UKAD boss warns of 2012 doping threat 16/12/2009 |
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The head of Britain’s new anti-doping agency has warned that sport faces an uphill battle against performance-enhancing drugs in the run up to London 2012.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) chief executive Andy Parkinson says the pace of change in the drug world, coupled with the pressure on British athletes to perform at their home Olympics, means the new organisation is in for a difficult two-and-a-half years.
“The best we can hope for is to only be one step behind,” he told Reuters. “It’s hard for us to keep pace with the cheats but our focus is to make it so difficult for those who want to make money out of doping in sport and those wanting to cheat that they will go and find something else to do.
“With 2012 around the corner, the pressure on young athletes is tremendous, not only to win medals but just to get to the start line. We would be naive to think that no athletes will consider that option.
“It’s going to be very difficult to stay ahead of the suppliers and dopers but we have to make a culture where we don’t tolerate it.
“That should have two impacts: firstly we will make sure we have a clean British team in 2012 and competitors coming from overseas will realise that it’s not a risk worth taking coming to 2012 with doping substances.”
Parkinson revealed that UKAD would be using every possible tactic to catch drug cheats.
“In early 2010 we will set up a much more visible hotline where athletes can phone anonymously and provide us with intelligence that we can use,” he added.
“One of the frustrations not just in the UK but worldwide is the lack of info we get from the sporting environment.
“We believe the most useful intelligence we get is tip-offs from the people who are competing.”
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