Jere Longman

About the author: Jere Longman is a sportswriter for the New York Times.

Sports authorities are concerned that athletes may begin to employ genetic engineering techniques to enhance their athletic performance. Although gene therapy is still at an early stage of development, athletes looking for a competitive edge may not wait for science to perfect safe applications. A single insertion of genetic material could potentially bulk up muscles for years at a time, precluding the need to take continual cycles of performanceenhancing drugs. Testing athletes for altered genes would also be difficult and require invasive detection methods. Gene therapy is adding to the ethical debate over whether athletes should be allowed to alter their fundamental makeup to become more competitive.

For three decades, the International Olympic Committee (I...