Olympia 2018: Tests show that doping high-tech bottles are not forgery-proof

The safety problem with high-tech bottles for doping tests at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February) is apparently even bigger than already assumed. According to a report by the Swiss online magazine Republic, which has formed a research team together with the ARD doping editorial team, the British Sunday Times and the Swedish TV station SVT, the containers are not only open on occasion but also cannot be forged.

As the magazine reported, the bottles of the Swiss company Berlinger were “sawn and copied, reproduced, stored in a cool place and the lids were opened and closed again”. In a plant in the Ruhr area, for example, the bottle was cut open briefly under the closure. The cap could then be screwed onto another bottle without any problems. No one was available for a commentary by Berlinger on SID’s request.

According to the republic, the copy of such a bottle was ordered on the Internet and looks deceptively similar to the original. The necessary labels were then copied. This new bottle was then presented to a tester from a European doping control lab.

After examining the object, he explained:”I’ve been looking at it for several minutes now and I haven’t been able to see what the original and what the forgery is. Only when I pushed the bottles together, the sound was slightly different. However, in the normal course of events it is not usual to check the bottles so precisely. This test was then also carried out in other laboratories with the same result.

Republic also reported that the lid with the allegedly secure closure was also easily replicated by a specialist. Subsequently, a completely reconstructed bottle with label and lid was presented to an employee of a control laboratory. Also the complete copy obviously could not be identified as such.

After 72 hours of storage in a refrigerator, the original Berlinger bottles could be easily opened and then closed again. This would open the door to manipulation.

For the German sports law expert Michael Lehner, this is a scandal:”I was shocked how easy it is to open the containers. That’s why I also said:”The doping control system is finished,” he told the SID on Tuesday.

In his opinion, the safety problems with doping test bottles for the Olympic Winter Games have serious legal consequences. There is a reversal of the burden of proof in doping trials, said Lehner,”the burden of proof is no longer on the athletes, but on the federation.