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play true ISSUE 2 - 2007 AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY WADA’s research budgets have created a stable and significantly increased source of funding for anti-doping scientists, accelerating the development of new detection approaches and putting dopers squarely in their sights. Science Honing in on Doping

Play True 2007 - Summer - Research...BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping

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Page 1: Play True 2007 - Summer - Research...BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping

play trueISSUE 2 - 2007 AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY

WADA’s research budgets have created a stable andsignificantly increased source of funding for anti-dopingscientists, accelerating the development of new detectionapproaches and putting dopers squarely in their sights.

ScienceHoning in on Doping

Page 2: Play True 2007 - Summer - Research...BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping

pp.. 11

pp.. 22 ppggss.. 55––2200

play trueAN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY

CONTACT:

THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCYE-MAIL: [email protected]: www.wada-ama.org

HEADQUARTERS800 PLACE VICTORIA - SUITE 1700P.O. BOX 120, MONTREAL, QCCANADA H4Z 1B7 TEL: +1 514 904 9232FAX: +1 514 904 8650

AFRICAN REGIONAL OFFICEPROTEA ASSURANCE BUILDING8TH FLOORGREENMARKET SQUARECAPE TOWN8001 SOUTH AFRICATEL: +27 21 483 9790FAX: +27 21 483 9791

ASIA/OCEANIA REGIONAL OFFICEC/O JAPAN INSTITUTE OF SPORTS SCIENCES3-15-1 NISHIGAOKA, KITA-KUTOKYO115-0056 JAPANTEL: +81 3 5963 4321FAX: +81 3 5963 4320

EUROPEAN REGIONAL OFFICEAVENUE DU TRIBUNAL-FÉDÉRAL 341005 LAUSANNESWITZERLANDTEL: +41 21 343 43 40FAX: +41 21 343 43 41

LATIN AMERICAN REGIONAL OFFICEWORLD TRADE CENTER MONTEVIDEOTOWER IIUNIT 712 - 18TH FLOORCALLE LUIS A DE HERRERA 1248MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAYTEL: + 598 2 623 5206 FAX: + 598 2 623 5207

EDITORELIZABETH HUNTER

CONTRIBUTORSJULIE CARTER JAMES ROACHFRÉDÉRIC DONZÉ JENNIFER SCLATERELIZABETH HUNTER STACY SPLETZER

TRANSLATIONSFRÉDÉRIC DONZÉ

PHOTOSJOONAS EKESTRÖM (TANJA KARI PROFILE)

DESIGN AND LAYOUTANTHONY PHILBIN COMMUNICATIONS

The information published in the Play True magazinewas correct at time of printing. The opinions expressedare those of the authors alone and do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of WADA.

Reproduction of articles of the Play True magazine isencouraged. For permission, please send your writtenrequest to the WADA Communications Department [email protected]. Play True magazine must becredited in any reproduction.

RR..WW.. PPoouunndd eeddiittoorriiaall::TThhee TTiimmee IIss NNooww

If your sport or anti-dopingorganization is not yet Codecompliant, now is the time toget your house in order.

PPaaggee 11

DDaavviidd HHoowwmmaann eeddiittoorriiaall::PPrrooggrreessss BBaasseedd oonn RReesseeaarrcchh

WADA has made significantcontributions to anti-dopingresearch activities on anumber of fronts and iscontinuing to pursue newapproaches and strategicpartnerships.

PPaaggee 22

CCoovveerr ssttoorryy:: CChhaammppiioonniinngg tthhee SScciieennccee

An exclusive interview with Prof. Arne Ljungqviston the current state of anti-doping research andon the promises it may hold for the future of safeand fair competition.

