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A System of Strict Doping Test

2004-03-27 14:24 COC Anti-Doping Commission

    Over the past years, China has gradually set up special organs for doping control and formed a team of full-time and part-time doping control officers. Doping test plans were drafted and implemented. The annual number of tests dramatically increased. Continual moves were taken to strengthen doping test outside competition and for key target sports.

    1. Organs of Doping Control

    The Inspection Section of the Anti-Doping Commission of the Chinese Olympic Committee is the executive organ for China's doping test programme. To ensure an effective implementation of the programme, China has formed a team of doping control officers consisting mainly of medical workers, scientific researchers and physical education teachers who work on a volunteering basis. Corresponding systems of training, examination and other personnel management were also established. Presently China has a number of 95 doping control officials, sample collectors and assistant sample collectors.

    The China Doping Control Centre is the only institution that conducts doping test in the country. Since 1989, the Centre has passed the IOC annual examination for 14 years in succession, being ranked as a Class A laboratory in the world.

    2. Programme of Doping Control

    In early 1990s, China began to carry out a unified doping control programme across the country. The annual number of tests increased greatly. In 1990, a total of 165 tests were conducted and the number rose to 1,914 in 1995, 10.6 times that of 1990. Then the number reached 3,505, 80% more than that in 1995 and 20.2 times the figure of 1990. The present scale of doping tests in China has come out at the top of the world. In 1990, the number of tests in China accounted for only 0.23% of the world's total, but by 1998, the number rose to 2.9%. The Chinese government department in charge of sports bears all of the funds needed annually. As a developing country, China not only earnestly carries out doping test on its territory but also enthusiastically contributes to anti-doping in the world.

    China's doping test touches upon about 40 sports, including all Olympic sports. Considering the characteristics of different sports, the Chinese Olympic Committee takes track and field, swimming, weightlifting, cycling, rowing, canoeing, judo and wrestling as the key target sports for testing. According to statistics, tests conducted for these sports accounted for 85% of the total conducted in 1999.

    3. Out of Competition Test

    China has been strengthening doping control out of competition. At present, the out-of-competition tests account for about 50% of the annual number. In line with the international practice, the out-of-competition test was conducted without prior notice.This, however, proved very difficult because China is so large and transportation and communication are not advanced yet. To guarantee the quality of the testing, China adopts a practice that key athletes must report to the authorities if they are away from their regular residence for 48 hours or more. Measures for administration and punishment were also drafted accordingly.

    In recent years, international sports federations, such as those of athletics, swimming and weightlifting also increased their out-of-competition tests in China. Relevant Chinese sports organizations have given them necessary support.

    4. Blood Test

    To prevent abuse of EPO and protect athletes' health, China began in 1998 to conduct pre-competition blood test in sports involving body energy, following the practices of international federations of cycling and skiing. In 1999, 317 blood tests were done throughout China in seven sports, including track and field, swimming, cycling, rowing, cross-country skiing, biathlon and speed skating. In the blood testing conducted prior to the Fourth National Inter-City Games, four athletes showed higher indices than the standards and were disqualified from the competition.

    5. Results

    With the continuous strengthening of the anti-doping work, the rate of positiveness in domestic tests in the past decreased annually, dropping from 1.82% in 1990 to 0.46% in 1999, which is much lower than international level of the same period. According to statistics done by the IOC, the positive rate in the world in 1998 was about 1.8 percent. This indicated that China has achieved preliminary but substantial progress in its work of anti-doping.

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