I have asked the organizers and the meet director for the 2008 pre-Worlds in Larange (http://www.chabre2009.com/) whether there will be drug testing at this meet or the 2009 Worlds. After what has happened with Floyd Landis and the French laboratory (and earlier testing of pilots in a French paraglider competition) I am very concerned that there is a possibility that I or other pilots will score a false positive and thereby be branded as cheats for the rest of our lives. It is obviously impossible to defend against such a false positive (try proving a negative).

Who out there is going to believe me when I say there is no way that I took any drugs to enhance my performance at the Worlds? To even make this statement, you begin to question me ("Why did he put in the qualifier, "...to enhance..."?"). Of course, the paraglider pilots got caught with THC residues (which hang around for a long time).

The current drug testing regime (WADA, USADA) relies on a guilty until proven innocent standard of "justice." So far the USADA has a record of 35 to 0 in arbitration cases. Either it is very good, or the game is fixed.

From my ongoing survey of the news sources and the web it is clear that there are a large number of folks who "know" that Landis is a doper. For example, here. They appear to have gained this knowledge (and the certitude that is implied) when LNDD (Laboratoire National de Depistage du Dopage) leaked (against the rules and unethically) the results of Floyd's A sample test to l'Equipe. Now the arbitration board has found that that test result was invalid. This does not appear to have changed the minds of those who knew Landis was a doper from this original point on.

I wonder how they can know this. I do not know if Floyd Landis ingested a synthetic testosterone on that fateful day or not. I believe him when he says that he did not, but I sure don't know if he did or not. But others clearly think that they know for sure that he did. How do they know?

My review of the dissenting opinion of the arbitrator Chris Campbell (http://ozreport.com/docs/LandisFinalDissent.pdf) indicates to me that the LNDD lab should have reported a negative result for its test of the "B sample."

Reported Negative By a Reputable Laboratory

55. The evidence in the case proves that LNDD did not properly apply its measurement of uncertainty in reporting Mr. Landis’ B sample from stage 17 positive. The initial laboratory report stated that the Andro minus 11Keto and 5aDiol minus 5pDiol delta delta values were positive. Mr. Landis argued that the LNDD committed a laboratory error because the Andro minus 11Keto delta delta value was in fact negative. Mr. Landis alleged that the LNDD had failed to take into consideration the measurement of uncertainly.

56. In its pre-trial brief, USADA attempted to refute Mr. Landis’ argument by stating that the LNDD did not have to take into account the measurement of uncertainty with respect to delta delta values for Andro minus 11Keto. USADA’s own expert witness. Dr. Brenna, proved USADA's argument was spurious. It was following Dr. Brenna’s testimony that Ms. Mongongu gave what I considered a self-serving testimony in contradiction of the LNDD’s document package testifying that the Andro minus 11Keto delta delta values were not reported positive because the numbers were not above the laboratory's measurement of uncertainty.

You can read more about this at the URL above.

The majority opinion can be found here.

I do not wish to be subjected to this form of "justice." It is merely a witch hunt as far as I can see. Many believe that there are present day witches, and not to believe so is to be considered naive. So far we have avoided drug testing in hang gliding and I suggest that we do everything we can to continue to avoid it.

Thankfully drug testing is expensive and no one in the US has the funds to pay for it. This may be our only saving grace.

Discuss Drugs at the Oz Report forum
   
 
 
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