SWITZERLAND: IOC PROPOSE SETTING UP ANTI DRUG AGENCY

(20 Aug 1998) Eng/French/Nat

The International Olympic Committee has proposed setting up an anti-drug agency to coordinate the worldwide fight against performance-enhancing drugs.

The IOC executive board called for the creation of an "Olympic movement anti-doping agency" that would be responsible for random, out-of-competition drug testing around the world.

The proposal was the highlight of a series of measures announced at the end of a special one-day emergency meeting in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

The International Olympic Committee met on Thursday in response to a number of drug scandals in sport over the past months.

The most prominent of these - the disgraced Tour de France.

This summer's race was thrown into turmoil by a series of arrests and police raids which uncovered systematic use of the banned endurance-boosting hormone EPO.

Jean-Claude Killy, a French IOC member and winner of three gold medals in Alpine skiing at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics, is president of the company which runs the Tour de France.

He spoke to the IOC Executive Committee at Thursday's meeting.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We did have problems in the Tour de France and this is why I am here today, to present my report to the IOC executive committee."
SUPER CAPTION: Jean Claude Killy, President Tour de France

At present, the IOC is directly responsible for drug testing only during the Olympic Games, with international sports federations supervising the drug controls the rest of the time.

The organisation says it's now time for change.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"We've decided after what has happened at the Tour de France to organise a world conference on the fight against doping in sport that will take place next February 2 and 3rd in Lausanne ."
SUPER CAPTION: Juan Antonio Samaranch, President IOC

It wants to set up an agency which would be funded by Olympic television revenues and would assist those international federations which can't afford regular drug-testing programs.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"I have to announce the news we decide to propose at this conference (in 1999) the creation of the Olympic Anti-Doping Agency. This agency will have a task to help all national federations of sport to control anti-doping out of competition."
SUPER CAPTION: Juan Antonio Samaranch, President IOC

The agency would help set up testing labs in Africa and Central and South America and create a "flying lab" to travel to major events around the world.

Samaranch also clarified controversial remarks he made in a recent interview.

He was reported as calling for a drastic reduction in the list of banned substances and suggested that only drugs which are harmful to an athlete's health should be banned.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We will not withdraw one single performance enhancing drug that we have now in the list of IOC because all these drugs are harmful to the health of athletes. Doping is something that we cannot permit. First of all because we have obligations to protect the health of athletes and secondly doping is the kind of cheating that we cannot accept in sport."
SUPER CAPTION: Juan Antonio Samaranch, President IOC

With the next Olympic games to be held in Australia, that country's Olympic Committee is one organisation watching these events closely.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Sydney will host the next Olympic games and I believe if setting up of the agency is approved, it will give extra bight to the fight against doping and it will be very good for Sydney."
SUPER CAPTION: Kevin Gosper , Australian Olympic delegate



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