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Michael Phelps volunteered to submit to additional rounds of testing done to check for doping
Eight-times-golden Phelps turns cynics inside-out
The idea was to help regain public confidence in Olympics sports by having premier athletes go through far more rigorous testing than the industry standard.
Only once in Phelps' many press conferences this week did the subject come up, and it was the only time Phelps expressed a little defiance.
"They can say what they want -- I am clean," he said. "I did Project Believe with USADA, where I purposely wanted to do more tests to prove that. People can question all they want, but the facts are facts and I have the results to prove it."
It's true that no testing system is perfect, and the cheaters are usually ahead of the cops. But for Phelps to volunteer for additional rounds of intrusions -- peeing naked regularly in front of strangers can only be Borat's idea of fun -- is not only annoying, it's risky. No pharmaceutical hack supplying him can know when a good test for a previously undetectable drug or masking agent will be deployed.
It's a risk taken far more often in Olympic sports by kids desperate to make a team, or vets desperate to hang on. Phelps is in a prime never seen before, and risks not only destruction of his career, but significant damage to his sport by cheating.
http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/vi...
US Anti-Doping Agency details 'Project Believe' testing
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 01:38:00 04/26/2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado--US Anti-Doping Agency officials unveiled details Friday behind their extensive extra-testing program for certain American competitors ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Sprinter Allyson Felix and decathlete Brian Clay revealed last week they were part of what they called "Project Believe," a long-term voluntary testing program from USADA involving blood and urine samples.
US swim star Michael Phelps, looking to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals, reportedly is also among 12 participants in the program.
"In order to prevail in the fight against doping in sport, we must continually refine and explore new, credible measures that can be introduced to our program," USADA chief executive officer Travis T. Tygart said.
"Our efforts have as much to do with protecting the health and well-being of the overwhelming majority of athletes who compete clean as catching and sanctioning the few who unfortunately break the rules."
To that end, USADA has started extra testing to form baseline body chemistry figures for certain US competitors, what USADA called "focused sample collections in sports with the highest risk of potential doping."
Blood and urine testing includes the latest available tests for human growth hormone, EPO and synthetic testosterone.
Eight-times-golden Phelps turns cynics inside-out
Only once in Phelps' many press conferences this week did the subject come up, and it was the only time Phelps expressed a little defiance.
"They can say what they want -- I am clean," he said. "I did Project Believe with USADA, where I purposely wanted to do more tests to prove that. People can question all they want, but the facts are facts and I have the results to prove it."
It's true that no testing system is perfect, and the cheaters are usually ahead of the cops. But for Phelps to volunteer for additional rounds of intrusions -- peeing naked regularly in front of strangers can only be Borat's idea of fun -- is not only annoying, it's risky. No pharmaceutical hack supplying him can know when a good test for a previously undetectable drug or masking agent will be deployed.
It's a risk taken far more often in Olympic sports by kids desperate to make a team, or vets desperate to hang on. Phelps is in a prime never seen before, and risks not only destruction of his career, but significant damage to his sport by cheating.
http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/vi...
US Anti-Doping Agency details 'Project Believe' testing
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 01:38:00 04/26/2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado--US Anti-Doping Agency officials unveiled details Friday behind their extensive extra-testing program for certain American competitors ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Sprinter Allyson Felix and decathlete Brian Clay revealed last week they were part of what they called "Project Believe," a long-term voluntary testing program from USADA involving blood and urine samples.
US swim star Michael Phelps, looking to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals, reportedly is also among 12 participants in the program.
"In order to prevail in the fight against doping in sport, we must continually refine and explore new, credible measures that can be introduced to our program," USADA chief executive officer Travis T. Tygart said.
"Our efforts have as much to do with protecting the health and well-being of the overwhelming majority of athletes who compete clean as catching and sanctioning the few who unfortunately break the rules."
To that end, USADA has started extra testing to form baseline body chemistry figures for certain US competitors, what USADA called "focused sample collections in sports with the highest risk of potential doping."
Blood and urine testing includes the latest available tests for human growth hormone, EPO and synthetic testosterone.
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