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Dwain Chambers of Britain sits on the field after finishing fourth in the final of the men's 100m at the 9th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Stade de France, Paris, on August 25.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

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Drugs dilemma

Athletics was the first sport to be hit by the drug controversy centred on a banned steroid called Tetrahydrogestrinone.

Chemists had tweaked the steroid to make it undetectable by normal dope tests. An anonymous athletics coach contacted the United States Anti-Doping Agency and claimed that several top athletes were using THG. The same coach then handed over a syringe containing THG, which the USADA used to develop an effective test for the substance.

Urine samples taken at the US championships were then re-tested, resulting in a number of positive tests. Olympic chiefs are so concerned they have begun testing urine samples from competitors at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

If found guilty of doping, any sportsman or woman who has won medals at either the 2003 World Athletics Championships or the 2002 Winter Olympics could have them taken away and their performances scratched from the record books.

Text: Ashish Magotra

THG is on banned list, say WADA and IOC
Two positive THG tests from Paris: IAAF
Drugs scandal threatens to rock athletics

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