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IOC announces medication crackdown
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Athletes will need to provide medical proof if they want to use asthma medication during next year's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Concerned by the large numbers of athletes claiming to be asthmatics, the International Olympic Committee announced Thursday that it would impose strict regulations on use of asthma drugs. In Salt Lake City, athletes will have to provide "clinical and laboratory proof of their ailment" before receiving authorization to use the medication. The IOC medical commission said asthma products contain banned "beta-2 agonists," which produce performance-enhancing anabolic effects. IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch said 607 athletes at last year's Sydney Olympic provided waivers declaring the use of asthma medications. That's about 7 percent of the total of 10,600 athletes who competed in Sydney. "The IOC medical commission is reinforcing its position on this matter to protect athletes from the dangers of mistaken diagnoses," the IOC said in a statement. "It has noticed a significant increase in the use of asthma medication containing beta-2 agonists during recent editions of the Olympic Games, especially in endurance sports."
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