Drug-testing at Games

Athletes at the sixteenth World Deaf Games will be randomly tested for drug use.

The chairman of the Games organising committee, Mr John MacDonald, said that athletes in all 12 sports would be tested.

Athletes to be tested will be selected before events by the executive of the Committee of the International Silent Sports (C.I.S.S.).

Christchurch doctors will be involved in the tests, as well as a special technician from the D.S.I.R., he said.

“The D.S.I.R. are training people for the Commonwealth Games (in 1990) so this will be a training run for them.”

The samples would be sent to the United States to be analysed, said Mr MacDonald.

“We will not have immediate results — Air New Zealand will fly out samples each day, it will take one or two days for testing and the results will be faxed back.”

The rules on drug use at the World Deaf Games were as strict as those at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, he said.

Photo caption: Members of the New Zealand deaf soccer team with their kiwi mascot after registering for the sixteenth World Games for the Deaf, at the Games Village at Ilam yesterday. From left are Callum Cargo, Michael Hines (rear), Chris McGettigan, John Ellis, Wayne Hargood and Craig Haworth. The Games formally open on Saturday, but the first soccer matches will be held on Friday. —Photograph by JOHN COSGROVE