The Swedish long-distance runner, who will be competing in the 3,000 meter event at lunchtime on Saturday, thinks that more doping tests should be conducted throughout the year. Even though he understands that it is an economic issue for the organizations that perform the tests.
What I think is a shame is that when I perform well, I get tested a lot. But if I, for example, get injured, it can take months before I get tested again. It's an opportunity that someone could potentially exploit by using doping to recover faster and train better, says Andreas Almgren.
I would like to see the tests spread out a bit more, even during the off-season when we're not competing as much.
Wants to be tested more
Last year, Almgren estimates that he was tested 17 times. This year, it has been four times so far, all in connection with his European record on the 10 kilometer road race in Spain on January 12.
They were all between the 3rd and 15th of January. I got tested at the beginning of the year and then I went to the competition in Valencia, got tested the day before, tested right after the competition, and a few days later when I arrived at Sierra Nevada (at the training camp). I haven't been tested since then, he says.
Just because I'm not competing, I don't think they should stop with the tests. I would have liked to be tested more times after that.
Almgren's Norwegian competitor Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who will also be running the 3,000 meter event later today, recently spoke about doping in an interview with The Telegraph.
The double Olympic gold medalist on 1,500 and 5,000 meters was asked, among other things, if he thinks that doping was more widespread among previous generations.
It was maybe not much more, but more open, said the Norwegian according to NTB.
"Frankenstein's monster effect"
Ingebrigtsen highlighted that microdosing, small doses, of doping is a significant challenge for athletics.
Unfortunately, I believe so, he said.
Andreas Almgren agrees.
Exactly that microdosing has an effect. But it doesn't have that enormous Frankenstein's monster effect that it had about ten years ago. It's small things that can make a huge difference at a championship, he says.
10.20: 3,000 meters, women, qualifying: Linn Söderholm.
10.50: Shot put, women, qualifying: Sara Lennman, Fanny Roos.
12.00: 60 meters, men, qualifying: Henrik Larsson, Jean-Christian Zirignon.
12.45: 3,000 meters, men, qualifying: Andreas Almgren.
19.10: 60 meters, men, semifinal: possibly Larsson, Zirignon.
19.53: 800 meters, women, semifinal: Wilma Nielsen.
21.40: 60 meters, men, final: possibly Larsson, Zirignon.
SVT and Radiosporten will be broadcasting periodically on their Play apps as well as SVT 1 and SVT 2 respectively P4.
