Michael Phelps volunteered to submit to additional rounds of testing done to check for doping

[NNN0LHI]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/thiel/375314_thiel17.html

Eight-times-golden Phelps turns cynics inside-out

<snip>The idea was to help regain public confidence in Olympics sports by having premier athletes go through far more rigorous testing than the industry standard.

Only once in Phelps' many press conferences this week did the subject come up, and it was the only time Phelps expressed a little defiance.

"They can say what they want -- I am clean," he said. "I did Project Believe with USADA, where I purposely wanted to do more tests to prove that. People can question all they want, but the facts are facts and I have the results to prove it."

It's true that no testing system is perfect, and the cheaters are usually ahead of the cops. But for Phelps to volunteer for additional rounds of intrusions -- peeing naked regularly in front of strangers can only be Borat's idea of fun -- is not only annoying, it's risky. No pharmaceutical hack supplying him can know when a good test for a previously undetectable drug or masking agent will be deployed.

It's a risk taken far more often in Olympic sports by kids desperate to make a team, or vets desperate to hang on. Phelps is in a prime never seen before, and risks not only destruction of his career, but significant damage to his sport by cheating.

http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080426-132793/US-Anti-Doping-Agency-details-Project-Believe-testing



US Anti-Doping Agency details 'Project Believe' testing

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 01:38:00 04/26/2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado--US Anti-Doping Agency officials unveiled details Friday behind their extensive extra-testing program for certain American competitors ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Sprinter Allyson Felix and decathlete Brian Clay revealed last week they were part of what they called "Project Believe," a long-term voluntary testing program from USADA involving blood and urine samples.

US swim star Michael Phelps, looking to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals, reportedly is also among 12 participants in the program.

"In order to prevail in the fight against doping in sport, we must continually refine and explore new, credible measures that can be introduced to our program," USADA chief executive officer Travis T. Tygart said.

"Our efforts have as much to do with protecting the health and well-being of the overwhelming majority of athletes who compete clean as catching and sanctioning the few who unfortunately break the rules."

To that end, USADA has started extra testing to form baseline body chemistry figures for certain US competitors, what USADA called "focused sample collections in sports with the highest risk of potential doping."

Blood and urine testing includes the latest available tests for human growth hormone, EPO and synthetic testosterone.

[tridim]

1. Is anyone testing the Chinese female weight lifters?

Because that's where I'd start.

[nickinSTL]

2. In an interview a while ago, Dara Torres said she'd also

volunteered for additional testing, as well as agreeing to her blood samples being kept for future testing as new tests are developed.

(This was on TV, I think it was before the swimming events began, but don't remember what channel or exactly when)

[Tunkamerica]

3. So that first article is saying...

that Phelps is a cheater? It's tone is that it's a foregone conclusion he cheated and to submit to extra tests is risky cause he might get caught. Am I reading that right?

[Berry Cool]

4. Actually, no.

It's saying that his accomplishments are so remarkable that of course some people are suspicious, but the author is not--and part of the reason is that he's subjected himself voluntarily to extra testing that would be much more likely to prove him a cheater if he were. The fact that he's willingly subjected himself to greater testing makes him more credible because he would have so very much to lose if that more extensive testing proved that he wasn't clean.

It's like if a guy says he's not the father of a child but is willing to subject himself to DNA testing to prove it. Chances are he's not, because if he were, the DNA test would pretty much establish that he was. Why would he willingly volunteer to take a test that was likely to prove him wrong? Either he's trying to call someone's bluff in hopes they'll take his word for it, or he's telling the truth.

In Phelps' case, he's not trying to call anyone's bluff because he's actually taking the tests. If he's not clean, the likelihood that he'll be uncovered as a cheater is much higher that way.

[Tunkamerica]

5. Just in response to your DNA example

have you never watched Maury? If there's even a 1/1000 chance the kid's not yours there's a reason to get a free DNA test.