German team takes anti-doping efforts seriously

By Peter Auf der Heyde Mar 23, 2007, 7:36 GMT

Melbourne - German swimming has adopted a pro-active stance on anti-doping measures, team officials said Wednesday at a press conference in Melbourne.

German head coach Orjan Madsen said that he welcomed all efforts to prevent doping in the sport.

'I am very confident about this issue. We want to be transparent and show what we are doing ­ we have nothing to hide,' he said.

'I know that we are not doing everything. Even more tests should be conducted, but we are being proactive. We have created blood and DNA profiles of all our team members, and these can be tested later when new methods are available.'

Madsen said that he understood why so many people were questioning his team's sudden performance increase.

'This has got something to do with the system that operated in East Germany, and also because whenever performances improve drastically, people start asking questions,' he said. 'I am certain, though, that all those who used to work in the East Germany system but are now still officials have adapted to the Western system and will not allow doping.'

Looking ahead to the actual competition, the Norwegian said that he was looking forward to the start of the racing.

'Nobody is injured, and we have been swimming very fast in training,' Madsen said. 'Everything points to a good meet. We are looking forward to a change of the scenario, and going into the pool is a bit different.'

World record-holder Britta Steffen, who has also been under doping suspicion after doing so well at the European championships last year in Budapest, said she had often been asked the question since then.

'At first I was quite taken aback, but when journalists pointed out that so many other athletes, like cyclists, had been doped, I accept that they have to ask the question,' she said. 'I have to learn to live with the situation.'

The president of the German swimming federation, Christa Thiele, said she had been told by a member of the sport's controlling body FINA that they believed the American and Australian teams were questioning Germany's doping efforts in an attempt to have an excuse, should their own teams not do as well as expected.

She also explained that the figure published in January of 450 German athletes who had missed a doping test had been found to have been greatly exaggerated.

'After investigating the issue, we found that the real figure was 201, and of these just 41 seemed to have no valid excuse. Of these 41, none was a swimmer,' she said.