Kamloops Daily News quotes tight-lipped WMA leader on drug case
Stan Perkins
Here’s the story for posterity, in case the link goes bye:
Participant in World Masters Kamloops event tests positive for banned drug
May 28,2010By MICHELE YOUNG
Daily News Staff ReporterOfficials with the World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships are looking into a positive drug test for one of the athletes who competed in Kamloops in March.
Stan Perkins, president of World Masters Athletics, confirmed in an email this week that one of the participants — not believed to be a local athlete — had a positive test result.
“The matter is still being investigated and whilst some decisions have apparently been made, there are still other matters to be determined,” he said.
“Until such time as there is a definitive outcome and all matters have been finalized, I am not at liberty to make any announcement.”
Perkins did say any positive result is a disappointment to the organization.
“We will continue to work on education and ensuring athlete awareness of the anti-doping processes that apply in our sport.”
The World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships were held at the Tournament Capital Centre March 1 to 6. It was the first time the event took place in North America and involved athletes aged 35 to 96 from 62 countries.
Local organizer Bob Cowden was unaware of the drug issue until contacted by a blogger and The Daily News Wednesday.
“We would have no way of knowing,” he said. “It’s a function of WMA, the parent organization.”
The local organizing committee is strictly in charge of providing a secure, private space for drug testing at the event, he said.
“I had to supply the fellow who oversaw the program with a lock and key for the facility it was done in so it was totally private,” he said.
“Beyond that, we have absolutely no component of the drug testing.”
The drug testing is done by an independent organization. It goes to their lab for analysis. Any report on drug testing would go back to the parent organization, which would be World Masters Athletics, Cowden said.
“They wouldn’t even report back to us. It would be at the parent body level.”
I’m not sure why Michele didn’t name Geraldine as the “positive drug case,” since her name has been reported on Irish sites, and she’s already admitted to being the one in question. But it’s still revealing that WMA doesn’t have a handle on this.
Stay tuned.
One Response
How long should an athlete whose test is “positive” have to wait whilst the WMA has made some unannounced decisions but other matters are to be determined?
The longer the delays, the more likely that the final decisions will depend on a multitude of bureaucratic and political pressures rather than recognition of the medical issues which confront men and women as they age.
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