New steroid shows up in US athlete test samples

AMERICAN anti-doping chiefs revealed last night that a new anabolic steroid, which up until now has escaped all known doping controls, has been found in the test samples of several American athletes.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has refused to name the athletes concerned, named the product Tetrahydrogestrinon (THG) a synthetic anabolic steroid.

It was found during the analysis of the contents of a syringe that was handed in, under anonymity, by a top athletics coach at the start of this summer, the USADA said.

The subsequent analysis was carried out by Dr Don Catlin, who heads the IOC-accredited laboratory at UCLA University in California. Dr Catlin has since developed a test for the product.

Meanwhile, used syringes were found in the hotel rooms of Sporting Lisbon players before Wednesday's UEFA Cup match with Malmo.

Police acted after hotel staff complained about bloody needles in the rooms of two players. Syringes were also found in other rooms. Sporting's club doctor Jose Pereira said the syringes were used for taking multi-vitamins.

UEFA's Swedish chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson said European football's governing body would investigate the police findings.