rather than urine sampling as a means to catch "drug cheats'' in the sport of athletics.

Wellman, who recently finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Canada, believes that blood testing is more reliable and convenient for competitors.

He also heaped scorn on those who feel it necessary to make use of performance-enhancing substances such as steroids and growth hormones, thus casting a dark cloud over the sport.

This comes on the heels of the Ben Johnson incident, where the Canadian sprinter was handed a lifetime ban after testing positive for steroids a second time.

"If you do the crime and can't do the time you shouldn't be in it,'' said Wellman, on the Island enjoying spring break. "My aspect is that if you're going to go and do drugs and stuff and get caught then you have to suffer the consequences.

"And I say that them (International Amateur Athletics Federation) going to blood testing and people saying that it is a violation of their privacy...if you have nothing to hide then there is nothing to worry about.

"Blood testing's a whole lot more accurate way. You won't have people sitting round for three and four hours trying to get a urine test. It makes the process much faster.'' Former top middle-distance runner Mike Watson concurred with Wellman, telling how he one time had to wait at the stadium site for almost three hours after a race before he was able to pass a urine sample.

"It's hard for the longer-distance runners to be able to give samples after a draining race and coming in dehydrated,'' said Watson, a three-time Bermuda Marathon Derby winner.

Wellman added when the body begins to refuel itself it is mostly water that is collected and test readings may not be totally accurate.

"The urine becomes diluted and then it is a bad test. And these guys are getting away like that because they know that'll happen.

"They give invalid tests because they have nothing but water in their systems.'' In a related matter, a potential breakthrough in the fight against doping was achieved when the world's two major Olympic bodies agreed last weekend to join forces in applying the same drug-testing procedures and sanctions to all sports.

The cheats are easily identifiable according to Wellman, with suddenly bulging muscles and blazing fast times.

"You can sit up and look at people,'' said Wellman. "The major giveaway is you see a guy one year at 6'2'', 150 pounds and he comes back the next year at 195 and looks like something that stepped out of Mr. Universe.

"Then you say, "What have you been doing?'' and they say, `Oh I've been lifting weights'... and he got that big inside of three months, so you know something's up.''