WADA testing 8220;ineffective8221;,says Australian Olympic chief John Coates

Testing is ineffective at catching drug cheats and should be supplemented by criminal penalties for athletes who refuse to cooperate with investigations.

The World Anti-Doping Authority8217;s prescribed testing is 8220;ineffective8221; at catching drug cheats and should be supplemented by criminal penalties for athletes who refuse to cooperate with investigations,Australia8217;s Olympic chief has said.

Australian lawmakers are weighing proposed law changes that would boost the powers of the country8217;s national anti-doping agency,including giving it the authority to fine people up to A5,100 5,200 for withholding information in an investigation.

Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates has said the civil penalty would not be enough,however,and has pushed lawmakers to consider adding the threat of jail time in the proposed amendments.

8220;There is a case for us to acknowledge that the testing that WADA prescribes,and that is carried out in this country and around the world,is ineffective at catching drug cheats,8221; Coates told a senate hearing in Canberra on Friday.

8220;But WADA isn8217;t in a position to tell you what to legislate.

8220;I think the proposed bill is a very big improvement as drafted with the civil penalties,but I certainly think there8217;s a case for having criminal penalties.8221;

Australia has been rocked by a government report released last month that found 8220;widespread8221; doping among professional and amateur athletes Down Under,with the supply of banned drugs fuelled by organised crime.

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The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority ASADA announced it was conducting probes into the country8217;s two most popular football codes,Australian Rules and the National Rugby League,in the wake of the report.

The proposed changes outlined in the 8216;Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment Bill 20138242; have been described by the country8217;s top athletes8217; association as 8220;troubling8221; and premature.

8220;The Bill would grant powers to ASADA which would be insufficiently defined under the amended legislation and would infringe human rights and principles of best legislative practice,8221; the Australian Athletes8217; Alliance said in a submission.

Lawyers have also criticised the bill8217;s compulsory disclosure amendment as violating a person8217;s right not to 8220;self-incriminate8221;.

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The AOC has been vocal in its hard line against drug cheats and will make athletes competing at next year8217;s Winter Games in Sochi sign statutory declarations saying they have no history of doping.

The doping crackdown Down Under has sparked heated criticism from some top athletes and sports pundits,who have denounced the investigations as politically-motivated witchhunts that have,as yet,failed to unearth any offenders.