An overview of the doping control analysis during the Olympic Games of 2004 in Athens, Greece

This study summarizes the results obtained from the doping control analysis during the period of the XXVIII summer Olympic Games (30 July–29 August 2004). The analysis of all doping control samples was performed at the Doping Control Laboratory (DCL)—the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Accredited Laboratory of Athens. Three thousand six hundred and seventeen tests were conducted in total throughout the games. In 23 specimens the presence of a prohibited substance was confirmed. Sixteen of those were related to anabolic agents. The screened results were confirmed with various mass spectrometry analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (ion trap) (LC/MS). The results of the first time applied screening and confirmatory procedures for the detection of recombinant human growth hormone in serum were also presented. Besides, 107 therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) were verified for glucocorticosteroid and beta2-agonist use.