The entire South African Olympic and Paralympic squads competing at this year’s Athens competition will for the first time be tested for drugs, said the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport on Wednesday.
”We prefer to weed out any potential drug cheats before the event,” said Daphne Bradbury, the institute’s CEO.
She said in the past, the institute only tested a representative sample of paralympic athletes, but this year every member will be tested.
Bradbury said the institute has been testing at all the training camps, as well as out of competition.
She said the institute has also been testing for the designer steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone), which was specifically produced as a ”sport-enhancing drug”.
So far no South African has tested positive for this.
Bradbury said this year athletes will probably also be tested for HGH (human growth hormone), with approval pending from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Bradbury stressed the importance of individual athletes taking responsibility for what can and cannot be taken.
The National Olympic Committee of South Africa and six Olympic sports federations will be announcing the names of athletes who will represent South Africa at the 2004 Athens Olympics later on Wednesday. — Sapa