Olympic drug violations headed off with pre-event testing

July 29, 2008

Accidental drug violations should not happen at the Olympic games, with the introduction of pre-event elective testing for competition horses.

For the first time in the history of anti-doping and medication control at the Olympic Games, Post-Arrival Elective Testing (PAET) will be made available to participants, in order to minimise inadvertent medication violations. The testing will be able to determine whether or not residues of legitimate medications are present in urine samples collected from horses on arrival in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory, which will serve as the FEI's Reference Laboratory during the Olympic Games.

The initiative has been made possible by the capabilities of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory.

Post-Arrival Elective Testing is a voluntary testing service provided by the FEI's Reference Laboratory in Hong Kong (the Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory), to all competitors. All horses (competition and reserve) can have their urine samples checked for the medications listed at the end of this document.

A urine sample (not blood) must be collected, labelled and submitted together with a completed application form (Medication Form PAET) within 12 hours of arrival of the horse at the Olympic Post Arrival Isolation (PAI) stables in Sha Tin.

Security guards of the Hong Kong Jockey Club will receive the collected and labelled urine samples on site together with the completed application forms and deliver them to the HKJC Racing Laboratory immediately for testing.

Provided that not more than 20% of the PAET samples will be tested positive, the normal turnaround time for these samples (including the positive ones) should be three to five days from sample receipt at the HKJC Racing Laboratory. The confidential test reports (limited to qualitative, positive or negative, results only) will be transmitted to the relevant team vet or representative as per details on the PAET application form. It should be noted that the test results are unofficial and for reference only.

The FEI has requested that results of PAET be reported to it in anonymous fashion after the end of all competitions.

No sanctions will be imposed for medications found in the PAET samples. The results of PAET are unofficial and for reference purposes only.

The testing of the first urine sample will be paid for by the FEI and is therefore be free of charge for the competitors.

PAET will be undertaken only for the below substances.

PAET will be undertaken only for the following substances (or their metabolites), which are legitimate medications. The tests will not cover doping agents and any medications not on the scope of FEI Elective Testing.

acepromazine 
altrenogest 
atipamezole 
atropine
betamethasone
bufexamac
buprenorphine
butorphanol
caffeine 
carbasalate 
clanobutin 
clenbuterol 
codeine 
cromolyn
cyproheptadine
dembrexine
detomidine
dexamethasone
diazepam
diclofenac
digoxin
diphenhydramine
dipyrone (metamizole)
dobutamine 
felbinac
flumethasone
flunixin
furosemide
guaifenesin
hydrocortisone
isoflurane
isoxsuprine
ketamine
ketoprofen 
lidocaine
meloxicam
methocarbamol
mepivacaine
methadone
methylprednisolone
midazolam
nalbuphine
naloxone
naproxen
neostigmine
oxyphenbutazone
pentazocine
pentobarbital
phenobarbital
phenylbutazone
phenytoin
prednisolone
procaine
promazine
propofol
romifidine
salbutamol (albuterol)
salicylates (salicylic acid)
scopolamine-n-butyl-bromide
scopolamine-n-butyl-bromide/metamizole
(buscopan compositum)
theobromine
theophylline
thiopental (sodium salt)
triamcinolone acetonide
valerenic acid (valerian)
vedaprofen
xylazine