Thu, Apr 14, 2011 page19

• China denies meat is unsafe for athletes to eat

  • Reuters, BEIJING and SEOUL
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  China has hit back at a report advising foreign athletes to avoid eating meat in the country because of what it said were increased risks of unintentional doping.

  Germany’s anti-doping agency (NADA) said there was a higher risk in China and Mexico of accidental doping and potential failed drug tests.

  The report cited the alleged risks of the banned anabolic substance clenbuterol, which can be used to speed up and increase muscle mass in animals.

  NADA subsequently warned German athletes visiting China to avoid eating meat where possible.

  However, China Anti-Doping Agency deputy director Zhao Jian told the China Daily that the Germans were overreacting.

  “Foreign athletes should be assured about the quality of food offered in China,” he said.

  “All food purchased for big sports events is closely examined,” he said, towing a line China was forced to repeat frequently in the build-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “There is also nothing to be afraid of for Chinese athletes, as domestic teams always train together and the food supplied for the training base is strictly inspected.”

  “China annually holds 100 to 200 domestic and international sports events,” Zhou said. “The problem would have been exposed long before if any food was contaminated.”

  “We select 1,500 athletes at random for drug-testing every year and the results rarely appear positive,” he said.

  Zhao did acknowledge, however, the existence of illegal methods to feed animals, but dismissed its significance.

  “There are some Chinese dealers who use illegal additives to feed animals and the substance might be left in the meat, but the chances of this leading to a positive drug test are very small,” he said.

  Zhao accused NADA of singling out China and cast doubt on the scientific basis of their claims.

  “Food contamination is a worldwide problem,” he said. “Any people or organizations should produce authoritative reports when evaluating food safety in another country, instead of misleading athletes with simple and separate statistics.”

  Meanwhile, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has agreed to adopt a set of guidelines that will determine whether female athletes with excessive levels of male hormones can compete in women’s events.

  The world athletics’ governing body said in a statement the guidelines were the culmination of an 18-month study of hyperandrogenism and had been drawn up by IAAF experts working closely with the International Olympic Committee’s medical commission.

  Higher levels of androgens are what give men an advantage in sport, which is why men and women compete separately.

  The gender issue has been a hot topic since South Africa’s world 800m champion Caster Semenya was banned from competition -following gender verification tests in August 2009.

  She was cleared to return by the IAAF in July last year.

  The IAAF Council, meeting in Daegu, South Korea ahead of the world championships later this year, said female athletes with the condition could still compete in women’s events providing the levels of androgens were below the male range.

  However, there is some leeway for a female athlete presenting levels in the male range as long as she has “an androgen resistance, which means that she derives no competitive advantage from such levels.”

  The IAAF said it had set up a panel of experts to independently review cases and make recommendations and the medical process would be conducted under strict confidentiality.

  An athlete who chooses not to cooperate or fails to comply with the process will not be allowed to compete, it said. The new regulations will come into force on May 1.
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