Australia doping body checks athletes' medical records

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian athletes hoping to compete at this year's Beijing Olympics have had their medical records secretly investigated by doping authorities.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) said the investigations were carried out without the permission or knowledge of the athletes.

ASADA Chairman Richard Ings said the probe, which was conducted with the national health scheme Medicare, was looking at what prescription drugs athletes might be using.

Ings did not provide details on how many athletes had been checked or whether anyone had been caught using performance-enhancing drugs but said the investigation was part of a trial aimed at uncovering cheating.

"ASADA was established specifically to be able to share information with other government bodies to be able to facilitate investigations into doping by Australian athletes," Ings told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Friday.

"We have just embarked on a trial with Medicare to determine if PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) records may have any evidence of possible doping by Australian athletes."

ASADA's actions drew criticism from various organizations in Australia, including doping officials and civil rights groups, which said the secret investigation was a breach of privacy.

"It concerns me a little bit that they're trying to treat all athletes with the same brush," Nicki Vance, the program manager for Doping Control at the Sydney Olympics, told the

ABC.