DRUGS IN SPORT: Of the seven positive drugs tests in Irish sport last year, five were for non-performance enhancing substances. That was the main finding of the Irish Sports Council's anti-doping report for 2004. The seven positive tests represented less than one per cent of the 918 tests carried out. Ian O'Riordan reports

The results raised some questions over the cost-effectiveness of the anti-doping programme, which last year cost €1.3 million, and also didn't include perhaps the year's highest profile case - the positive test of Irish horse Waterford Crystal at the Athens Olympics.

Of the seven positive tests, two were for illegal levels of alcohol (motor sport and motor cycling), two were for traces of cocaine (basketball and rugby), and one for traces of cannabis (soccer). An unnamed cyclist also tested positive for illegal levels of the stimulant salbutamol, but escaped sanction because of the therapeutic exemption rule.

That left Cork distance runner Cathal Lombard, who tested positive for the endurance drug erthyropoietin (EPO) last August, as the only Irish athlete serving a ban for using a performance-enhancing substance.

Around 60 per cent of the tests were done out-of-competition, and 153 of the 918 were requested and paid for by the various sports' governing bodies.

For Sports Council chief executive John Treacy the seven positive findings, whether for recreational drugs or otherwise, still represented effective anti-doping, and he defended the increasing costs involved, including growing legal and travel expenses.

"It's our responsibility to conduct an effective anti-doping policy," said Treacy, "and it doesn't really matter to us how many or what exactly the positives are for. In fact I would look forward to the time when we announce our report with no positives. But I don't think we'll ever get to that situation."

The positive test on Lombard was particularly satisfying, said Treacy, as it proved all the elements of the testing programme could come together to catch an athlete. The Sports Council, however, failed to get Lombard to return any of his grant aid, which last year totalled around €17,000.

"If someone has made gigantic improvements in a very short period of time, especially quite late in their careers, then it would set the alarm bells ringing in our minds. So we did target Cathal Lombard, and especially for EPO testing. But even in that situation you need luck on your side, and we were lucky," said Treacy.

"The window of opportunity in these situations is very small, but he was tested quite a few times, and we got a positive test at the end of it. So from that point of view it worked out well, and better still than we got him before he got to the Olympics and put in some performance.

"The Irish Medicines Board were also involved, and we've developed a strong relationship with them, and want to develop stronger. In fact they now sit on out anti-doping committee."

The case of the rugby player testing positive for cocaine towards the end of last year is ongoing. It was carried out in-competition and therefore paid for by the IRFU, but it is not believed to be a high-profile player.

The two alcohol positives in motor sport and motor cycling are largely explained by the fact those sports have a zero tolerance policy for health and safety reasons, and in the case of the motor sports driver, the amount of alcohol was negligible.

All testing carried out in equestrian sports is by the international federation (FEI), although the Sports Council did some out-of-competition tests on riders (which last year numbered 18). The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are now looking at that issue, and Treacy believes the sooner that process begins the better.

"It's no secret we did have some question marks this year over the testing of horses, and I don't think the international federation covered themselves in glory. WADA are discussing what they can do, but I know the testing of horses got more sophisticated over the year, and they do have the zero-tolerance policy. But once it comes under the WADA umbrella it will come under our umbrella as well."

According to Dr Una May, manager of the anti-doping unit, the testing procedures continue to improve. "Under the new rules you can be sanctioned if you don't provide the information, and not just because of a positive test," she said. "So the loopholes are being closed down now. I don't think the athletes are one step ahead of the testers anymore, maybe less than half a step ahead."