Mission
The Medical Commission actively fights against doping and supports the protection of the athletes’ health.
History and mission
The Medical Commission was created in 1967 in order to deal with the increasing problem of doping in the sports world. The initial goal of putting in place an anti-doping structure was rapidly widened to encompass the following three fundamental principals:
- Protection of the health of athletes.
- Respect for both medical and sports ethics.
- Equality for all competing athletes.
Fight against doping
For more than 40 years, the IOC Medical Commission has worked in the anti-doping field, studying alternative methods to help athletes. These alternatives consist of sport medicine, biomechanics, physiology applied to sports, nutrition and all the other sciences linked to sports.
Since the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the scope of the IOC Medical Commission has expanded.
Expanded scope
In addition to the ongoing fight against doping, which remains one of its main tasks both as representative of the IOC in WADA committees and during the Olympic Games, the IOC Medical Commission's mission is the body that addresses all of the main medical issues which may occur in sport. The IOC Medical Commission facilitates consensus meetings on all of the above-mentioned issues whilst giving priority to the protection of the health of anyone practising sport at any level.
The Olympic Movement Medical Code
Discover the new version of the Olympic Movement Medical Code which applies to Olympic Games, beginning with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The document defines basic rules regarding best medical practices in the domain of sport and the safeguarding of the rights and health of the athletes.
The Olympic Movement Medical Code
Composition
© CIO Richard JUILLIART
The Medical Commission is composed of distinguished specialists.
CHAIRPERSON
Professor Arne LJUNGQVIST
MEMBERS
Dr Mark AUBRY
Professor Don H. CATLIN, M.D.
Dr Rania ELWANIDr Ugur ERDENERMr René FASELProfessor Kenneth FITCH
Dr Robin E. MITCHELLDr Margo Lynn MOUNTJOY
Mr Denis OSWALDDr Patricia SANGENIS M.D.
DIRECTOR IN CHARGE
Dr Patrick SCHAMASCH
Statements
IOC concensus statements have been published based on the works of the Medical Commission. Find out more about these publications and reports.
IOC Consensus Statement on Periodic Health Evaluation of Elite Athletes
16 July 2009
In March 2009, the International Olympic Committee assembled an expert group listed above to discuss the current state of the art of the pre-participation health evaluation aiming to provide recommendations for a practical elite athlete Periodic Health Examination (PHE), as well as to outline the need for further research. The PHE can serve many purposes. The PHE includes a comprehensive assessment of the athlete’s current health status and risk of future injury or disease and, typically, is the entry point for medical care of the athlete. The PHE also serves as a tool for periodic health evaluation and monitoring in athletes.
Find out more and read the statement
IOC expert group publishes consensus statement on knee injury
05 May 2008
Non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a serious knee injury which affects young women in much higher numbers than young men, especially in sports like basketball, netball and team handball. A group of physicians, physical therapists, biomechanists and other scientists were invited by the IOC Medical Commission to discuss ACL, risk factors, prevention programmes and the need for further research. The expert panel concluded that improved education and greater awareness were key: "Athletes, coaches, and parents all play a vital role in the fight to prevent ACL injuries, which remains the largest single problem in orthopaedic sports medicine".
IOC adopts Consensus Statement on sexual harassment and abuse in sport
08 February 2007
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) adopted a Consensus Statement on “Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport”. This unique document defines the problems, identifies the risk factors and provides guidelines for prevention and resolution. The aim of the Consensus is to improve the health and protection of athletes through the promotion of effective preventive policy as well as to increase the awareness of these problems among the people in the entourage of the athletes.
Consensus Statement adopted on "Training the Elite Child Athlete"
14 November 2005
Having identified “Training the Elite Child Athlete” as a theme to be carefully studied, the IOC Medical Commission (MC) held a meeting in Lausanne. Coordinated by Margo Mountjoy M.D, member of the IOC MC and Lyle Micheli M.D., of the Harvard Medical School, discussions involved a group of experts including leading paediatric sports medicine and scientific experts from around the world as well as a retired elite child athlete. During the meeting, relative scientific literature was reviewed and safe guidelines were produced for the training of the elite child athlete.
IOC Consensus Statement on the Female Athlete Triad
9 November 2005
Protecting the health of the athlete is the primary goal of the International Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission (IOC MC). While athletes should be encouraged to strive for excellence, there is an obligation on the part of coaches, team physicians, other health care providers, International Federations, and sport governing bodies to recognise pressures, actions, and situations that may be detrimental to the athlete’s health. One area of concern for many female athletes is the pressure to meet unrealistic weight or body fat levels.
