'Creative Excuses for Failing a Doping Test' released ahead of Olympics

A book exploring the most creative excuses for failing a doping test has been released ahead of the London Olympics, where doping tests are expected to be more stringent than ever.

Doping tests are not always as straightforward as they seem. The strict tests and stringent rules applied to athletes means that mistakes can be made, and they often are.

One of the most used examples is Alain Baxter, a Scot who became the first Briton to win a medal in Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Boxter was using a Vick's inhaler from the British team's medical supplies, but left the inhaler in his hotel room one day, deciding to buy another from a pharmacy instead. He consequently failed a drugs test and was stripped of his medal because the US version of the inhaler contained a banned substance not found in the UK version.

However, some of the other excuses have been a bit more exotic than that, which is something David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky highlight in The Book of Olympic Lists. Indeed, an entire chapter has been dedicated to the "Seven Most Creative Excuses for Failing a Doping Test".

One of the most bizarre excuses was from Spanish 20km walker Daniel Plaza, who made the excuse in 1996 that having oral sex with his pregnant wife was the reason for a positive steroid test, because Nandrolone is produced naturally by pregnant women.

Chinese judoka Tong Wen tested positive for clenbuterol, which she blamed on eating too many pork chops, which are sometimes treated with the steroid to keep the meat lean. There are also stories about British swimmers Walter Bathe and Lewis Moist, and the American high jumper Nathan Leeper, all of whom tried to cheat the laboratory with elaborate tales.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths