COC president Tricia Smith says anti-doping measures are working

By Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

Tricia Smith has been there. She's lined up on the start line knowing dirty athletes were sitting in boats just a lane or two over.

The new president of the Canadian Olympic Committee was a national team rower during the East German doping era of the 1970s and '80s, an institutionalized, state-sponsored doping program that draws comparisons to Russia today.

So while Rio Games are set to kick off amid one of the biggest doping scandals in Olympic history, Smith said positive doping tests are a huge step in the right direction.

"I competed in the East German time and what I'm encouraged about is they're catching them now," Smith said Wednesday.

Russia has been banned from competing in track and field and weightlifting in Rio after the recent McLaren Report found evidence of widespread, state-sponsored doping. Seventeen rowers have also been banned over doping offences.

Progress being made

If the news left many disenchanted with the Olympic movement, Smith would like to tell them there's reason to believe anti-doping efforts are working.

"I think we're making progress, so for sure all these doping cases come out and people say 'Oh Tricia, it's terrible.' No, it's good," she said. "It's definitely a turning point, it's an opportunity, because the focus is really on it now so I think we just keep our foot to the gas pedal on this and don't let up."

Canada has been at the forefront of the anti-doping movement. McLaren is a Canadian law professor. Canadian lawyer Dick Pound was a founder and the former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Beckie Scott, Hayley Wickenheiser, and Abby Hoffman have all been strong Canadian voices in the anti-doping movement.

Canada has gained some respect along the way, said Curt Harnett, Canada's chef de mission in Rio.

"A lot of patting on the back and shaking of hands, saying thank you," Harnett said.

"I think we're respected for the position that we take," Smith added. "Certainly Canada's not perfect, so we're not saying 'you you you,' and it's just Russia's problem. There's a doping issue around the world that we have to deal with. People will always try and cheat."

Testing measures constantly improving

Advanced testing measures have also allowed samples from previous years to be retested. The positive doping results have led to a virtual re-write of numerous past Olympic and world championship results.

"Someone said to me 'Wow, it's so late,' but if they came to me and gave me a different medal from my experience way back when, I'd be happy," Smith said. "I think it's great that we're actually making some progress, and now an athlete will give a sample here in Rio and we have 10 years of science to catch them if they're taking that chance and doping."

Smith is a five-time world rowing medallist, and won silver at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

She's resisted the temptation to look back on her results against doping athletes, and wonder: what if?

"We were successful, and we beat the East Germans occasionally and I'm proud of that," she said. "It didn't matter who was in the boat, they were always fast, and so it was: beat the East Germans. I'm proud of the fact that we were clean and we beat them.

"Even though I know there were athletes doping, I would do it again. Because it was so positive."