LONDON — A recently approved test to detect the use of synthetic human growth hormone will be used at the London Olympics, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday.
David Howman, director general of WADA, said the new test can detect HGH use “within weeks.” The first HGH test, which was introduced at the 2004 Athens Olympics, could detect use only “within hours.” Only of handful of athletes have been caught by use of the old test.
“It’s a very significant step, and it’s a very helpful one,” Howman said. “We’ve just got to make sure it works, and those who are using HGH and getting away with it — and have been for ages — are caught.”
Known as biomarker test, the new blood test was first developed in 1999 but only recently received final approval.
“One, the project wasn’t funded for a while,” Howman said. “Two, the results that came from the initial research weren’t very satisfactory. It’s taken a while. Science takes longer than you want.”
Despite the delay, Howman said WADA has confidence in the new test.
“It’s good science, and we wouldn’t have had it approved or put into place unless we were happy with it,” Howman said. “It differentiates between the human growth hormone which is produced naturally in your body and that which has been introduced by artificial means.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616, jmeyer@denverpost.com or
