OFFICIALS DRAFTING NEW RULES TO WEED OUT THE REAL CHEATS

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - World anti-doping officials have drafted new rules
that distinguish between true drug cheats and athletes who test positive
for substances that don't help them perform better.

The move by the World Anti-Doping Agency comes in response to cases where
athletes have been stripped of medals after positive tests for recreational
drugs or substances in cold remedies.

WADA officials briefed the Association of National Olympic Committees on
Thursday on draft proposals for a world anti-doping code, which Olympic
leaders hope will be enacted before the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.

WADA has drafted a new definition of doping, specifying that a doping
substance or method "has the potential to enhance sport performance" as
well as posing a health risk to athletes. Previous definitions did not
single out performance-enhancing drugs.

Rune Andersen, WADA's director of standards and harmonization, said
marijuana and other nonperformance enhancers would no longer be included on
the list of banned substances. Instead, they would be listed in a new "code
of conduct" category.

These substances "will be prohibited but it will not be a doping offense,"
Andersen said in an interview. "There will be a code-of- conduct list, and
sports will have their regulations and their own penalties for that. It
will be a breach of the code of conduct, which is not related to doping."

The existing banned list includes hundreds of steroids, stimulants,
narcotics and related substances.