Cheater, Marion Jones, passed 160 tests while doping - Dick Pound wants an audit done to find out why and how

Corruption by US doping agencies? Incompetence? Masking agents? perhaps her chemicals was completely off the radar? Dick Pound wants to know!

From The Australian: "...
“As for the rest, well, we will see... I'm not happy to hear that someone who had that many tests was a user for that many years,” added Pound.

[...] Jones had long been a target for Pound's accusations that she had been taking drugs but she always denied doing so, causing the many members of the American media to accuse the 65-year-old Canadian lawyer of embarking on a witch-hunt.

However, her confession last month vindicated Pound. ..." [Link]

Here is a direct link to the photo on the left from The Jeff Selis photo stream at Flickr.com [Link]

WADA to develop test to detect 'gene tweaking'

Imagine you're a cheater and you want to rearrange your DNA so as to increase your VO2 max, or perhaps tweaking your genes to overly produce the PEPC-K enzyme like that freak mouse I blogged about? [Link]

WADA is on to you and within 5-years; according to Dick Pound, WADA will have a test that will discover the extent of such gene "doping." Here is a snippet from the article:

"..."We are working with them (scientists) to have a non-invasive (test) ready by the time these techniques are being used," Pound said, telling the paper he was convinced scientists would make genetic manipulation an option for athletes in five to six years. ..." [Link]

My take is that gene tweaking won't work. Sure you may get immediate results but our internal systems are so complicated and so harmoniously aligned that any agitation will either alter or off set any number of important cellular processes. Natural selection has had 4-million years to make us the way we are, I predict that 'gene doping' may turn athletes into brands of Blade Runner 'replicants' or super humans; but to quote a central character from the Ridley Scott film regarding the consequences of creating such 'uber-people', "The candle that burns twice as bright only lasts half as long."

Below is a scene from an animated movie illustrating how complicated a simple white blood cell is. If you want to see something quite remarkable check out the animation, Cellular Visions: The Inner Life of a Cell at the Studio Daily website. [Link]

The animation just illustrates some of the processes involved as to how a white blood cell works. A cell is as complicated and as industrious as a large metropolitan city with just as much 'business' going on therein. To alter just one process therein could create a domino effect of tragic proportions.

Sigh! Our sport, among many others, is awash in dope

WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) to target drug suppliers. From Sports Illustrated:

• ... Howman praised Operation Gear Grinder, in which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2005 shut down eight companies illegally producing anabolic steroids in Mexico. The DEA has since been working with WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Howman said. [Link]

From a link I found on, Timed Finals, to The Daily Telegraph which mentioned that Australian swimmers have be warned about some "fishy" levels of testosterone in their bodies:

• In a significant development in the Ian Thorpe drug investigation, The Saturday Daily Telegraph has learned the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency issued warnings to star athletes over high testosterone levels. [Link]

This article breaks down how the Conte/BALCO steroid ring was broken up with a reference to, Matt Biondi, who NEVER doped, but endorsed BALCO in the 1980's after taking their magnesium supplements only. His endorsement brought early fame to the group who later used his endorsement for credibility concerns.

In the 1990's BALCO morphed into a de facto steroid ring hiring a chemist back east to create a steroid called the "The Clear" which was undetectable till a syringe was found and sent to WADA so the chemical therein could be cataloged and deciphered.

• Moriarity traces the beginning of the end for BALCO to August 2002 when cyclist Tammy Thomas was busted with so much extra testosterone racing around in her system that she had a 5 o'clock shadow, a hint of an Adam's apple and chest hair.

• But what was really surprising was the presence in her test of a steroid called norbolethone, which was not then being marketed by legitimate commercial labs. [Link]

An article about Ian Thorpe controversy from FOX News Australia and a direct quote from Dick Pound, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency regarding Chinese testing:

• Thorpe has been asked for a "please explain" by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority on abnormal levels of testosterone after a sample taken 12 months ago. ...

• "In Australia, which has 20 million inhabitants, they did 8000 tests during 2005 and China did about the same number," Pound said. "Proportionately, our view was that was not adequate on the part of the Chinese." [Link]

*The pictue above is a model of a testosterone molecule