We’re clean: No drug positives at Riccione worlds
World Masters Athletics conducts drug tests of a few dozen athletes at its world championships, and the 2007 affair in Riccione was no exception. Lately, stories have circulated that American M40 hurdle champion David Ashford made a comical effort to avoid testing. But the official bottom line is that his test — and all other tests at Riccione — came up negative. Here’s a note I just received from Stan Perkins of Australia, chairman of WMA’s Anti-Doping and Medical Committee: “In respect of the WMA Stadia Championships held in Riccione, Italy, I can advise that the testing program was completed in every respect by the testing authorities. I do not reveal the details of individual athletes who were selected for testing but can report that I was advised that one athlete selected for testing received medical treatment before undertaking his doping test.â€
In his note, addressed to WMA Secretary Winston Thomas in Britain and copied to several people including myself, Stan continued:
A member of the testing panel remained with the athlete (receiving medical treatment) at all times and the athlete was kept under observation the entire time.
All athletes selected for testing submitted to the tests and fully complied with all of the requirements of such testing.
In fact, it is worth noting that the person in charge of the testing team specifically informed me that the level of co-operation and standard of conduct of the athletes who undertook the testing was the best that his team had ever experienced.
He reported that there had been no problems encountered at all during the entire competition. It is also my understanding that all samples have now been processed and that all tests were negative.
That’s wonderful news.
Although only a tiny fraction of the 9,000 entrants faced testing at worlds, it’s a relief to learn that the ones selected for urinalysis (under a protocol that remains secret) came up clean.
I’m also grateful that WMA issued this bill of health publicly — rather than let rumors fester.
I had written more than a dozen people, and Stan’s was the first official acknowledgment that drug-testing had turned up nothing.
On to Clermont, France!
One Response
I would like to make one clarification. There was no effort on David Ashford’s part to avoid his drug test. I was David’s official witness for his drug test and was with him the entire time.
The facts of the matter are that David hurt himself while winning his hurdle final. He was in pretty severe pain and wanted to get medical treatment as quickly as possible. However, the officials did not want to administer any medical treatment until after his drug test. I pointed out to Phil, our Team Manager, that under World Anti-Doping Association rules, the athlete may receive medical treatment FIRST.
David could not even WALK immediately after his injury and getting to the drug testing area was a feat in itself. That being said, when you say things like, “stories have circulated that American M40 hurdle champion David Ashford made a comical effort to avoid testing”, it automaticaly throws a cloud of suspicion where there should none.
Our sport is tainted enough without additional innuendo.
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