More from Roald Bahr
http://www.sportsci.org/jour/9804/inbrief.html
SKELETON IN THE FREEZER
Stephen Seiler PhD, Institute for Sport, Agder College, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway. Email: stephen.seiler=AT=hia.no. Sportscience 2(4), sportsci.org/jour/9804/brief.html#freeze, 1998 (338 words)
If Professor Roald Bahr of the Norwegian University of Sport has his way, that skeleton would take the form of an extra blood sample drawn from athletes during testing for illegal but currently undetectable substances such as injected erythropoietin (EPO). The idea is to create a so-called C sample.
Currently, cross-country skiers and professional cyclists in theory give two blood samples: the A sample, which is analyzed immediately, and the B sample, which serves as a verification sample in the event of an initial positive. Bahr suggests that a third sample should be drawn and deep frozen immediately for later analysis when new, more advanced detection techniques are developed. He argues that the increased threat of being retroactively caught for doping months or even years later would serve as an added deterrent against the use of EPO and other substances that currently cannot be detected in a judicially air-tight manner. Today, a "positive" EPO test is based on hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit being over a pre-defined limit. Because of the uncertainty of this indirect method, athletes testing positive are merely denied participation until they are back to a legal level.
Olympic gold medalist cross-country skiers Thomas Alsgaard and Vegard Ulvang (retired) approve of the idea of a C sample. According to Alsgaard, "All methods that scare are positive. A lot of substances are currently used that the doping-hunters don't even know about." Ulvang is now engaged at the international administrative level by FIS, the International Ski Federation. He adds, "A very clever suggestion. This can scare someone from doing something illegal." The suggestion has also drawn support from the Norwegian cycling community, including newly-crowned U-23 world time trial champion Thor Hushovd. The suggestion is currently under political and judicial evaluation by the Norwegian Sports Federation.
Meanwhile, international steeplechaser Jim Svenøy also welcomes a C sample, but points out the question is moot within track and field. The International Amateur Athletic Federation does not employ blood testing at all, despite suspicions that EPO is widely used among distance runners.