Topic: News:3 Strikes & Out for Australia But No Stop in Sight

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Lifters to leave scandals behind
By Charisse Ede

AUSTRALIA'S weightlifters hope to put a tumultuous year involving doping allegations and bans behind them as they prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Australian weightlifting last year had its most successful Commonwealth Games, netting 10 medals and the overall Trafalgar Trophy.

But the success was marred by the launch of a major inquiry into doping within the sport following a string of positive drug results that tarnished its reputation.

The initial phase of the inquiry found an organised drug distribution racket was operating within the weightlifting community, and it resulted in two-year bans against four lifters.

Also, the Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority (ASADA) banned Australian junior coach Sevdalin Marinov for life after recording a second doping offence.

In addition, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) suspended its funding of the sport during the inquiry.

Australian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) chief executive Matthew Curtain said the last 12 months had been a challenge.

But Curtain said the ASADA investigation had now "all but concluded" that the AWF had been cleared, and they had entered into a joint eight-point action plan to tackle doping in sport.
The ASC had also restored its funding, he said.

"We have gone through a year of revision and we're rebuilding policies and frameworks to perform well at Beijing and the Commonwealth Games in (India), and hopefully looking towards serious medals in London (in 2012)," he said.

Curtain said no Australians are likely to qualify for the Beijing Games based on World Championship points so would have to qualify through the Oceania Championships in March next year, where Curtain said Australia's chances "are very good".

He said the best hopes in the men's competition were 2006 Commonwealth Games super heavyweight gold medallist Chris Rae, 69kg category 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ben Turner and super heavyweight silver medallist Damon Kelly.

In the women's, Curtain said 2006 Commonwealth Games 74kg+ gold medallist Deborah Lovely and 2002 Commonwealth Games 58kg triple bronze medallist Seen Lee were Australia's best contenders.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Report finds 24 sport anti-doping violations

An un-named swimmer and an athlete are among 24 Australian sportspeople who have recorded anti-doping violations in the past year.

The figures are in the first report from the Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority (ASADA), which was launched by the Government in March last year and given a range of new powers to crack down on drugs in sport.

In the register of findings for 2006-07 the 24 violations came from 12 different sports. Sixteen cases related to an adverse analytical finding and three for failing to provide a sample.

Weightlifting recorded six violations, while one swimmer tested positive to a diuretic and other masking agents out of competition in February. An athlete tested positive to an anabolic agent in competition last December.

Neither have been named as their hearings are still pending. Other prohibited substances detected included stimulants and cannabinoids.

[Jack Dluzen]

TIME TO TIE  ALL THE KANGAROOS DOWN AYE MATE ?

[Markus Demeglio]

As for it not being cheating to used banned substances because lots of people do it, I disagree. All the "elite" lifters may do it, depending on what you consider elite, but clearly some that could be elite choose not to cheat.

The thing about drugs is that its about money. China for example, pays large sums of money if you win, and even moreso if you set a record. Since most of those lifters come from poverty, it seems like a small price to pay to get you and your family out of it.

I firmly believe that even if all lifters were clean, you would still the same results. Guys like Reza would still dominate, the top 2 lifters would be at mercy of luck if theyre very close, etc. The only difference is that the totals wouldnt be as high.

This is why Reza doesnt do 600 on the CJ yet. Why set the record so high when he can keep establishing new records and hence get his bonus check?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

If the totals were lower, then we wouldn't see the same results.

[Markus Demeglio]

If the totals were lower, then we wouldn't see the same results.

Im referring to who steps on the podium.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Australian weightlifter Aleksan Karapetyn to keep Commonwealth gold

DISGRACED Australian weightlifter Aleksan Karapetyn can keep his Commonwealth Games gold medal and pursue his Olympic dream after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld his drug suspension.

Karapetyn was suspended for two years for the use of Benzylpiperazine (BZP) at the Mermet Cup weightlifting event held in the US on 24-26 June 2005.

But his sample wasn't tested until after the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) launched in enquiry into performance enhancing drugs in the sport last year.

ASADA back-dated his suspension until after his last competition, which was his gold medal effort at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, however WADA appealed the decision to CAS.

But CAS found that ASADA's decision to allow the Victorian to retain his gold medal as a matter of fairness was entirely appropriate given the facts of the case.

This means Karapetyn keeps his gold medal and his two-year ban will expire in late March next year.

The Australian weightlifting team for the Beijing Olympic Games won't be selected until the June 7 national trials in Melbourne and the 94kg champion is believed to be planning a return to competition.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Beijing-bound athletes to be drug tested

Every Australian athlete bound for the Beijing Olympics will be drug tested at least once and those in medal contention or competing in high risk sports will have their samples retained for up to eight years.

Under the new Pure Performance Program announced by Federal Sport Minister Kate Ellis on Thursday, up to 1,000 athletes will have blood and urine samples tested.

The doping program launched by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) will be among the most rigorous in the world.

Ms Ellis said up to 1,000 athletes would have blood and urine samples drug tested before the Beijing Olympics in August, with those in medal contention and high risk sports subjected to multiple testing.

High risk sports include swimming, track and field, cycling, baseball and weightlifting.

Samples from athletes in medal contention and high risk sports will be held for up to eight years in the ASADA deep freeze storage facility.

"They no longer simply have to cheat one test," she told reporters in Canberra.

"They have to cheat every test that maybe designed over the next eight years."

The AOC estimates it will take around 480 athletes to China when team selection is finalised in July.

AOC president John Coates said the new testing regime would be "a major deterrent".

"Knowing ASADA can go back and test for performance enhancing drugs eight years later will make anyone thinking of cheating nervous," he said.

A record 4,500 drug tests are expected to be carried out at the Beijing Games and there will be a sharp increase in pre-competition tests undertaken both within the Olympic venues and throughout the world.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will supervise the tests in conjunction with the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee.

The International Olympic Committee has promised "the provisions against doping in the WADA Code shall be scrupulously observed".