Olympics: Expert tips DNA route to cheating

LONDON - A new generation of "genetically modified" athletes, whose performance has been improved by the injection of undetectable foreign DNA, could be competing at next month's Olympics, according to a controversial new book.

Dr Andy Miah, a leading British scientist, argues that "gene doping" has now become a practical reality, paving the way for a new wave of Olympic cheats.

He claimed that athletes had already made contact with scientists at the forefront of GM research and even predicted that the eight-second 100 metres could be achievable within a few years.

"The issue of gene doping has been debated for the last two years or so. The question has always been: 'is it now, or is it in the future?'," said Dr Miah. "We know that scientists have been approached by unnamed athletes. Without a doubt, it is possible that there could be a genetically modified athlete at the Olympic Games this year."

Miah's allegations will cast yet another unwelcome shadow over preparations for the Athens Olympics, which begin on August 13. Organisers, athletes and fans were shocked by claims that Marion Jones took drugs to enhance her performance at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, at which she won three gold medals. Jones is one of 27 international athletes being investigated for using the previously undetectable steroid THG.

Gene doping, also undetectable at present, was considered by most experts to be a hypothetical threat. Many believed it would not register on the Olympic radar until the 2008 games in Beijing. As a result, Miah's claims will cause the International Olympic Committee serious concern.

The gene doping process, placed on the list of banned substances and methods by the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) last year, involves the transfer of extra genes into the body to build up areas such as muscle, tissue or red blood cells.

This is usually done by injecting, or sometimes inhaling, the DNA, usually "encapsulated" in a virus.

Contentiously, Miah's book, Genetically Modified Athletes, argues that gene doping could be a good thing for the future of sport.

"This is something that could be very positive for sport," said Miah, one of the country's leading bioethicists, with positions at Glasgow and Paisley universities. "The idea of a naturally perfect athlete is romantic nonsense. An athlete achieves what he or she achieves through all sorts of means - technology, sponsorship, support and so on. Utilising genetic modification is merely a continuation of the way sport works. It allows us to create more extraordinary performances."

These performances, Miah argues, could see world records crumble in the next few years.

"We'd expect people to perform better, run faster, jump higher and throw further than they are. For example, a 100m sprint in eight seconds, I guess, could be possible."

Dr Olivier Rabin, the science director of WADA, said the organisation had already assigned considerable resources to fighting gene doping.

"We know the principle works, and that it has already been applied in therapeutical settings," Rabin said.

"We also know it's going to happen in sport - when you look at the THG case you can see what some athletes are prepared to do in order to cheat and to win.

"Gene doping is professional malpractice and it is illegal - and that's why we're putting considerable resources into preparing to combat it."

UK Sport, the governing body for sport in Britain, said it also was looking into ways to fight gene doping.

"Gene doping is something that has been identified as a threat and research is going into it," said a spokesman.


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