I
Ian Cloke
Guest
TOP championship anglers were left shocked... after being asked to submit to drug tests.
Competitors at last week's World Angling Championships were told to give urine samples or face losing their prizes.
Astonishingly, the tests - which they all passed - were made because officials fear stimulants could give cheats an unfair advantage by sharpening their reflexes when they get a bite.
The regime is part of a move to bring angling up to Olympic standards ahead of a bid to make it an official sport.
But it caught anglers by surprise. Briton Sean Ashby, who came third in the individual competition and was part of the England team which won the overall event, said: "At first I thought it was a wind-up. There are one or two jokers in the pack and I was convinced someone was having a laugh. My first thought was, 'What drug could possibly help anyone catch more fish?'"
But, after his initial shock, the 39-year-old admitted he came round to the testing plan.
"I think it's a good thing," he added. "It gives the sport credibility because we are subject to the same anti-doping tests as other sports. At this level, we all take angling very seriously.
"We want it to be in the Olympics one day, so we have to fall in line with other sports.
"Speed of reflexes is very important and I suppose it would be possible for some drugs to help with that. When a fish starts to bite, you have to be quick to strike with your rod if you're going to end up catching it."
Experts suggest the use of amphetamines or cocaine could improve reaction times.
Angling is by far the most popular sport in Britain, with more than 10 million people regularly taking part. The top three fishermen at last week's world championships all passed their drug tests.
However, the tests did not go entirely smoothly and had to be carried out twice after the initial sample batch proved faulty. The anglers all passed a second time. "I know that most competitive anglers just drink water when they're fishing," said Sean. "There's too much at stake to take your eye off your float in order to eat."
A spokesman for the governing body, the National Federation of Anglers, said: "Many top anglers dedicate their lives to the sport. They travel the country every weekend competing in contests and they all welcome the onset of drug testing. It gives the sport a higher status."
Many top anglers are professional, earning a living by entering competitions with prizes of up to ?500.
Competitors at last week's World Angling Championships were told to give urine samples or face losing their prizes.
Astonishingly, the tests - which they all passed - were made because officials fear stimulants could give cheats an unfair advantage by sharpening their reflexes when they get a bite.
The regime is part of a move to bring angling up to Olympic standards ahead of a bid to make it an official sport.
But it caught anglers by surprise. Briton Sean Ashby, who came third in the individual competition and was part of the England team which won the overall event, said: "At first I thought it was a wind-up. There are one or two jokers in the pack and I was convinced someone was having a laugh. My first thought was, 'What drug could possibly help anyone catch more fish?'"
But, after his initial shock, the 39-year-old admitted he came round to the testing plan.
"I think it's a good thing," he added. "It gives the sport credibility because we are subject to the same anti-doping tests as other sports. At this level, we all take angling very seriously.
"We want it to be in the Olympics one day, so we have to fall in line with other sports.
"Speed of reflexes is very important and I suppose it would be possible for some drugs to help with that. When a fish starts to bite, you have to be quick to strike with your rod if you're going to end up catching it."
Experts suggest the use of amphetamines or cocaine could improve reaction times.
Angling is by far the most popular sport in Britain, with more than 10 million people regularly taking part. The top three fishermen at last week's world championships all passed their drug tests.
However, the tests did not go entirely smoothly and had to be carried out twice after the initial sample batch proved faulty. The anglers all passed a second time. "I know that most competitive anglers just drink water when they're fishing," said Sean. "There's too much at stake to take your eye off your float in order to eat."
A spokesman for the governing body, the National Federation of Anglers, said: "Many top anglers dedicate their lives to the sport. They travel the country every weekend competing in contests and they all welcome the onset of drug testing. It gives the sport a higher status."
Many top anglers are professional, earning a living by entering competitions with prizes of up to ?500.