US drug control chief Barry McCaffrey said on yesterday that improved random dope tests and wider global research would help beat cheats at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.
The Sydney Summer Olympics, where seven athletes tested positive, marked "a beginning of a new era in international competition," he said in Oslo before a meeting of the new 40-nation World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
McCaffrey, the White House National Drug Policy Director, said that the United States would widen drug testing before 2002. He said he favoured extending tests used in Sydney, including that of blood and urine to detect EPO (erythropoietin), a drug used to enhance the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch has said he believes the Olympic movement was not permanently damaged by last year's corruption scandal.
"We have moved on," Samaranch said in an interview published yesterday. "The success of Sydney was crucial in moving away from the scandals."
Six IOC members resigned and four were expelled after an inquiry into allegations that Salt Lake City officials had offered gifts to IOC members and their families during the city's successful bid for the 2002 Winter Games.
Tennis: American qualifier Chris Woodruff outlasted Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic in the $2.95 million Masters Series event in Paris yesterday to earn a second-round meeting with top-seeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. Woodruff rallied to beat Novak 4-6 7-5 6-3 on the opening afternoon of the tournament.
Kuerten, like all 16 of the seeds in the final Masters Series event of the regular season, had a first-round bye.
Marat Safin of Russia is the second seed for the tournament behind French Open champion Kuerten. Safin won the St Petersburg title at the weekend to reclaim top spot in the ATP Champions Race ahead of Kuerten.
The two remaining places in the eight-man Lisbon field could also be decided here with Australian Lleyton Hewitt, Spaniard Alex Corretja, Swede Thomas Enqvist and Briton Tim Henman in contention.
Defending champion Andre Agassi remains a doubtful starter after pulling out of last week's Lyon tournament with a hip injury.
Motor Sport: Richard Burns saw his world title chances all but disappear when Rally Australia winner Tommi Makinen was thrown out of the event on a technicality. Burns now lies second behind Finland's Marcus Gronholm in the points standings, but needs the Peugeot driver to fail to score in the final race in Britain from November 23rd-26th in order to stand a chance of taking his first drivers' title.
Cricket: Bangladesh's inaugural cricket Test ended in a nine-wicket defeat by India yesterday.
The 10th and newest side to the Test arena were skittled for 91 in their second innings, only 62 ahead, and India swept to success at 64 for one on the fourth day.
