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WADA: New steroid profiling program

JOHANNESBURG — A new urine test designed to catch athletes who take steroids is to be introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency next year and will be used at the World Cup in Brazil.

WADA called it “the twin” of the blood profiling currently system used in the athletes’ biological passport system. It will allow anti-doping authorities to build a profile of a person’s steroid levels from urine samples and to identify any changes — in a similar way that changes in blood may indicate doping.

WADA said Tuesday the new technique will particularly target testosterone and will “complement” the biological passport. It can be used from Jan. 1, WADA President John Fahey said, announcing the introduction of the “steroidal module” at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in South Africa.

FIFA will be one of the first federations to use it. The world football body said later Tuesday it’ll be part of its drug testing at next year’s World Cup.

“FIFA and WADA will ensure the best possible analysis of urine and blood samples and the proper implementation of the new strategy in the fight against doping by means of the steroid module,” FIFA said.

The steroid technique had been developed alongside the current blood module but then fell behind, Fahey said. Blood profiling has been in use since 2008.

Blood profiling has had success in detecting the use of the blood-boosting drug EPO and led to the banning of a number of cyclists. It is currently used by around 35 sports, WADA says.

WADA has also developed a mobile App that allows athletes to give their whereabouts to anti-doping agencies through their cellphones or other devices so they don’t miss out-of-competition tests. The new App will be available from next month.

 

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press