WADA Dir General Olivier Niggli said that Russia has "initiated anti-doping reforms but they are not happening fast enough," according to Shravanth Vijayakumar of REUTERS. WADA released late last year the second part of Richard McLaren's investigation into doping in the country. Niggli: "It's not happening at the speed I would have liked to see but it is happening." Russia's sport leaders, as well as President Vladimir Putin, have acknowledged the country's doping system "was not working and needed an overhaul" but have denied allegations of a state-sponsored doping program (REUTERS, 3/9). The BBC reported when asked about next year's Winter Olympics, Niggli said, "We are working with them to see if things can be put into place and a credible system be reinstated in Russia in the coming months. We will see where they are when we get closer to the Games." Niggli added that sport's anti-doping authorities "needed more whistleblowers to help them identify drug cheats" (BBC, 3/8).
BLANKET BAN POSSIBLE: In London, Martyn Ziegler reported WADA "has set up an expert group to decide whether there should be a blanket ban on corticosteroids including triamcinolone," the drug used by Bradley Wiggins to treat a pollen allergy. The news has been welcomed by UK Anti-Doping, "which has pushed for a ban for three years." Niggli admitted that the situation with corticosteroids -- also known as glucocorticoids -- was "unsatisfactory." He said, "It is an unsatisfactory situation -- we all agree with that. And we have set up a group to try to come up with a better proposal to how we can do it" (LONDON TIMES, 3/8). In London, Sean Ingle reported UKAD welcomed the news. UKAD CEO Nicole Sapstead said, "If they introduce an outright ban on corticosteroids then great. It can’t be right when somebody doesn’t actually have a medical problem that warrants their use and it then has some additional effects that they can benefit from" (GUARDIAN, 3/8).
CYCLISTS TRIED VIAGRA: In London, Martha Kelner reported Team Sky cyclists used Viagra at altitude to "establish whether it had performance-enhancing benefits." The drug was reportedly "tested at a training camp for endurance riders while the team was in its infancy," following its foundation in '10. At "least one rider was prescribed the drug" by his personal GP, although it is "not known for what reason." It is "also believed a British Cycling staff member was prescribed the impotency drug for personal use by a team doctor." Viagra is not on the WADA banned list, "so no athlete is under suspicion of having committed a rule violation" (DAILY MAIL, 3/8). The LONDON TIMES reported there "appears to be a logical reason for why Viagra could help performance at altitude," particularly relevant for professional cycling races like the Tour de France, where riders finish some stages at summits higher than 1,500m. The reduced oxygen levels at higher altitudes "can cause blood vessels to narrow, putting more strain on the heart to push blood around the body." Viagra "effectively does the opposite, opening the blood vessels to increase flow through vessels" (LONDON TIMES, 3/9).
