Mobile doping clinics follow Canada Games athletes
Last Updated: Thursday, August 20, 2009 | 10:37 AM AT
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The Canada Summer Games on Prince Edward Island are spread across the entire province, with dozens of venues, which presented a challenge for the officials in charge of drug testing.
'I don't think many athletes of this age would be into doping.'— Alison Hooper, gold medal triathlete
Rather than bringing athletes to them, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport has opted to travel to all 40 Canada Games venues. It has outfitted two motor homes for taking samples on site.
Ron Gallinger told CBC News he and his team will conduct 60 tests, on randomly selected athletes, looking for any evidence of substances banned under world antidoping rules.
"We're self-contained, we can come and go when we want," said Gallinger.
"We don't have to tell anyone when we're coming. So we still maintain that unannounced aspect to the testing. So it's been fantastic to use the mobile homes."
Alison Hooper, winner of the gold medal in triathlon in Summerside on Tuesday, was one of those randomly selected after her event. She had to sit in the motor home for about an hour and a half to get hydrated enough to provide a urine sample, but she said she understands the purpose of the doping control centres.
"I don't think many athletes of this age would be into doping anyway, but I think it's a really good idea," said Hooper.
Gallinger said just being at the games makes these young athletes aware of the dangers of taking banned substances.
The lab results won't come back for two to six weeks, after the games are over. Officials from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport say that, to their knowledge, there has never been a positive drug test at the Canada Games.
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