The World Anti-Doping Agency has this week re-iterated that sports and athletes should allow more time to adjust to the new whereabouts regulations which came into place on 1 January 2009. Speaking at a Media Symposium in Lausanne, WADA President John Fahey confirmed that there were no immediate plans to revise the rules.
“We’re eight weeks into this [the new rules], surely it is best to monitor it and if there are shortfalls that emerge than we can look at it again next year,” said Fahey. His views were echoed by WADA Director General David Howman, who added: “I think some people are just reacting negatively to change. Most complaints have been from sports where have not previously had whereabouts in place. We will continue to inform and educate athletes and will, of course, listen to their concerns but it makes no sense to change things at the present time.”
Prior to January, the rules regarding the provision of whereabouts varied between different sports and countries. However, under the new International Standard for Testing a harmonised and mandatory set of rules are now in place:
- The National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) will determine which sports will be required to provide whereabouts information
- Athletes on the system will be required to provide quarterly information on their exact whereabouts for one hour a day, seven days a week, between 6am and 11pm. In addition, they will need to provide details of their permanent mailing address, a daily residential address (e.g. home, hotel, etc), competition schedule and schedule of regular activities (e.g. training, work, etc)
- ‘Strikes’ can be gained from Missed Tests and Filing Failures (failure to provide sufficient information) – three strikes over an 18-month period constitutes a possible anti-doping rule violation. Such a violations brings with it a sanction of between one and two years ineligibility depending on the athlete’s degree of fault
WADA’s stance was welcomed by UK Sport. Andy Parkinson, Director of Drug-Free Sport:
“WADA continues to send out a strong message to sports and athletes that the rules are here to stay and need to be adhered to. We think that’s absolutely right – the provision of whereabouts information is essential to our work in anti-doping and to try and create the level playing field we are want in sport.
“The Code and Standards in general have to try and fit across all sports. Inevitably that means there will be some compromises along the way and not everyone having things exactly how they want them. Therefore, we will continue to play our part by providing whatever support is necessary to help sports and athletes comply with the rules. However, they also need to step up to the mark, approach this with the right attitude and get on with what is now essentially part and parcel of being a world-class athlete.”
