Guidelines Will Help Make It Possible for Athletes to Win on Talent, Not Drugs

Sadly, the rate of drug use in sports today has reached the point where it jeopardizes the integrity of athletics and the safety of competitors. Young people who want to compete fairly fear they stand no chance against cheaters who will accept any cost, even death or injury, to win.

Consequently, every victory is subject to skepticism. Drug-using athletes are capable of setting records that honest human performance cannot beat. We seriously risk creating a chemically engineered class of athletic gladiators. Unless we act now, the health and safety of our athletes will remain at risk.

The International Olympic Committee has proposed an international agency, but it would lack independence and accountability. The U.S. government is committed to developing an effective, independent international anti-doping regime that will provide a level playing field for all athletes--from youth leagues to the Olympic ranks. Dedication, good coaching and natural talent--not chemicals--should make the difference in sports.

The U.S. government has suggested the following principles for an effective worldwide anti-doping effort:

* An independent, accountable anti-doping agency;

* Possible testing 365 days a year on a no-notice basis;

* No statute of limitations, so that whenever it is proved that athletes cheated using drugs, they could be stripped of their honors retroactively;

* Deterrence through preservation of samples (while dishonest athletes may be able to defeat today’s drug test, they have no way to know what will be detectable using tomorrow’s scientific advances);

* Research to end the current cat-and-mouse game of doping in sports by closing loopholes that create gaps in science.

These tenets constitute the U.S. view on the necessary guidelines for an independent anti-doping agency. We are hopeful the world sports community can achieve a consensus for these principles.