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Cheating In The Paralympics

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Science Correspondent Matt McGrath investigates how cheating will be caught and finds out how concerned officials are about the potential for cheating.

Measures to stop drugs cheats in the Paralympics are already in place but as Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Science Correspondent Matt McGrath reports, the rule book is a long one.

For athletes with physical or intellectual disabilities, medication might be part of their daily routine.

Sports men and women with epilepsy for example, take drugs daily to maintain their health.

Such sanctioned medicine mean the drug-testing policies of the World Anti Doping Control (WADO) have to be specially adapted, so that those using performance enhancing drugs are still caught by the rigorous testing, while those who need medication for genuine ailments and conditions, are protected.

And there are other ways to cheat in the Paralympics.

It's possible for disabled competitors to control physiology in ways that cannot be used by able bodied athletes.

Matt investigates how cheating will be caught and finds out how concerned officials are about the potential for cheating.

(Image: A urine sample being tested for drugs at the Drug Control Centre at King's College London. Credit: Press Association)

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18 minutes

Last on

Mon 27 Aug 2012 01:32GMT

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  • Thu 23 Aug 2012 18:32GMT
  • Fri 24 Aug 2012 03:32GMT
  • Fri 24 Aug 2012 10:32GMT
  • Sat 25 Aug 2012 21:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Aug 2012 01:32GMT