BEIJING — Officials of the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed athletes at the Beijing Olympics will be tested for illegal use of human growth hormone and say they are satisfied with the number of kits they have to administer the test.
A shortage of the kits since the Athens Olympics severely limited the number of tests that could be done for HGH after the initial manufacturer stopped making them. Another manufacturer was secured, but it took years to ramp up production of the kits in sufficient quantities to satisfy anti-doping agencies around the world.
WADA director general David Howman said today the kits for the Beijing Olympics were acquired “several months ago.”
Anti-doping protocols here will be conducted by the Beijing Olympic organizers and China’s anti-doping agency, with WADA monitoring the procedures. U.S. Anti-Doping chief executive Travis Tygart is a vice chairman of the group observing the process.
WADA president John Fahey hinted that the test for HGH has been improved from the one used in Athens four years ago.
“It’s not for me or anybody in WADA to alert those who may seek to cheat what it is they’re up against,” Fahey said. “I will say there have been significant developments in the detection of HGH in recent times, and there is a greater likelihood of HGH being detected, irrespective of when it might have been taken.”
Fahey said WADA remains concerned about the threat of gene doping but doesn’t believe it is being practiced yet.
