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WADA publishes Independent Observer Report for 2014 Olympic Winter Games

2014-05-14 10:17 WADA

May 13, 2014 - WADA has completed and published its Independent Observer (IO) Report on the anti-doping program at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA is invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to send an IO Team to all Olympic Games, and deliver a final report on the effectiveness of the program and any recommendations for its improvement.

“The anti-doping program that the IOC put in place for Sochi was every bit as robust and professional as we could have hoped for,” said WADA President Sir Craig Reedie.

“The combined efforts of the IOC and the Sochi Organising Committee for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (SOCHI 2014) were impressive, and this is reflected in the overall positive nature of the report.

“Through the audit-style approach, and with the strong level of cooperation and support received from both the IOC and SOCHI 2014, the team was able to complete its mission to the best of its ability and with the rights of the clean athlete at its very heart.”

The IO Team monitored all aspects of the anti-doping program in Sochi, including test distribution planning, the selection of competitors for testing, notification of doping control, Therapeutic Use Exemption procedure, chain of custody, sample analysis and results management.

As is the case following all IO Missions, the report included a number of recommendations designed to further enhance anti-doping activities at future Games, with particular regard to the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code.