Pre-Games Anti-Doping Taskforce: Targeted Testing
Building on the success of the Pre-Games Anti-Doping Taskforce set up prior to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the IOC, WADA, the Doping-Free Sport Unit (DFSU) of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, have set up a similar Taskforce ahead of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to optimise the testing of athletes through detailed assessment of individual athletes and groups of athletes in order to recommend specific targeted tests, and then follow up and monitor the testing performed on these athletes.
The targeted pre-Games testing advised by the Taskforce enhances the tests which are already carried out by the International Federations (IFs) and the National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs).
A special focus of the Taskforce is on Russian athletes, given the ongoing inquiries by the two IOC Commissions, in particular regarding the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. As well as a special emphasis on Russian athletes, the pre-Games testing programme is also enhanced by using the following criteria:
- Sports disciplines and nationalities at risk will be particularly targeted.
- Individual athletes will be targeted depending on their ranking, in particular the top 20, and performance, as well as following any suspicious change in recent performance and with regard to any previous adverse testing history.
Targeted tests were carried out between April 2017 and January 2018 by IFs and NADOs. There have been more than 17,000 targeted tests performed on more than 6,000 athletes. These recommendations to IFs and NADOs were followed up and monitored by the Taskforce.
The testing figures in the combined report will reflect a series of different aspects such as:
- the number of disciplines and events that are under the responsibility of each IF;
- the specific intelligence gathered from their risk assessments; and
- the appropriate timing for the tests to be performed according to each discipline and event.
The first combined report includes testing conducted by IFs, NADOs and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and details cumulative testing figures from April to October 2017. Subsequent reports with updated figures were published on a monthly basis up until the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
SEE FULL RESULTS - APRIL TO OCTOBER 2017
SEE FULL RESULTS - NOVEMBER 2017
SEE FULL RESULTS - DECEMBER 2017
SEE FULL RESULTS - JANUARY 2018
This initiative reinforces the importance of intelligent and intensive testing on athletes through a coordinated effort amongst all relevant anti-doping organisations at the national and international levels.
The commitment of all Winter Olympic IFs, NADOs and National Olympic Committees continues to help protect the integrity of sport and the right of clean athletes to compete on a level playing field.
TESTING REPORTS BY FEDERATION:
As part of this programme, the International Winter Sports Federations released a monthly report of how many athletes have been tested under these conditions. The first IF reports include total figures from April through October 2017. Each month leading up to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, a new monthly report was available from each IF. Click on the IF logos to learn more:
