Fed: Weightlifting community linked to organised crime

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2006
Fed: Weightlifting community linked to organised crime

By Peter Veness

CANBERRA, Dec 21 AAP - An organised drug distribution racket is operating within Australia's
weightlifting community, a high level doping investigation has found.

US anti-doping investigator Richard Young was commissioned to investigate the sport
in March after four Australian weightlifters tested positive to the banned stimulant benzylpiperazine
or BZP.

While the full report is yet to be released, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority
(ASADA) today offered some details of phase one of the investigation.

"The first stage of a wide-ranging ASADA investigation into Australian weightlifting
has been completed and has found evidence of organised distribution and supply channels
for a range of prohibited substances," ASADA chair Richard Ings said.

Sports Minister Rod Kemp, the Australian Sports Commission and Australian Weightlifting
Federation all welcomed the findings.

Senator Kemp said the report showed Australia was tough on drug cheats.

"The Australian government will take every action possible to rid Australian sport
of drug cheats," Senator Kemp said.

The commission said Mr Young had proven the need for ASADA's tough investigative powers.

"It is very clear from the findings of the investigation that these powers will be
a most effective weapon in the continuing fight against the use of prohibited substances,"

commission chief executive Mark Peters said.

The federation promised to continue with Mr Young's on-going investigations.

"The Australian Weightlifting Federation has cooperated fully with the investigation
process and will continue, of course, to cooperate in any ongoing investigation," federation
chief executive Matthew Curtain said.

Phase two of Mr Young's investigation is still underway and Mr Ings said today "several
persons of interest are assisting ASADA with its ongoing investigation and the possible
resulting anti-doping rule violations".

Mr Young has already made a series of recommendations which ASADA has adopted and now
forced on the weightlifting federation.

Amongst those recommendations are creating urine and blood profiles for Australian
weightlifters and requiring all weightlifters to seek approval for international training.

Weightlifters will also be forced to take annual education sessions.

AAP pv/sb/jt/de

KEYWORD: WEIGHTLIFT LEAD

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