Drug tests in NZ seem to be deterring cheats

By TERRY MADDAFORD

New Zealand's great record in stamping out drug cheats is getting even better.

In the year to June, only one positive test - a minor caffeine offence by a powerlifter - was returned from the 951 tests taken from New Zealand sportsmen and women in 41 sports.

There were also three bans of up to two years for three speedway competitors and one from volleyball (15 months) for failure to provide a sample.

The tests since the programme began in 1994-95 now total almost 4000 with only 49 (1.25 per cent) producing a positive or refusal.

In a report to be released today, the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency reported a five year low of just 0.63 per cent (including the refusals) in 1998-99 year.

As part of the International Anti-doping Arrangement (Iada), the New Zealand agency, and similar bodies in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Britain, is regarded as a pace-setter in the fight against drugs in sport.

The work of New Zealand and other Iada members is providing the ground rules for a new World Anti-Doping Agency(Wada) which is being established independently of the International Olympic Committee.

Top United States anti-drugs chief General Barry McCaffrey had been sceptical over whether the new agency, established with the support of many international sports ministries, could be genuinely independent.

McCaffrey and IOC boss Juan Antonio Samaranch yesterday agreed that the new agency should use established international standards as promoted by New Zealand and other Iada countries for drug testing.

"The use of performance-enhancing drugs is bad for health, bad for sport, bad for our youth and bad for international relations," said McCaffrey.

He and Samaranch agreed on worldwide government participation in the new body and said four seats on the Wada board should go to athletes and most proceedings should be public.

Determined to ensure that the standards set in this country are maintained, the New Zealand agency is seeking further government funding.

"Ideally we should target our top athletes, testing them at least twice a year and perhaps up to four times if circumstances so dictate," said NZSDA chief Graeme Steel.

He is happy with the new New Zealand Olympic Committee policy of selecting only athletes who have been in the testing programme for at least six months before the Games.

"But this means athletes who do not make their whereabouts known to the agency, through their national body, are in danger of falling off the agency programme and thereby becoming ineligible for selection."

Steel is justifiably proud of the agency's record in the fight against drugs.

"You either do it properly or not at all," he said. "We are continuing our 'no notice' testing - simply turning up on a doorstep for out-of-competition tests. We used to give up to 24 hours' notice for such tests."

Steel is encouraged by the ongoing move towards blood testing in the fight against erythropoietin (EPO) and growth hormone but doubts whether the tests will be sufficiently well tested to be available in time for the Sydney Olympics next year.