.
The anti-doping agency will profile the body chemistry of 12 participating athletes using a series of blood and urine tests, and those measurements will be used as a baseline for subsequent tests.
At a news conference Wednesday, track athletes Bryan Clay and Allyson Felix announced they were part of the project, called “Project Believe.” Cyclist Kristin Armstrong had previously said she was asked to join a USADA pilot program.
“I know for me, anytime I get an opportunity to let someone know I’m clean, I take it,” said Clay, a decathlete. “USADA picked a few athletes that they’re going to test a whole lot. The goal is to prove we’re clean instead of dirty, and we want to be part of that.”
Clay said he first was tested under the auspices of the program before the world indoor championships last month.
“I’m anxious to let people know, ‘Hey, look, I’m clean. I’m the athlete you should be behind,’ ” he said. “I’m going to do it right so these things don’t happen.”
The program is being set up to augment the current system after the Beijing Olympics, a quest USADA has been charged with by the U.S. Olympic Committee, which established the independent agency in 2000.
A positive test produced under this program could, in theory, stand up as a true positive in the current anti-doping system.
