ABSTRACT
On 11 May 2001, Jere Longman wrote an article in The New York Times where he raised a series of questions that triggered a debate in both International Olympic (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA). He asked whether it would be possible in the future to inject a gene that could result in more fast-twitch muscle fibres, enabling a sprinter to run 100 metres in 6 seconds instead of just under 10. And could one in a similar way inject a gene that increases the oxygencarrying capacity so that a marathoner could run 26.2 miles in one and a half hours instead of just over two? Some believe that such a development lies far ahead in the future. Others believe injections are only a few years away. And still others think that we already have gene doping in elite sports today.
