The Irish Sports Council is closely monitoring developments related to the detection of a new designer steroid tetrahydogestrinone (THG) in the United States.
The discovery of THG has struck at the heart of athletics less than a year before next year's Olympic Games in Athens. The United States Anti-Doping Agency, which discovered the drug after a tip-off, said its discovery has sparked the largest ever drugs bust in athletics.
In response to the discovery, John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, said: "The Irish Sports Council will monitor developments in the THG case closely and ensure that the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme remains at the forefront of the global fight against doping in sport".
The method for detecting THG is being sent to IOC-accredited laboratories throughout the world, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced today. This means 30 laboratories will be able to test for the latest sophisticated doping device as anti-drugs crusaders step up the fight against cheats.
Accordingly, the laboratories used by the Irish Sports Council will be in a position to use the new test as soon as possible and the Irish Sports Council will have the capability to re-test existing samples for the presence of THG.
It is believed that as many as 20 unnamed American athletes have tested positive for the anabolic steroid. Possible life bans loom for all of them.
Earlier this week, the International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF] announced that they will retest all 400 samples taken from competitors at the World Championships in Paris in August.
And on this side of the Atlantic, European sprint champion Dwain Chambers was today named by the Guardiannewspaper as having tested positive for the steroid, a charge the athlete's coach denies.
One of Britain's best hopes for a gold medal in Athens, Chambers allegedly failed a test for the newly discovered drug which, until last week, was thought to be undetectable.
Traces of the drug were found in a urine sample that the European 100 metres champion and record holder provided during an out-of-competition test at his training base in Saarbrucken, Germany, on August 1st, the Guardianreported.
Tetrahydrogestrinone - What is it?
Tetrahydrogestrinone [THG] is an anabolic steroid.
The drug's existence only became known to anti-doping agencies when an American coach - who wished to remain anonymous - handed in a syringe containing the substance.
The drug is said to have long-lasting effects on an athlete's ability to recover more quickly from training and competition as well as promoting muscle growth, but the detection period is very short, believed to be three to seven days.
Scientists who identified and developed a detection method for THG have described it as a "stand-alone" steroid which has been specifically tweaked to make it as undetectable as possible.