Olympic Swimmer Jaben Waits for Results of Drug Retest, Uri Gal Exonerated By a Hair

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The drug tests for the Olympics have to be very sensitive, so there is also a high rate of false-positive results.

As it stands today, Jaben has tested positive, but he will have his re-test results in tomorrow. G-d willing, all will be clean and clear for the Olympic games.

It is sad how these athletes can train for decades, take some asthma medication or something for the flu which their doctors have prescribed and that the athletes have been assured are safe for them to take, and they will find themselves disqualified for the Olympic games.

Gal, for example, took a hair restoration product, which showed in his results. He was stripped of his national title because of it--even though the committee found it had no effect upon his performance.

However, these sensitive and volatile tests are necessary, as there are far too many people who consider cheating to be part of the competitive edge they wish to have over other athletes. Without these drug tests, we would see an amazing Olympics, for sure, but our athletes would be drugged to the limit and may face very serious complications because they would be required to "keep up with the Jones's" (no intention of smearing Marian here . . . but it was a pretty good pun, if I do say so myself!)

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Drug traces found in blood of Olympic team member Jaben
By Rami Hipsh
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1000064.html

Jewish-American swimmer Max Jaben, who was supposed to represent Israel in the 2008 Olympics, is suspected of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

A drug test was carried out last April. The results, which came back on Friday, indicated the swimmer had taken illegal substances.

"It is incredible how such classified things are leaked," said Dr. Jack Ashrov, the chairman of the drug inspection committee in Israel.

Ashrov said results from a second drug test carried out by Jaben are due tomorrow and will determine whether or not the athlete will compete in the Olympic Games.

"We treat such instances severely, but we won't rush to make any judgments," an official on the Olympic committee said. Jaben moved to Israel from the U.S. after taking part in the Maccabiah games in 2005. He qualified for the Olympics last month after beating out Shai Livant and Nimrod Shapira. During that event, he set a new Israeli record at 1:49.48 in the 200 meters freestyle swim. He was training to participate in the 400 meter freestyle swim at Beijing.

Another drug-related incident was solved last week when the Israel's Olympic Committee said it would allow sailor Udi Gal, who failed a drug test due to his use of a hair-regeneration pill, to participate in the Olympics in Beijing. The committee reprimanded the sailor and stripped him of his national title. It concluded, however, that the drug did not give Gal any advantage over his rivals.