MONTREAL (Reuters) - A victory anti-doping crusaders once believed impossible is now within reach with the help of powerful new allies as the war on performance-enhancing drugs in sport moves on to new fronts. When the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was launched 10 years ago on November 10, the sporting landscape was being bombarded by doping scandals with few weapons available to combat increasingly brazen drug cheats. As WADA prepares to move into a second decade spearheading the fight against drugs in sport, the agency has compiled an impressive list of victories and built a formidable arsenal capable of attacking cheats from every angle. ...
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MONTREAL (Reuters) - Cheating is still rife in sport despite improved testing and more than half the sprint semi-finalists at the London 2012 Olympics are likely to use illegal drugs at some stage of their preparations, says Victor Conte, the man at the heart of the BALCO doping scandal. "Do I think it's still rampant cheating in sports? Yes, I do," the American told Reuters in an interview ahead of the 10th anniversary of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) next week. Asked how many of those who reach the 100 meters semi-finals at the London Games could have used performance-enhancing substances in his opinion, ...
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MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tiger Woods managed to avoid the mayhem and hype awaiting him by slipping quietly into Melbourne on Monday to prepare for his first tournament in Australia for more than a decade. The world number one arrived in a private jet after flying in from Shanghai overnight and was immediately whisked away with his entourage to an unknown destination before his first round of public appearances on Tuesday. Woods has been paid a $3 million appearance fee -- more than 10 times the prize money on offer for winning the tournament -- to play this week's Australian Masters, an event co-sanctioned by ...
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kevin Durant scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook contributed 17 points and 10 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder stormed to a 102-74 home victory over the short-handed Orlando Magic on Sunday. Orlando (5-2), without injured shooting guard Vince Carter and power forward Ryan Anderson, shot only 36.8 per cent from the floor. Dwight Howard top scored with 20 points. The Thunder built a 53-44 halftime lead, then increased the margin to 22 points in the third quarter, when they outscored the Magic 26-13. Oklahoma (3-3) led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter. (Reporting by Gene ...
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MIAMI (Reuters) - American Doug Barron became on Monday the first golfer to receive a ban for taking a performance-enhancing drug. In a statement the PGA Tour said Barron, 40, had been suspended for a year for violating its anti-doping policy. It did not name the drug. "I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour or its players resulting from my suspension," Barron was quoted as saying by the Tour. "I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour." Journeyman ...
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