The present episode of the steroids/human growth hormone in sports story is a series of interconnected events that can be tied back to the BALCO Labs story, and this episode is but a chapter in a larger volume of stories than can be traced back to the Ben Johnson/Seoul Olympics scandal of 20 years ago. In the past week there have been a few stories that serve as a portent of things to come and that this issue is likely to explode as we approach the summer Olympics.

United States Anti-Doping Agency Announces Tough Pre-Olympics Testing. The USADA is heeding the advice of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by stepping up its efforts to keep sport clean of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by initiating a volunteer pilot program where athletes are submitting to regular blood and urine tests in an effort to track body chemistry. By tracking the athlete’s body chemistry the USADA and WADA will establish a baseline for these clean athletes in an effort to understand how their bodies react to preparation and competition, and ultimately will enable authorities to spot PED users. The fact that a dozen US Olympians willing to participate in this volunteer effort illustrates that there is an interest on behalf of athletes to keep their sport clean.

WADA’s Human Growth Hormone Testing. WADA has been touting its new HGH testing kits in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics so it will be interesting to see if any athletes get pinched in the upcoming months and during the games. With 11 of the 14 members of the Greek Olympic Weightlifting team failing out of competition drug tests, the cover story is that their coach ordered supplements from a Chinese supplier that turned out to be tainted, which led to the failed tests. This is highly suspicious. But the bottom line is that if records fall in large number this summer and if there aren’t any failed drug tests we can conclude that A) the new testing procedures don’t work, B) the athletes have moved on to IGF-1 and other next generation PEDs, or a combination of both. If times, distances and all the traditional measures used to determine winners in the Olympic games don’t improve this summer WADA can pat themselves on the back.

Trevor Graham’s Trial. The track and field coach famous for his association with athletes who have failed doping tests and for his involvement with the BALCO Labs scandal will go on trial next month for lying to federal investigators during the BALCO investigation. Graham has been defiant throughout this process and has said he will name names – prominent names – in an attempt to prove his innocence, and will not agree to a plea bargain. This trial will pit Graham against admitted PED drug dealer Angel Heredia, both of whom have said they will reveal the names of high-profile track and field stars during any trial. The fallout from this case will have huge implications on the world of track and field and all eyes will be on this San Francisco courtroom in May.