LEAD: WADA chief says doping code clear on banned blood treatment

By Andreas Schirmer Feb 8, 2012, 15:14 GMT

Lausanne, Switzerland - Using ultraviolet (UV) radiation to treat an athlete's blood is a prohibited method, World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman confirmed Wednesday.

Howman told dpa that 'blood doping was never, never allowed' and treating an athlete's blood with UV light and then reinserting it 'is a method that is prohibited.'

Howman said the definition of blood doping had never changed but was now more precisely set out in the 2011 WADA code than it was in 2004.

Howman's comments come as Germany's National Anti-Doping Agency is investigating 30 athletes who may have benefited from the banned blood transfusion method which had been practised by Erfurt sports physician Andreas Franke.

'The investigation is underway and we will see what comes of it,' he said.

It was NADA's job to bring evidence to the sports and civil courts but WADA could act if it felt the courts did not reach a ruling it felt was appropriate.

On a challenge by the British Olympic Association (BOA) into WADA's code relating to bans on drugs cheats, Howman said a ruling against the BOA would mean it would have to change its regulations.

The BOA has challenged a decision by WADA that the British authority's lifetime Olympic ban on drugs cheats does not comply with its code.

The Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear the case in London on March 12.

Howman left it open on whether a lifetime ban or the so-called 'Osaka rule' could become part of the WADA code.

CAS last year decided that the International Olympic Committee rule, which effectively banned athletes from participating at the next Olympic Games if they had been suspended for more than six months for an anti-doping rule violation, was invalid.

However the IOC reportedly wants WADA to add the rule to the code at its next review.

'We are open to every sensible suggestion which functions in practice,' Howamnn said.

However any ruling would have to take into account human rights concerns as well as the rights of athletes, he said.

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