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FINA agrees to Berlin investigation
Posted: Wednesday February 09, 2000 05:04 PM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- FINA, swimming's international governing body, has agreed to Australian Swimming requests for an investigation into drug-testing procedures used last weekend in the short-course World Cup meet in Berlin. FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu faxed written confirmation of the inquiry to Australian Swimming Incorporated, Australian Swimming president Terry Gathercole said Wednesday. Australian officials demanded the inquiry after Australia's Ian Thorpe and American backstroker Lenny Krayzelburg, who both set world records in the meet, were requested to provide urine samples in non-tamperproof containers. The swimmers protested because the containers did not conform with the rigid testing guidelines set by FINA. Organizers eventually called in police to supervise the sealing of the samples. But Australian Swimming wanted the tests to be declared invalid because of concerns that the samples could be manipulated. The Australians were outraged that Thorpe was subjected to substandard testing less than a week after a German coach reportedly alleged that the 17-year-old freestyler's achievements were the result of performance-enhancing drugs. Thorpe said he had lingering doubts about the testing, but had conflicting emotions because he also wanted the record ratified. Gathercole said FINA would not recognize a world record without an accompanying doping test. "But they've also got their own rules as to how those tests are to be carried out," he said. "If they're not carried out to their own rules, I don't know what they're going to do ... this has not happened before." Thorpe provided two urine samples in Berlin, the first after his 100- and 400-meter victories Saturday and the second after his world record-breaking 200 freestyle victory Sunday.
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