Olympians Will Dare To Dope

The ribbons have been cut, the medals are ready and the athletes have begun to arrive, but for many, at least one event of the 2000 Summer Olympics will be a random drug test.

Beginning Saturday, 3,000 drug tests will be performed on the 10,000 athletes expected at the Sydney games, reports CBS News Correspondent Allen Pizzey.

The screening includes a new, combined blood and urine test to detect EPO—the most widely used performance-enhancing drug.

EPO stimulates production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles, making it especially attractive to athletes in endurance sports like running, swimming and cycling.

EPO abuse nearly caused the prestigious Tour de France cycle race to be abandoned two years ago.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is hailing the new test as a major breakthrough in combating drug cheats and claims the 2000 games will be the cleanest ever.

Any athlete who refuses to be tested will be considered to have tested positive.

Officials say they expect failures.

"That's the price we have to pay to have cleaner sports. If that is the case, we will face it," said Jacques Rogge, an IOC vice president. "And if that is the case, we'll track down every cheat."

But Frank Shorter, a former Olympic gold medalist who heads the U.S. anti-doping agency, says the stringent testing is the result of pressure from governments, and that the IOC actually worked against it.

"This was the first time in its history that the IOC was forced to do anything. They always had discretion to do exactly what they wanted," Shorter said.

Last fall, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy director Barry McCaffery said the IOC's anti-doping plan "does not provide for the requisite independence from the IOC and subsidiary organizations or assure transparency of operations to ensure its success."

Drug use has been going on since ancient times when mushrooms were used to enhance performance, and, experts agree, it will only stop when the chances and the shame of being caught outweigh the rewards that come from the glory of winning.