Future Olympic Games Integrity: A shift to more intelligent testing
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.
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:
This programme was initiated by the IOC prior to the 2012 Olympic Games in London (for samples from the Olympic Games Athens 2004) in order "to provide a level playing field for all clean athletes" via the reanalysis of stored samples.
Beijing 2008 – The reanalysis of the samples from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 is complete. Read the factsheet here for more background, key figures and the list of IOC Disciplinary Commission decisions.
Vancouver 2010 – The reanalysis programme for Vancouver 2010 was completed in September 2017, ahead of the limitation period for the samples collected, which expires in February 2018. Read the press release here for an overview.
London 2012 – The reanalysis of the samples from the Olympic Games London 2012 is ongoing, with further analysis expected late 2017. Read the factsheet here for more background, key figures and the list of IOC Disciplinary Commission decisions already taken.
In order to protect clean athletes and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the fight against doping for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the IOC will require the assistance of NOCs in this process.
NOCs will be requested by the IOC to help locate all athletes, i.e. all athletes currently in a whereabouts system and those who are not part of a whereabouts system, through accurate rooming lists (ref. to template below) for those living in the Olympic Village and addresses for those living outside. The information needs to include sufficient details (such as block and room number in specific Olympic Village and place of training), so that they can be easily located from the date of the opening of the Village (1st February 2018) up to and including the date of the Closing Ceremony (25thFebruary 2018). NOCs should ensure athletes who are part of a registered testing pool realise the importance of full compliance with whereabouts requirements. This information must be provided in electronic format on the designated template in English. This template is available here.
NOCs may decide:
not to provide a rooming list if all their athletes are completing good whereabouts, or
to provide rooming lists on just those not on whereabouts, or
to complete a rooming list for the whole team, for practical purposes, including the addresses of those staying outside the village.
The rooming lists should be emailed to dop@pyeongchang2018.com. If PyeongChang 2018 Doping Control personnel have difficulty locating an athlete selected for testing then the relevant NOC’s system for providing location information will be reviewed by the IOC. For those athletes not on a whereabouts system, in specific cases, the relevant IF or NADO may be asked to include athletes in their formal whereabouts system.
WHO DOES WHAT?
Protecting clean athletes by fighting against doping is a top priority for the IOC, which has established a zero-tolerance policy to combat cheating and to make anyone responsible for using or providing doping products accountable.
The IOC has taken firm action in response to the findings of the McLaren Report on doping and manipulation in Russia, which showed that there was a fundamental attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and on sport in general.
