Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Flames minding their pees and Qs
IOC's anti-doping agency visits Iggy, Turek for random drug test
By JEAN LEFEBVRE -- Calgary Sun
When Roman Turek and Jarome Iginla stepped off the ice yesterday after morning practice at the Saddledome, they had an empty bottle waiting for them.
The Flames' No. 1 netminder and leading scorer became the latest targets of the International Olympic Association's random testing program, as a representative of the IOC's anti-doping agency was on hand to collect urine samples.
Turek, who will play for the Czech Republic next month in Salt Lake City, and Iginla, who will represent Canada, shrugged off the potentially awkward exercise.
"It wasn't a big deal," commented Iginla. "I've been through it before when I played at the world championships.
"It was just my turn," he added with a smile. "I guess my name came up on the computer at wherever their headquarters are."
Turek, a veteran of one Olympic tournament and three world championships, appeared especially blase about the procedure.
"I'm pretty relaxed about it," he nodded. "I've been through this a couple of times and never had a problem.
"I don't have to worry."
Iginla, who went into last night's action with a two-point lead over Boston's Joe Thornton for top spot in the National Hockey League scoring derby, was similarly confident his test results would be clean.
After receiving a warning from Canadian Olympic officials, Iginla has cut back on his intake of nutritional supplements, which can contain trace elements of substances on the IOC's verboten list.
"They warned us about it at the Olympic camp in September," explained Iginla.
"How sometimes those (banned) substances may not be listed in the ingredients but they still might be in the product and show up in the testing."
Reportedly, pharmaceutical companies that mix different products in the same container can inadvertently contaminate otherwise harmless protein powders.
Olympians also have to be wary of taking certain over-the-counter medication.
"We've all seen those cases where somebody gets caught for using cough syrup or something like that," said Iginla. "It must be so disappointing and you really feel bad for them."
Turek says he has nothing to worry about.
"I drink only water and energy drinks like Powerade and stuff like that," he explained. "I know I'm clean. Some guys have to be worried if they can take this or drink this but me, I don't care. I haven't been thinking about that."
In fact, the big Czech 'keeper says he hasn't given much thought to any aspect of the Olympics.
"We still have a month until the Olympics start," he pointed out. "Right now, it's still important for me how we play here -- with this team. The Olympics are a big tournament but it's only a tournament. Here, we play a whole season for only one reason -- to make the playoffs.
"That's more important. I'm not thinking about the Olympics now because it's still too far away. There's still a month to go."
With the Flames clinging to the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference, Iginla says he too is preoccupied with the here and now.
"I'm excited about (the Olympics)," he allowed, "but it still feels quite a ways off."
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
