EPO test 'almost obsolete'

The urine test used to detect artificial EPO will soon be obsolete, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

WADA voted on Monday to back the International Olympic Committee's combined blood-and-urine EPO test.

But the advent of new forms of the banned endurance-boosting hormone has led to calls for a new testing procedure.

And WADA is keen to do further research on a simple blood test that would detect the external use of EPO, even if it resembled the body's natural EPO.

New methods

"The current method is interesting but almost obsolete," said Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the IOC's medical commission.

"But nowadays there are new kinds of EPO that require new tests.

"We can imagine that those who want to cheat will not use methods which are almost obsolete but use new methods.

"Better test methods could find more positive cases."