GAA teams still top list for missed drug tests

Intercounty GAA teams continue to top the list of missed drugs tests carried out by the Irish Sports Council’s anti-doping programme, and have not yet been subjected to the more rigorous blood testing analysis or individual out-of-competition testing, as is the

norm with most other sports.

Eight intercounty teams missed tests in 2013, the same amount as in 2012, as in they were not training at the location stated on their anti-doping whereabouts form: only three other sports in total were guilty of such an offence last year, soccer (three), hockey (two), and boxing (one).

GAA players were still subjected to a relatively high number of tests in 2013 – 89 in total (one more than 2012), between football and hurling combined, and are ranked third in the overall list behind athletes (165) and cyclists (149), and ahead of sports like rugby (85) and soccer (46), according to the national testing figures announced yesterday by the Irish Sports Council.

User Pays testing
Rugby did provide for an additional 105 tests under the User Pays testing programme (carried out by the IRFU, IRB, etc), and rugby players are also subjected to the individual out-of-competition testing, although according to Dr Una May, the Sports Council's director of anti-doping, GAA players are not considered "a high risk sport" for performance enhancing drugs, although they are being monitored for any unusual activity.

“We have to use our resources wisely,” said Dr May, “so we target our tests where we believe there are risks. We also target athletes on individual grants from the government because there is an accountability there.

“But we would be remiss if we were to pour all our resources into the GAA, because it’s not a high-risk sport.

“We don’t have a concern about it. We will continue to monitor it, as we’ve always said. We’d be naive to think that there wasn’t some player who might take a risk. But, as a general rule, it’s not a sport we have a real concern about.”

Of the 89 tests carried out on GAA players, 44 were in competition (ie at championship matches) and 45 were at training sessions; however, the fact that eight county teams weren’t at the locations stated on their anti-doping whereabouts form wasn’t of any great concern to the Sports Council.

“The GAA is always the highest when it comes to this,” said Dr May, “but I think it’s genuine, in that they are subject to a lot more variation in their training venues and timetables and matches, than say the likes of rugby, who are very stable in where and when they train.

“We don’t have to get constant updates from them, but GAA teams are constantly updating us, so I do genuinely feel that its legitimate.”

Irish boxer Seán Turner was banned for a year after he missed three tests within the permitted 18-month period, although none of the GAA teams were repeat offenders:

"He (Turner) was only the second case we've ever had. We've have some athletes who've come close to the limit, but if we genuinely think an athlete is trying to avoid us then we'll just go back three times in the space of 12 months anyway.

On the lookout
"But there's nothing that would make us suspicious of any GAA team. There's no team that would be a consistent offender. We are on the lookout all the time but we don't regard them as high-risk."

Indeed Dr May warned that the Sports Council was intent on improving its intelligence-based anti-doping programme – and that would include taking a closer look at the GAA.

“One of the things we’re trying to be is more intelligence-led, and we’ve a new member who will be keeping an eye on forums and on-line debates and where there’s rumours.

“And I would love if people would tell us if they have a suspicion about something. That’s something we really will promote and this time next year we’ll be launching a kind of hotline of some sort for people to let us know if they have a genuine concern. We’ve received tip-offs in the past and had positive tests as a result, so we do listen if people have a concern.”

Nor did Dr May rule out the possibility that GAA players could be tested at their homes:

“All squads are liable, including the GAA, and it has been agreed that if we have a reason to visit an individual GAA player then we can do that.

“And those tests would also be retained for retrospective testing the same as other sports.”