Doping test for AG's at ITU worlds this weekend

Triathlon Forum
1

Just announced:

"The International Triathlon Union and the German Triathlon Federation, the hosts and organizers of the Hamburg BG Triathlon World Championships have released important details in regards to the handling and execution of the current ITU Anti-Doping Program.

"During the World Championships, the ITU will carry out a high number of doping controls. In conformity with the International Standards for Testing urine samples will be taken, as well as blood samples. Thereby Age Group, Junior, Under 23 and Elite athletes will all be monitored. The ITU intensifies its fight against doping by conducting strict pre-competition controls beside the regular competition controls.

"We want you to forward the following information to all of your national athletes taking part in Hamburg – as soon as possible:

"According to the WADA Code and rule 4.4. of the ITU Anti-Doping Rules each participating athlete with documented medical conditions requiring the use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method basically has to exhibit a therapeutic use exemption (TUE). Thereby, each athlete is generally obliged to provide a TUE issued by ITU (Rule 4.4.2.).

"For the purpose of these provisions the ITU and the anti-doping administrator will accept for the facilitation of the result management the following:

"1. For Junior, U 23 and elite competitors: TUE´s issued by their National Anti-Doping-Organisations in compliance with the WADA-Code and the International Standard for TUE.

"2. For athletes taking part at the ITU Age Group World Championships: the presentation of medical certificates including medical diagnosis and prescribed substances. In relation to the facilitation for Age Group athletes, the ITU reserves its right to evaluate their presented certificates and to deny the acceptance.

"During the BG Triathlon World Championships 2007 testing will take place for the juniors, U23, elite and age group athletes.

"In case they are chosen to be tested the athlete needs to carry a copy of his identity card including a photo.

"ITU assumes no liability for drinks or food every athlete ingests during the race. ITU cautions all athletes about possible ingredients being part of the list of prohibited substances in context with the ITU anti-doping rules and the WADA prohibited list. Also the intake of food supplements – before and during the race - happens at the athletes’ own risk. With possible ITU anti-doping rule violations in mind each athlete should urgently inform himself on the ingredients of these supplements before every intake.

“Please submit the TUEs or the Medical Certificates to Leslie Buchanan at leslie.buchanan@triathlon.org or fax at 1.604.904.9249.”

Hmmm, since most athletes doing worlds will be leaving within a day or two, this could get interesting. Might physicians accompanying U.S. team get some unexpected requests?

2

Yep, we are all ready… I want to be first in line.

I wish USAT would test 100% of us before the race. I would really like to know our team is 100% clean.
(Yea, I know there are lots of ways to beat testing, but, got to start somewhere)

Dave

3

Yep, we are all ready… I want to be first in line.

I wish USAT would test 100% of us before the race. I would really like to know our team is 100% clean.
(Yea, I know there are lots of ways to beat testing, but, got to start somewhere)

Dave

Good Idea!

4

Yep, we are all ready… I want to be first in line.

I wish USAT would test 100% of us before the race. I would really like to know our team is 100% clean.
(Yea, I know there are lots of ways to beat testing, but, got to start somewhere)

Dave

that’s a great idea dave. let’s have USAT do 300 AG tests and charge the cost to the elite/pro team members…instead of the opposite way it is now.

sunday forecast is for 45F and rain, got your rain slicks ready?

5

Darn, I do not even own any rain slicks. Oh well, since my goal is just to finish. :o(

But, the pro/elite folks get everything free from us AGer’s. :o(

Oh well, in the scope of life, these expenses are still minor compared to the other costs in our sport,
let alone the travel cost.

Dave

6

Darn, I do not even own any rain slicks. Oh well, since my goal is just to finish. :o(

           http://texomacyclingcenter.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=5760
7

Darn, too late to change. Less worried about the tires, compared to the last time I rode in the rain I had NO brakes.

Dave

8

beyond everything else, here are some things to consider:

the ITU gave the athletes about one week’s notice to prepare TUE materials prior to their need to get on planes and leave for hamburg. because of this, the ITU sort of forced all these athletes into a violation of WADA’s own Code-requirement of a 21-day minimum lead time in which an athlete must request a TUE prior to competition. as a result of this, the ITU itself realizes that TUEs cannot be granted in their normal course, so it’s going to evaluate and grant TUEs in hamburg in those few days prior to the race.

the evaluation of TUEs requires what’s called a TUEC, that is, a TUE committee, and that constituents of those committees is strictly spelled out by WADA. i have a real question as to whether that’s going to be carried out as it should be by the ITU for this race, simply because of time constraints.

as a result of this, the ITU is going to be pretty lax when it comes to evaluating these TUEs. it’s saying, “bring your doctor’s note with you,” or something to that effect. that stands in very sharp contrast to the strict TUE requirements laid out by WADA, and followed to the letter by USADA.

nevertheless, national federations must honor these on-the-fly TUEs issued by the ITU in hamburg. USADA is required to honor a TUE issued by the IF, although the IF is not required to honor a TUE issued by USADA or any NADO (national anti-doping organization).

simply put, if you’re an athlete going to hamburg and you’re thinking of staying home because you’re on the juice and you’re afraid of getting caught, best for you cheaters to go anyway. your best chance of getting a TUE is in hamburg, and that’s a get out of jail free card here in america, where getting a TUE from USADA would’ve been much much harder.

9

Dan, so if one got a TUE in Hamburg, how long is it good for. (Meaning, I have no idea if a TUE has to be
re-justified lets say on an annual basis)

I will keep my eyes open to see if there is a TUE location.

Dave

10

“so if one got a TUE in Hamburg, how long is it good for.”

i have to go back and read WADA’s circulars on this, but i think typically they’re renewed annually, and i think in any case WADA has a max of 3yr on any TUE. but that’s from memory.

note: i suppose it’s possible the ITU could say the TUE is only good for that one race. but i’ve never heard of that before.

11

Dan,

I am with you that this may very well violate WADA “process”.

I do not see it that much as a “get out of jail free card”, since it is not the ITU who finally decides if the TUE is valid. It is WADA.
So there is another point to consider:
USAT and USADA now can say they told their athletes and get off the hook of WADA if someone tests positive.
The blame won’t fall on USAT and USADA, but only the athlete…

An athlete from a federation that did nothing to even try to comply with the AG excemption procedures, is actually better off, since he can claim innocence and blame his/her national federation that did not inform him at all about the required TUEs.

12

“it is not the ITU who finally decides if the TUE is valid. It is WADA.”

if you look at WADA’s own circulars it’s clear that the IF has the power to issue TUEs, and that power supercedes anything the national anti-doping agencies do.

yes, that was news to me as well, and yes this does place the fox in charge of the hen house. the reason for USADA’s existence, and for the existence of every other national anti doping organization, is so that national olympic committees do not face the mutually exclusive goals of getting medals and catching dopers. to place an IF in the position as both a generator of TUEs and the policeman of anti-doping for its sport places it with the mutually exclusive goals of catching dopers as well as convincing the world its sport is clean.

yes, WADA is of course the overseer, the auditor, but WADA pretty much never takes any action to counter anything an IF does, at least as regards TUEs. WADA will not stick its finger in this. in practice the ITU will have a free reign to issue these TUEs as it sees fit.