Compulsory blood-testing?

With the drug problem this serious many have called for a major blitz.

New plans to introduce compulsory blood testing, traditionally resisted by sports authorities, to replace the unreliable urine samples are gathering pace.

But unexpectedly perhaps the tide may be turning towards a more accepting stance on drugs.

Juan Antonio Samaranch, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, has suggested that the list of banned drugs be slashed, with only harmful substances outlawed.

His comments have attracted disbelief from those who believe that drugs in sport undermine the fairness of competition.

But others believe that allowing drugs into sport is as natural as accepting singers and film stars who benefit from drugs.

Wilf Paish, the British coach who helped Tessa Sanderson win an Olympic gold medal, says sport is entertainment and we should not care whether our sports stars use them.

He has said: "We should see drug-taking as an acceptable way of enhancing performance in sport."

There is also greater resignation that with the advanced techniques used to cover drug use and the expense of meaningful testing, traces found cannot be proven.

A turning point in this argument came in the Winter Olympics in February.

Ross Rebagliati, a Canadian snowboarder, was stripped of his gold medal when traces of marijuana, considered by many sports-people not to be performance enhancing, was found in his urine.

The medal was reinstated. The IOC did not have enough proof that some of the marijuana was not passively consumed and the limitations of drug testing were clear to all.

Others fight against drugs

Despite such calls for a relaxation of drug prohibition, many believe that drug-free sport is worth fighting for.

The British athlete Diane Modahl, who is still fighting to clear her name after accusations of drug use four years ago, said: "Sports is about being the best you can be as an individual."

Simon Clegg, of the British Olympic Association, has also pledged to stand firm on drugs.

He said: "We must invest in anti-dopng systems and ensure the cheats are caught."

The desire to win is pushing athletes to train and compete ever more ferociously, driven by money and sponsorship that have turned even previously amateur sports like athletics into big business

But with that pressure drugs have become a natural part of competition for some, and an ever more acceptable alternative for others.

When the IOC gathers in January for a major drugs conference, it looks as though the battle against illegal doping may not be as hard fought as once before.

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