ITF respond to call for more blood testing

[*Sparkle*]

Following on from comments by top players, particularly Murray and Federer for the need of more blood testing, it looks as if ITF may be planning something. It's still quite vague, and they are making out it's something they were already working on, but they are also making excuses about resources, which isn't very compelling, so we'll see. However, it is at least a public acknowledgement that they should be doing more, and could see the introduction of biological passports.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1226516916813

This has been knocking about all day, so I'm surprised that no-one has posted about it yet, but then I remembered that most of the posters obsessed with doping seem to enjoy throwing accusations and complaining about everyone else being naive, and seemed more annoyed than pleased when some of the players started to take the subject seriously themselves.

Murray did say that there had been a lot more blood testing this year (2012), which he assumed to be associated with the Olympics, but being generous, maybe the ITF were hoping to get some kind of programme and a bit of data together before making grand announcements about stepping things up. Maybe they didn't want to make any announcement, because raising the issue only encourages people to think that it might be an issue.

IMO, ITF need to make a commitment to spending more money on quality and timely testing and aiming for biological passports sooner rather than later.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no evidence that doping is widespread in tennis, but equally there's scant evidence that it's wholly clean. It's never going to be possible to absolutely prove it, but for the sake of the (clean) players, they need to at least have data to refer to. If there were any clean cyclists during Lance Armstrong's hayday, they are going to suffer guilt by association through no fault of their own. It's about protecting the clean player's image as much as it is about keeping the actual game fair.

It's been talked about so much lately as being easy to dope that it's almost inviting underachieving players to think it's the next logical step. ITF need to make a stance now to make sure it's only a minority that think it's essential/worth the risk or doping in tennis could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Ms Nadal]

The Lance Armstrong story has made all the other sports take note. The cheats do need to be weeded out.

[Clarky21]

Good. The drug testing in tennis is pathetic as it is right now.

[Murrayfan31]

lol Poor Nadal.

[The Bawss]

Looks like Djokovic will be serving a silent ban soon enough.

[vive le beau jeu !]

Originally Posted by Murrayfan31

lol Poor Nadal.

the rusty peak injured golden bull is already preparing his blood sample... how humble.

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by The Bawss

Looks like Djokovic will be serving a silent ban soon enough.

Hopefully.

[zebedee]

The UCI have been using the biological passport for blood since 2008 but is there any evidence this has solved the problem of blood doping in pro cycling? Cynics say most definitely not. I think the bio passport may help to contain tennis doping as it's a solid measure where no solid measure currently exists in tennis and it will make it more difficult for tennis players to dope, but determined cheats will soon find a way round it. By some accounts pro cyclists already have.

[*Sparkle*]

It's never going to put some people off, but the consequences of getting caught are huge for any top player, so you'd think they'd want to play things safe. I wouldn't be confident that even the supposed top drugging doctors could know for sure that their regimes will always beat the system, especially if samples are kept for eight years as they do at the Olympics.

Some will still take the risk, but I think it's inevitable that if testing improves, even the heaviest dopers would reign it in a bit, even if it was just for a while.

[dudeski]

Well there goes any chance of Nadal winning titles again.

[zebedee]

Keeping samples for eight years will have no effect if players work out ways of blood doping while keeping haematocrit within range by microdosing. The traces disappear quickly and completely so glow time is too short to be picked up. If you accept Ashendon's thesis on Contador, what the Spanish cyclist was actually doing was blood doping rather than doping with the clenbuterol that was found in trace quantity only in his system.

The ITF will need some good experts of Ashendon's calibre to back the bio-passport up. And where's the money coming from to do all this? Any prize money confiscated from cheats ought by right to go straight into the tennis anti-doping pot. Consideration should also be given to an additional financial sanction, heavy enough so the message goes out loud and clear that doping does not pay and will cost you dearly. At the moment doping pays very nicely, thank you very much.

[sureshs]

Nadal is completely clean. His detractors are jealous of his muscles and his ability to destroy Federer at will.

[Ralph]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Nadal is completely clean. His detractors are jealous of his muscles and his ability to destroy Federer at will.

A great deal of your 20,000 plus posts talk of Federer.

When will you cease the smoke screen and get over the man crush?

[sureshs]

Well, why do posters here immediately mention Nadal in any doping thread? They have no evidence. This kind of slander has been going on for a long time.

[Ralph]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Well, why do posters here immediately mention Nadal in any doping thread? They have no evidence. This kind of slander has been going on for a long time.

I've no idea why. Still, you must not complain, for it's given you the chance to mention he for who you have a twinkle in the eye! Is it the way he plays with his hair?

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Ralph

I've no idea why. Still, you must not complain, for it's given you the chance to mention he for who you have a twinkle in the eye! Is it the way he plays with his hairy butt?

That is not nice

[3fees]

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Thanks, Asterix): "...I regret there is not many blood tests...When I hear some people's statements after the end of their career... I don't want to be a part of the debate. My impression is that we'll never know."

This now makes 5 of the ATP's top ten players asking for an increase in blood testing: Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Tsonga, and Gasquet. What does the ITF have to say?

http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.com/

[Ralph]

Originally Posted by sureshs

That is not nice

I see what you did there, and I like it

[chrisberchris]

So what will happen if say a Grand Slam winner is found to be doping and it is proven that he was doping when he won the title? Does the finalist become the winner? I am glad that they are starting to become more attentive to the problem. I think we all will be surprised at names named, and names not named. I just hope it does not tarnish the image of tennis, and taint players that I love.

[Clarky21]

Originally Posted by chrisberchris

So what will happen if say a Grand Slam winner is found to be doping and it is proven that he was doping when he won the title? Does the finalist become the winner? I am glad that they are starting to become more attentive to the problem. I think we all will be surprised at names named, and names not named. I just hope it does not tarnish the image of tennis, and taint players that I love.

You would like 7 more slam trophies on Fed's mantel,huh? Lol.