Ian Thorpe in a 2005 photograph. (ATR)(ATR) FINA may hire a private investigator to find the source of a leaked drug test involving swimming legend Ian Thorpe, while the world Anti-Doping Agency condemns the leak as a breach of confidentiality.
Thorpe, who retired last year, has responded quickly to a report in L’Equipe that that claims ambiguous results of a 2006 drug test may show elevated levels of testosterone or another hormone.
“I have never cheated and have always complied with my obligations under the anti-doping codes to the letter. I have prided myself on this and my reputation as a fair competitor is the most valuable thing that I take out of my time in swimming. This is why I find the media speculation that I have cheated to be so upsetting,” said Thorpe in a statement issued in Melbourne on the final days of the FINA World Championships.
Thorpe said he was unaware that there had been an unusual test result. He also said he did not know about the correspondence between the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and FINA.
In a statement Monday, the World Anti-Doping Agency blasted the news report as a breach of confidentiality and said the test is pending further inquiry.
“WADA is especially shocked that the name of an athlete was apparently given to the media while no adverse analytical finding has been determined at this point.”
The drug test in question was administered by Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. However, the results were so ambiguous that in 10 months, ASADA was not yet ready to approach Thorpe with the results. FINA launched an appeal with the CAS to make sure the testing procedures were sound and normal. It is believed that the leak was sprung somewhere in the correspondence among ASADA, FINA and the CAS.
Thorpe’s compatriots and rivals immediately spoke in his defense, including Australian swimmer Libby Lenton and Netherlands swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband.
Glenn Tasker, executive director of Swim Australia, says FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu has pledged to hire a private investigator to find out the leak.
Thorpe, who retired last year, set numerous world records and won five Olympic gold medals.
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