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WADA: Ten years – ten challenges

Dag Vidar Hanstad
Associate professor
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences


In the first week of December a meeting full of celebrities marked the 10th anniversary of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Stockholm, Sweden. Not surprisingly the representatives agreed that WADA has been a great success. President of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, reminded the assembly about the status of anti-doping before WADA:

“Anti-doping was ineffective, we had no standards for testing and no harmonization regarding sanctions. WADA has helped change attitudes towards doping and doping is now widely recognized for what it is: a corrosive evil that threatens the integrity of sports”, he said to the members of WADA Foundation Board in Stockholm City Hall.

The IOC is among the organizations that carry out anti-doping work with more credibility that previously. Nevertheless, the most significant development is the increasing involvement of public authorities. Governments have, in addition to their involvement in WADA, transformed a common policy into the UNESCO Convention which provides a legal framework in which all governments can address the use of drugs. Operations by governmental units, such as police and customs, have unmasked drug use, for example BALCO in the US and Operación Puerto in Spain. This seems to have taken anti-doping work in a new direction.

However, anti-doping activity and WADA in particular are facing challenges for the next years. I have picked ten areas.

1. The anti-doping approach.
Since WADA was created in 1999 the numbers of doping controls have increased from 118.000 to 274.000. This indicates that sports organizations all over the world prioritize the punitive approach based on detection and deterrence. Regarding prevention WADA is now preparing an education program targeted to youth inside and outside sport. It seems promising but requires support from the sport movement and government.

2. Role of governments.
Even though it is helpful for the anti-doping work to have the governments onboard, two elements are of concern: (i) The fact that 128 nations have signed the International Convention against Doping in Sport (the UNESCO Convention) seems to be a success but in reality it tells us almost nothing. It remains to be seen how many of these nations really will implement and follow-up the commitment. And will UNESCO have the necessary capacity to follow up the Convention and the signatories? Probably not. Then it may be another costly responsibility for WADA even though this is not the agency’s responsibility. (ii) It was said during the Stockholm meeting that six members of the Board have been there since the start. All of them come from the sports movement. Politicians from the public authorities are members for just a short period. This may influence the power balance because only the sports leaders have the experience and knowledge. This concern was presented during the discussion.

3. Code compliance.
In Stockholm it was reported that 649 organizations have accepted the World Anti-Doping Code, “the core document that provides the framework for harmonized anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities:” When it comes to adoption of the rules the situation is not nearly as positive. Finally, just a small number of organizations enforce all the elements of the Code. This gives lack of harmonization – with consequences for the athletes.

4. The Russian situation.
It is of importance for the credibility of the anti-doping work that nations with athletes who win medals have an efficient and effective system. It was reported in Stockholm that WADA now intervenes in Russia, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Jamaica and Turkey. Of particular importance is the situation in Russia, a superpower in sport. There are some positive signs: an independent anti-doping organization (RUSADA) is now established, Russia has now allowed WADA to send doping control officers (with multiple business visa) to carry out unannounced tests, they can now bring the necessary equipment, and it was reported that the parties are close to a solution regarding bringing biological samples out of Russia.

5. The expenses.
As mentioned, 274.000 tests were carried out last year. The cost, including sample collection, transport, analysis, payment to doping control officers and administration is an average of 1000 USD for each test. This gives a total cost of close to 300 million USD just for the controls. In addition there are expenses to support hundreds of organizations, meetings, seminars etc. Anti-doping has become an industry. It will be a challenge to be sure that the money is spent efficiently.

6. Legal costs.
WADA and some international federations are involved in cases which are going on for months and years. In addition to cases brought to the Court of Arbitration for sport (CAS), more athletes are taking their cases to civil law courts with a consequent increase in expenses for WADA and sport federations.

7. New drugs will appear.
WADA has spent a huge amount of money on developing tests for new drugs. We are still waiting for methods to analyze for gene doping. New methods and drugs will appear in the years to come. One way to catch cheaters is to get into closer collaboration with medical companies.

8. Whereabouts information.
WADA has met resistance among some athletes groups after the revised Code (and the international standard for testing) came into force earlier this year. For the years to come this will present WADA with a difficult balancing act. The wish for effective anti-doping work has to be seen together with how people within and outside sport understand the tools. For many, whereabouts is seen as part of an expanding anti-doping regime that is moving from a justifiable tool to an indefensible surveillance regime.

9. ADAMS.
Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS) is, after many years and spending of millions, still a matter of concern. The IOC will implement ADAMS for the winter games in Vancouver and a failure will represent a setback for the anti-doping work. For many athletes it is difficult to handle ADAMS – which again gives rise to resistance to anti-doping work.

10. Corruption.
Elite sport is about big money. It has been indicated that doping control officers and employees at accredited WADA laboratories have been involved – or that some sought to involve them – in corruption. If some athletes or federations can go “clean” by paying people in important position there is no hope for the anti-doping work.


dag.vidar.hanstad@nih.no
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