More Info

In reference to the Justin Gatlin doping case, previously I wondered about the various tests used to examine testosterone levels. Here's some more info via the San Francisco Chronicle:

Donald Catlin, who runs the Olympic drug testing laboratory at UCLA, said that the test to discover high levels of testosterone is two-pronged and labor-intensive. The first part, to see if there is a high T/E ratio, can take anywhere from eight to 12 hours, he said. The second part, to see whether that high ratio comes naturally or from an external source, is also lengthy.

He added, however, that it is rare for B samples to fail to confirm the initial result. "This is not a slam-dunk case," he said of Landis' case. "There is work to do, and if there's ever a test that won't repeat a positive, it will be a really complex analysis, and this is one of them."

It appears likely he was busted for real. The general consensus over at the Track & Field News "Dope Talk" forum is that Gatlin played with fire by getting involved with Trevor Graham. While not wanting to call him stupid, remember he is still a very young man who only spent two years in the collegiate system; Graham is generally considered a nefarious figure who has coached, depending on your system of counting, anywhere from six to fifteen athletes who have been caught doping.

Tags: Anti-Doping News, Justin Gatlin