OC’s Rogge sees threat in designer steroids

The discovery of a new designer steroid shows anti-doping authorities need better intelligence-gathering, the International Olympic Committee president said on Tuesday.

Jacques Rogge praised the anonymous tipster who alerted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to the sophisticated steroid that appears to have been specially designed to evade the drug tests now conducted on athletes.

“I think it (the tip) was a step in the right direction, but, having said that, the fight against doping will be eternal,” Rogge said in Vancouver where he is touring the site of the 2010 Winter Games.

Montreal-based WADA said on Tuesday the new steroid, desoxy-methyl-testosterone (DMT), was among the most sophisticated substances yet discovered by testers, and that laboratories would now be able to detect it.

The drug, which aims to artificially boost strength and stamina, was seized by Canadian customs officials on the Canada-U.S. border last year.

Rogge said WADA needs to improve its intelligence-gathering activities so that authorities can be tipped-off to future designer steroids.

“These are potential drugs that are produced in illegal labs, with very good scientists, unfortunately,” Rogge said.

Provided by ArmMed Media
Revision date: July 9, 2011
Last revised: by Sebastian Scheller, MD, ScD