New Zealand's anti-doping sports body says claims from disgraced Belarussian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk, who is disputing a positive test for steroids in her system, may have some validity.
The 31-year-old was quoted by local media in Minsk saying only an idiot would take such an outdated drug like steroids so close to competition.
Drug Free Sport New Zealand executive director Graeme Steele told APNZ the metenolene steroid, found in Ostapchuk's system, was an old-fashioned doping substance which in comparison to other performance enhancing drugs could easily be detected in testing.
"There is some validity [and] sense in what she is saying," he told APNZ.
"It is an old-style anabolic steroid and it's very surprising that any athlete would allow that type of drug to still be in their system when they arrived at the Games because it's quite easy to detect."
Mr Steele said power athletes like Ms Ostapchuk would be more likely to use testosterone or growth hormones which are difficult to detect in drug tests.
He said it was odd the 31-year-old, who is accusing Olympic organisers of prejudice against Belarussian athletes, did not test positive in any of her prior 16 tests she claims to have undergone since April .
"If she's using it, then you would have expected her to have been using it for some months, and therefore you would expect it to have been picked up in those prior tests."
"You would expect to find it during a training phase, and not during a competition phase.
It almost certainly would make no difference taking the steroid the week before the game, and even if you did it most certainly wouldn't be worth the risk, he said.
For sports like shot put, Mr Steele said if athletes were to take performance enhancing drugs, they would do it about two to three months prior to the event to make the most of their training.
During this period we target athletes like Valerie Adams, said Mr Steele.
"We want our athletes to be drug free and so we have a vigorous testing process, as is the case with Val."
- Teuila Fuatai
