CANADIAN WANTS MORE TESTING AT TRIATHLON

TO PROTECT HER SPORT

Heather Fuhr wants to give blood.

On the eve of the Ironman Hawaii — the most punishing endurance race on the planet — Canada’s most decorated female triathlete wishes someone would just ask her to roll up her sleeve so she could help prove the sport she loves isn’t rife with drug cheats.

“ I have never been tested out of competition, which I find a little strange, and I wish I was, I wish it would be done on a regular basis,” Fuhr said. “I just would say, ‘ Here you go, I’ve been tested a number of times, and nothing has ever [ shown up].’ ”

Fuhr’s desire is grounded, in part, in the events that unfolded in Hawaii a year ago. The 37-year old Edmonton native had experienced some struggles on the windy, scorching- hot Kona course in recent years, but those troubles melted away last October, and she flew to a third- place result.

Unfortunately her joy was tempered by some disturbing news: Ironman’s queen — Germany’s Nina Kraft — confessed to taking EPO, a red blood- cell booster that helps increase stamina.

“ I think it was definitely a shock for a lot of people, but I can’t say that it wasn’t somewhat expected — not with Nina in particular — but I think we’d be naive to think that there wasn’t some people out there using some performance- enhancing drugs,” Fuhr said.

Kraft was disqualified, and banned from competition for two years. Fuhr, meanwhile, was bumped up to second place.

It is standard practice at World Triathlon Corporation sanctioned events that the top three finishers are tested for drugs.

Fuhr says that while these postrace procedures are encouraging, she argues that for the fight against drugs to be truly effective, the tests should be conducted during the lead- up to a race.

“ If people are using it, they are going to be using it during training, and that’s when you’ve got to catch them,” Fuhr said.