Australia anti-dopeagency to test liquid

Australia's anti-doping agency will test a clear liquid from vials found in a hotel hosting a number of teams attending the world swimming championships.

A small box containing vials of a clear liquid was found in a common room at Melbourne's Parkview Hotel on Tuesday. Police said small traces of illicit drugs were found in the box, but not in the vials.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority will investigate the clear liquid in the vials, said ASADA chief executive Richard Ings.

He said the vials and paraphernalia had been collected from Victorian state police and were being sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Sydney.

"We have asked the laboratory to expeditiously analyze the liquid and paraphernalia for any performance-enhancing substances," Ings said.

"The Sydney lab is expected to begin testing the vials on Friday and the tests would probably take a couple of days," Ings said.

The police investigation into the find has been closed, spokeswoman Stacey Mair said, adding that police had received no contact from the world swimming governing body FINA.

Ings said while the police did not establish a connection between the find and the world championships, ASADA's role is to investigate any possible links.

"ASADA was established to investigate exactly these types of matters," he said.

FINA officials at the swimming championships' main venue, Rod Laver Arena, declined to comment Thursday on the ASADA investigation.

Neither police nor hotel management would confirm which teams are staying at the hotel.

Mair said the illicit drug traces found in the box were not cocaine, contrary to local media reports Thursday.

Police were called to the hotel Tuesday after hotel workers found the box.

Police contacted FINA and Australian Customs officials, and Mair said the investigation did not establish any evidence linking the box to swimmers or teams competing in the world championships.