Usoc Wants Better Testing

Testosterone, the male hormone that has led to the suspensions of two of America’s biggest women track stars, should be dropped from the list of banned drugs unless a foolproof test can be developed to catch cheaters, the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee said Monday.

USOC executive director Dick Schultz said cases involving distance runner Mary Slaney and hurdler Sandra Farmer-Patrick underscore doubts about the scientific basis for the tests for a substance that occurs naturally in the body.

USOC will convene a panel of doping experts to try to establish ironclad ways of determining if an athlete has added the strength-building steroid to their system.

Schultz said if no such tests can be found, the panel will push to have testosterone dropped from its list of banned drugs internationally.