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WADA President: ＂Fight against Doping Does Not Stop with Games＂

2010-02-28 02:11 WADA

Feb 26, 2010 - On the eve of the closing of the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, WADA’s President John Fahey issued the following remarks:

“While I will not comment on specifics of the Vancouver anti-doping program conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prior to the release of WADA’s Independent Observer report in the coming weeks, I am satisfied that the rigorous testing conducted in the months leading up to the Games has helped protect the integrity of these Games by keeping anti-doping violators out of the Games. Experience has shown that cheaters are generally much more likely to use prohibited substances or methods out-of-competition rather than in-competition.

“Analysis of samples by the Richmond laboratory and results management of doping control results by the IOC are still underway. They could in fact go on for eight years, as allowed by the World Anti-Doping Code. As demonstrated by the IOC in the months following the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, retroactive analysis of stored samples, as science advances, can be a powerful tool in the fight against doping in sport.

“WADA’s Athlete Outreach Program has again been a huge success during these Games. Hundreds of athletes and support personnel have visited our Athlete Outreach Centers at the Vancouver and Whistler Athlete Villages to learn more about their rights and responsibilities in the fight against doping sport. We look forward to conducting similar Athlete Outreach and Independent Observer missions during the Paralympic Games.

“For WADA, the fight against doping in sport is a 24-7-365 responsibility that goes beyond the Olympic Games and any specific sport event. WADA will continue to work relentlessly with all of its stakeholders to further enhance the global fight against doping in sport and provide clean athletes a platform for true athletic excellence.”

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