The International Ski Federation (FIS) defended its system of drug testing yesterday and said current blood tests were not reliable enough to help in the anti-doping campaign in Alpine skiing. "Our experts tell us that for the moment blood tests in Alpine skiing are not reliable," FIS president Gianfranco Kasper said.
Speaking a day after three-time Olympic champion Deborah Compagnoni called for stricter dope tests in skiing, he added: "We're carrying out blood tests in cross-country skiing where they can help detect (the stamina-increasing drug) EPO and where we're dealing with an endurance sport."
Most sports look for banned drugs in a competitor's urine. There have often been calls in the past for more tests to be carried out on blood as well. Kasper said the FIS had carried out regular urine tests at World Cup races in France and Italy over the past month.
"We will wait for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) congress (on doping) in Lausanne in February," he said. "If that brings up reliable new controls, be they tests on blood or even on hair, we'll be the first to implement them."
Meanwhile, Hermann Maier won the men's World Cup downhill in Bormio in Italy yesterday in a time of one minute 54.51 seconds to edge out compatriots Fritz Strobl and Stefan Eberharter as the Austrians set a downhill record by bagging the top six places.
It was Nagano Olympics gold medalist Maier's fourth win of the season and his 15th World Cup triumph overall, leaving him well-placed to recapture last year's overall title.
