The Hindu : Sport / Weightlifting : The diuretic plot thickens...

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Saturday, Oct 02, 2004

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Sport - Weightlifting

The diuretic plot thickens...

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 1. Weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu, slapped a life-ban by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), had indicated that a `recovery drip' provided by coach Leonid Taranenko might have led to her positive test for the diuretic, furosemide, at the Athens Olympics. She was disqualified, stripped of her fourth placing and expelled from the Games.

In a written submission to the IOA enquiry commission, headed by K. P. Singh Deo, Chanu stated that she had taken the `drip' on August 13, two days before the competition on her own and that the medicine was supplied by Taranenko.

The particular vial in question, with `some medicine', was submitted to Mr. Singh Deo for verification by the SAI laboratory.

"I request that it may be tested in our dope lab, then the true picture will be out on who gave me this medicine (sic) for spoiling my life,'' Chanu wrote in her statement made in Manipuri and translated into English and signed by her.

The `medicine' has since been tested in the SAI laboratory and it has turned up positive for furosemide.

Does it absolve Chanu?

Not really. To be fair to Taranenko, it would be impossible to conclude that the vial was exactly the one given by the Belarus coach — if he had given it in the first place — and that it was not tampered with at any stage. Again, it would also be impossible to determine the motive, if any, behind the alleged move by the foreign coach who has since left the country.

Will Chanu's case be re-considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the light of the new finding? Practially no chance. Anti-doping rules follow the principle of strict liability of the competitor, meaning the athlete is responsible for whatever substance is found in his or her body fluids.

Yet, the latest finding should give a boost to Chanu's morale, especially if she finally takes a legal approach to get her life-ban lifted.

Chanu's contention was that the diuretic, for which she claimed she had no need since her weight was always within the limits to compete in the 53-kg category, could have been mixed in the `recovery drip.' Diuretics are used for weight-reduction normally, but also as masking agents in doping. Chanu was tested by the IWF on August 10 in Athens and came out `negative.'

It is not known what `recovery drip' Chanu and other Indian lifters used in Athens. An official associated with weightlifting suggested on Thursday that it could be Astymin forte, a combination of amino acids, minerals and vitamins, normally taken by lifters and athletes.

In her statement, Chanu said that she had passed a lot of urine after taking the drip and felt weak, and her body weight had gone down.

Russian labels

Apart from the vials submitted by Chanu, the Singh Deo Commission was also in possession of a batch of 13 vials found in the Games Village room occupied by Chanu and Pratima Kumari. Those were also given for testing at the SAI lab and "some of them'' did return positives for `banned substances.' Significantly, almost all of them had Russian labels.

The commission was also told that the Indian lifters took their medical help almost entirely from a Belarus lady doctor attached with the Belarus weightlifting team and there were frequent interactions between Taranenko and this doctor.

As per the WADA Code, followed in its entirety by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), diuretics in weightlifting will attract a two-year suspension. The IWF is yet to indicate the type of sanctions against Chanu.

In the meantime, the Indian federation and IOA have imposed life-bans on three lifters including Chanu. The other two are Pratima Kumari, who was expelled from the Olympics even before competing, and Sunaina, who had tested positive for a steroid at the last Asian championships in Almaty.

Coach Pal Singh Sandhu had also been banned for life by the IOA. All four are weighing their options for seeking legal redress.

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