FOR RELEASE: January 7, 2004 Contact: Bob Weiner 301-283-0821/202-329-1700

Ex-White House Drug Spokesman Weiner:
IOC Salt Lake Tests "Good Blip," Need More Actions To Stop Drugs In Sports

(Washington, DC) – Former White House Drug Policy Spokesman Bob Weiner today asserted, "The IOC's testing for THG in Salt Lake is a blip but a good blip. Of course there were no THG samples there but so what -- it wasn't THG in Salt Lake that was the supposed test-beater. Darbepoetin (DBO) was the new rage in Salt Lake and WAS busted there as the "related" substance. That is the beauty of the catch-all "related" language -- the cheaters can't beat the system if the science is ahead of them.  I love Regina Jacobs' "It wasn't on the list" defense for THG.  Tough -- that's what "related" is for.

"Now what has to happen is retroactive saving of samples with no time limit: the deterrent and legitimate scaring element will be an effective tool. There should be no time limitation on Olympic honesty -- and General McCaffrey often called for no time line on sample saving.  If we can use 30 year-old DNA to prove or disprove criminals' guilt the Olympics can save samples too -- for when the science allows accurate testing if not right at this moment. Tests for HGH and blood-doping are still being worked on, as well as the "next" versions of both EPO and steroids.

"And the bashing of the U.S. needs to stop: if the IOC wants to publicly flog America because they now know retroactively that Jerome Young cheated, what about 10,000 East Germans whose state policy is now documented in the courts as forced steroids (and Frank Shorter's rival Cierpienski in the marathon), and all the Chinese swimmers, etc.  Fair and equal is fair and equal and the world must be brought in as a whole," Weiner concluded.

(Weiner was spokesman for the White House Drug Policy Office May 1995-August 2001 and coordinated WADA press for the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002.)

(Source: Robert Weiner Associates 301-283-0821/202-329-1700)