Calvin Smith Claims Track Athletes Have Found New Undetectable Drugs

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Calvin Smith, two-time world champion in the men’s 200-meter dash, was quoted Sunday as saying that many top track and field athletes use hormones and other drugs to enhance their performances and they go undetected in anti-doping tests.

“The methods of controlling doping currently under use can’t test for various substances,” Smith said in an interview published by the daily newspaper, Estado de Sao Paulo.

Smith, former world record-holder in the 100-meter dash, said meet organizers want the top stars to participate and often don’t test adequately for substances that give some athletes an unfair advantage.

“They are afraid of weakening the meet if they rigorously control doping among athletes,” Smith said. “Sponsors want the best from the meets and the public is anxious for world records. There is no interest in punishing athletes who resort to doping.”

According to Smith, in the 1987 World Championships at Rome, “many athletes competing were doped, but strangely they were not called to take anti-doping tests.”