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sportsFriday 2 February 2018

WADA recommends IOC use old doping sample bottles in S.Korea

In this Dec. 12, 2016, file photo, the A and B sample bottles from the latest Berlinger Special enough of the 2016 doping vided by the same athlete.
sample bottles, which were The IOC said in a state-
BEREG-Kit for human urine doping testing stand posed for photographs in London. first used at the Rio Olym- ment it was “very con-
pics, to cover the entire cerned about this issue”
Associated Press testing program for the Py- and asked WADA to ensure
eongchang Games, which the integrity of testing in Py-
MONTREAL (AP) — The On Tuesday, the IOC said BEREG-KIT Geneva security start Feb. 9 in South Korea. eongchang.
“At this stage, our clear rec- “From the moment we
World Anti-Doping Agency it was “very concerned” bottles were “susceptible ommendation to the IOC is learned about it, we im-
that it continue to use the mediately turned to WADA
(WADA) has recommend- about claims the new to manual opening without earlier model, which is still and asked them to ensure
used by a number of test- that the anti-doping tests in
ed to the International sample bottles, provided evidence of tampering, ing authorities around the Pyeongchang can be con-
world. This should be seen ducted in a credible and
Olympic Committee that by Swiss manufacturer Ber- whether they have been as a precautionary mea- reliable way,” the IOC said
sure that guarantees the Tuesday. “WADA informed
it use 2016 doping sample linger, could be opened, frozen or not.” Those secu- integrity of the doping con- us that they were in con-
trol process at the games,” tact with the bottle manu-
bottles for the upcoming and the Swedish anti-dop- rity bottles were introduced WADA director general Ol- facturer Berlinger. We have
ivier Niggli said. full confidence in WADA
Winter Olympics after the ing agency said it would in September 2017. “For the longer term, WADA that they will find a solution
will continue to gather in- for this issue.” Peter Strom,
agency’s inquiry into the stop using them. After determining that some formation and explore solu- the acting manager of the
tions with Berlinger and oth- Swedish Sports Confedera-
2017 version showed the WADA said in a statement of the newer bottles could ers in order to maintain the tion’s anti-doping depart-
integrity of the process. Ber- ment, said his organization
bottles could be re-opened Wednesday it had con- be “manually opened af- linger has already agreed has stopped using the new
to restart production of the bottles. “Unfortunately, our
after a sample was pro- firmed that a proportion ter initial proper locking,” 2016 model pending other own tests showed that it is
development.” possible to open the con-
duced. of the new generation of WADA said it had sourced The newer doping bottles tainer for urine samples af-
were introduced last year ter they have been frozen
to increase security after without leaving any visible
investigators found Russians traces of manipulation,”
were able to surreptitiously Strom told Swedish broad-
open bottles at the Sochi caster SVT. “Because of
Olympics and exchange that we will stop all use of
dirty urine samples with these bottles in our tests un-
clean ones previously pro- til further notice.”q

Mass Start rivalries in time trial races,
there is little to see, since
Continued from Page 17 mula One,’” Mantia said In this Wednesday Sept. 27, 2017 file photo U.S. Olympic Winter they race in different lanes
during an interview at the Games long track speedskating hopeful Joey Mantia poses for all the time. Here it’s differ-
But as the 21st century Thialf oval in northern Neth- a portrait at the 2017 Team USA media summit in Park City, Utah. ent. Blondin is known not
butted in with its in-your- erlands. “It’s pretty simple: to get along with Irene
face Olympic additions you have instant gratifi- Associated Press Schouten of the Nether-
like snowboarding and cation in terms of who is lands. “We don’t really see
jazzed-up forms of skiing across line — first, second, said 2016 world champion “And neither do I, so in a eye to eye, so it makes
like skicross and slopestyle, third is gold, silver, bronze. Ivanie Blondin of Canada. way it is kind of a free-for- things a little bit more in-
speedskating could not That’s it.” She explained the atti- all.” In short, she said, “there teresting.” And where the
stay behind. “There is no waiting for 25, tude going round the oval. kinda are no rules.” other events are carefully
It needed a serious dose 30 minutes to see who else “There’s girls grabbing How bad is it really? “If you honed disciplines with a
of cool, the complaints of is going to do the time trial you,” she said. “When they like body check someone minimum of interference in
boring races and predict- and how is it going to un- are passing you on the out- or if you do make someone their specific lanes, massive
able winners mounting fold,” he said. side, or on the inside, they fall, then you can get dis- upsets are rare.
at every Olympics. Critics And for all the compari- will grab your hips and push qualified. But I have yet to In mass starts, though, who
said 10,000-meter races sons to Rollerball, the ultra- them back. And they don’t see someone get disquali- knows who will win, es-
taking 13-plus minutes be- violent 1975 sci-fi movie ac- get disqualified for that,” fied for a fall.” pecially in its first showing
tween two racers only to tually set in 2018, there will she said. And when there are hot since the 1932 Games in
be followed by more of the be no James Caan skating Lake Placid.
same for the best time of a past bodies. The World Cup standings
session was just too much. Sometimes, the race can offer some guidance with
So now, you get a pack be lulled into a tactical Lee Seung-hoon of South
of racers, let them rev up, stalemate where skaters Korea winning two of three
race for seven to eight weave slowly across the races and Francesca Lollo-
minutes, and get first to the ice before suddenly one brigida of Italy leading the
line. racer bursts free on an at- women’s standings.
“This will get people look- tempted getaway. But what counts a great
ing at long-track and say, With all skaters chasing in deal in such races is self-
‘OK this is a little bit like For- a pack it can get hairy, confidence verging on
cockiness. q