Find out more and read the consensus statement
IOC approves consensus with regard to athletes who have changed sex
17 May 2004
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the consensus proposed by the IOC Medical Commission stating the conditions to be respected for a person who has changed sex to compete in sports competitions. These conditions will be applied as of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in 2004 in Athens. The consensus is based on an ad-hoc committee convened by the IOC Medical Commission that met on 28 October 2003 in Stockholm to discuss and issue recommendations on the participation of individuals who have undergone sex reassignment (male to female and vice versa) in sport.
Games
Anti-doping rules adopted for the Olympic Games are increasingly severe.
Significant increase in number of tests
The increase in the number of tests: up from 3,600 in Athens to 4,500 in Beijing, serves as a clear demonstration of the IOC's commitment to ensuring that athletes play fair. As a general rule, all top five finishers plus a further two were tested. The tests included pre-competition controls, which had proved to be decisive. Of the 4,500 tests, around 700 to 800 applied to urine EPO detection and 900 were blood tests.
Who does what?
As the ruling body for the Olympic Games, the IOC delegated the responsibility for implementing doping controls to the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They acted under the IOC’s authority. The IOC Medical Commission was responsible for overseeing all doping control processes on-site, which was in full compliance with the IOC Anti-Doping Rules, the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Standard for Testing (ISO9001:2000).
Anti-doping rules for Vancouver Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued the IOC Anti-Doping Rules which will be applied during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This important document has been sent to the National Olympic Committees, the International Summer Sports Federations, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the national anti-doping agencies and the WADA-accredited laboratories.
Anti-Doping Rules - Vancouver 2010
List of substantive amendments and adaptations
World Anti-Doping Code
Please find below a link to the WADA world anti-doping code:
The World Anti-Doping Code - 2009
Medical Code
The Olympic Movement Medical Code - Making the health of the athletes a priority
Discover the new version of the Olympic Movement Medical Code which applies to Olympic Games, beginning with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The document defines basic rules regarding best medical practices in the domain of sport and the safeguarding of the rights and health of the athletes.
The Olympic Movement Medical Code
Olympic Movement Medical Code cover letter
Books and Documents
Sports Dentistry and Sports Physiotherapy
25 July 2008
Sports Dentistry
Teeth are just as important as any other part of the body to the athlete and his athletic performance. With this booklet, you will discover the appropriate tools to protect your teeth, improve dental health and prevent dental injuries. So take care of your teeth and they will take care of you!
Open the brochure
Sports Physiotherapy: treatment – prevention – recuperationAs risks are inherent to the practice of sport, one of the priorities of the IOC Medical Commission is to provide effective medical advice and care for the athlete. This brochure is therefore intended to minimise the risks of sports injuries for a maximum of sports participation, in particular at the Olympic Games.
Open the brochure
Encyclopaedia and Handbooks of sports medicine
1 March 2004
The IOC Medical Commission has been publishing the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine in collaboration with Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. (Oxford, England) since 1988. Each volume of the Encyclopedia includes up-to-date and state-of-the-art information on a particular medical/scientific area of sports medicine and sports science. A large team of internationally recognized experts contribute the 40-50 chapters that make up each volume. The Encyclopedia is intended for the use of sports medicine doctors, exercise and sport scientists, physiotherapists and athletic trainers, and graduate students in the sports sciences and allied health professions.
Handbooks of sports medicine and science
The IOC Medical Commission publishes handbooks devoted either to a single sport or to topics of importance for conditioning and preparation for competition in a variety of Olympic sports. Each Handbook presents basic clinical and scientific information in a clear style and format as related to specific sports events drawn from the Olympic Summer and Winter Games. Each handbook is written by a small team of authorities coordinated by an editor who has international respect and visibility in the particular sport activity. The contributors present practical information for medical doctors who work with athletes, team coaches who have academic preparation in basic science, physical therapists and other allied health personnel, and knowledgeable athletes. Each volume represents up-to-date information on the basic biology of the sport, conditioning techniques, nutrition, and the medical aspects of injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Nutritional Supplements
4 March 2004
Since 1997, the IOC Medical Commission has been concerned about positive results that could be linked to the use of nutritional supplements. The present lack of regulation concerning these in certain countries, including the USA, has led the IOC to intervene, and it has issued warnings on several occasions, particularly with a view to alerting athletes. At the same time, the IOC has approached various government bodies, seeking the introduction of quality controls for these products like those applied to medicines.
Given the lack of response to its different approaches, the IOC decided to fund a study into a large number of samples. The conclusions of this study have just been published, and confirm the scale of the problem. In view of these findings, the measures taken previously will be pursued.
Until concrete results are achieved, the IOC will continue urging athletes to avoid using these nutritional supplements. At the same time, the IOC recommends that its partners within the Olympic Movement (International Sports Federations and National Olympic Committees) exercise extreme caution with regard to the firms that produce these nutritional supplements.