TRIATHLON risks losing its Olympic status because of its failure to tackle the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, the sport has been told. Sarah Springman, the former Great Britain international who is challenging Les McDonald for the presidency of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), delivered a blistering attack on the sport’s anti-doping record.

At a time when drug-taking in sport is under the spotlight more than ever, Springman, now a professor of civil engineering in Switzerland, said: “I have a big concern about doping control and the lack of testing, the lack of organisation within the ITU and the fact that the constitution has not been amended to make sure that we are compliant with the conditions that are supposed to be in place by the start of the Olympic Games.”

Triathlon became an Olympic medal sport four years ago when, with the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, it proved a spectacular addition to the Games. In Athens next month it promises to be one of the most dramatic of events on a testing course. But although it is also on the programme for Beijing in 2008, it could be risking its future beyond then, Springman said. She claims that testing has not been carried out at two of the past three World Championships.

“If you read the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code, you are supposed to be carrying out in and out-of-competition testing and you are supposed to have amended your constitution by August 13, 2004,” Springman said. “You are supposed to have done a number of things to make sure that you are code compliant and this has not been done.

“If we get a black mark as an international federation for anti-doping, that is the sort of thing that can lead to you being taken out (of the Olympics). I am not saying, in any way whatsoever, that the athletes are cheating. I am saying that we do not know because we have not taken action.”

Although countries that take drug-testing seriously ensure testing is conducted out of competition, many do not. In Britain, however, UK Sport conducts testing in and out of competition. The ITU’s annual drug-testing budget is thought to be no more than $2,000 (about £1,100).