AT a time when there is so much international conflict in the world, it is important that the Athens Olympics - an event which brings countries together in the spirit of sport - is a resounding success.

We look forward to feats of speed, endurance, athleticism and skill which will live in the memory for years to come.

We want to feel the hairs on our necks stand up because the competition is so inspiring.

That is what we want. However, that desire comes with a deep sadness: that for every personal best recorded, there will be doubt; for every medal won, there will be the same question: "Was the performance enhanced by drugs?"

For the competitors who win their medals fair and square, after years of dedication and sacrifice, that cloud of suspicion is a terrible reality.

The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Dick Pound, promises that drug controls in Athens will be tighter than ever before.

They have to be because the use of so-called "designer drugs" has become so sophisticated that detection is a mammoth task requiring its own huge levels of dedication, focus and skill.

We wish the athletes well. But we also wish the international team committed to rooting out the conmen and women all the luck in the world - the future of the Olympic movement depends on them.

As Dick Pound says: "For us, every positive test is not a sign of failure but a sign of success."

Only when the cheats have nowhere to run will the cloud of suspicion be removed from the Olympic Games.