The Night Olympic Team: Fighting to Keep Drugs Out of the Games

A team of scientists works to expose athletes who use banned drugs to win Olympic medals in this Library Media Connection Editor's Choice. Here is the true, inside story of the UCLA Olympic Laboratory--the drug-detection team that tests athletes for banned performance-enhancing drugs. The scientists worked long nights to detect a new, never-before-tested performance-enhancing drug called NESP (novel erythropoietic stimulating protein) during the 19th Winter Olympics (2002) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The group's work exposed three NESP users among the winning cross-country skiers. The drug users were stripped of their medals, which were then given to the rightful winners.

Caroline Hatton has a pharmacy degree from the University of Paris and a PhD in chemistry from UCLA. She worked at the UCLA Olympic Laboratory for many years, testing athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. Her first book, Vero and Philippe, made the Los Angeles Times Children’s Bestsellers list. She lives in Culver City, California.