PPaaggee 33

WWAADDAA——LLeeaaddiinngg SScciieennttiiffiicc RReesseeaarrcchh iinn AAnnttii--DDooppiinngg:: RReellaatteedd AArrttiicclleess

EEsssseennttiiaall PPaarrttnneerrsshhiippss..................................................................................................pp..55TThhee WWAADDAA PPrrooggrraamm iinn DDeepptthh ..........................................................................pp..99GGeennee DDooppiinngg ................................................................................................................................pp..1122TThhee RReesseeaarrcchheerr''ss PPeerrssppeeccttiivvee ....................................................................pp..1155AAbboouutt hhGGHH DDeetteeccttiioonn ....................................................................................................pp..1155TThhee AAtthhlleettee''ss PPaassssppoorrtt ..............................................................................................pp..1199

pp.. 33

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pp.. 3311pp.. 2277

contents

UUKK SSppoorrtt EEmmbbrraacceess AADDAAMMSS

An overview of UK Sport's ADAMSroll-out since it made a strategicdecision in late 2005 to fullyimplement the program fordoping control management.

PPaaggee 2233

PPaarrttnneerr PPrrooffiillee:: IITTFF

BBC Radio's Tennis CorrespondentJonathan Overend talks to theInternational Tennis Federation's(ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about theTennis Anti-Doping Program,which is now exclusively managed by the ITF.

PPaaggee 2255

AAtthhlleettee PPrrooffiillee:: TTaannjjaa KKaarrii

Paralympics and WorldChampionships multiple goldmedalist and WADA AthleteCommittee member Tanja Karicontinues to give her all tokeeping sport clean and fair forfuture generations.

PPaaggee 2277

WWAADDAA UUppddaattee:: AAtthhlleettee CCoommmmiitttteeee

WADA's Athlete Committeeconvenes in Estoril (Portugal)to provide input on proposedchanges to the World Anti-Doping Code and relatedInternational Standards.

PPaaggee 2299

WWAADDAA UUppddaattee:: EEdduuccaattiioonn SSeemmiinnaarrss

WADA's new two-day educationTraveling Seminars are empoweringparticipants in multiple regions todevelop and implement their own anti-doping education activities.

PPaaggee 3311

WWAADDAA UUppddaatteess && CCaalleennddaarr PPgg

Third World Conference on Doping in Sport ...........................3333

New RADOs Established ...................3333Investigations Symposium................3344Doping Quiz Link Program................3344Fourth IF Symposium ........................3344WADA Event Calendar........................3355

WWAADDAA UUppddaattee:: SSoocciiaall SScciieennccee RReesseeaarrcchh

WADA's Social Science Research GrantProgram and how it will provide anevidence-based foundation for thedevelopment of anti-doping education initiatives.

PPaaggee 3300

OOllyymmppiicc MMuusseeuumm AAnnttii--DDooppiinngg EExxhhiibbiitt

Francis Gabet, director of theOlympic Museum, discusses whyit was important for the OlympicMuseum to renew this exhibitand how visitors to the OlympicMuseum cite doping among theirtop three key issues.

PPaaggee 2222

YYoouurr DDuuttyy aanndd RReessppoonnssiibbiilliittyy ttoo OOppppoossee DDooppiinngg

Guest contributor Walter R. Frontera,MD, PhD, President, InternationalFederation of Sports Medicine(FIMS), and his message to sportsmedicine physicians, clinicians and scientists.

PPaaggee 2211

pp.. 2222

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Code signatories take note: yourCode compliance report card willbe made public next year. If yoursport or anti-doping organizationis not yet Code compliant, now isthe time to get your house in order.

The World Anti-Doping Codeassigns WADA the responsibilityof formally reporting onstakeholder compliance every twoyears. Our first report will occur inNovember 2008. In lead-up to

this, WADA’s Executive Committeehas directed WADA to prepare apreliminary report for the September2007 executive meeting,reporting on the status of eachanti-doping organization (ADO)and International Federation (IF)vis-à-vis Code compliance.

Let’s first clear up any confusionthat might exist about whatexactly compliance entails. Thereare three “steps” to becomingcompliant: acceptance,implementation and compliance.When an organization accepts theCode, it agrees to the principles ofthe Code and that it will use theCode as the basis for its anti-doping program, rules andregulations. Code acceptance isan important public statement,but it is only a first step thatmeans very little without puttingaction to those words throughimplementation and compliance.

During the implementation phase,

the organization undertakes aprocess of reviewing its policies andrules governing its activities andamending them to include themandatory articles and principles ofthe Code and related InternationalStandards. This involves attendingto all aspects related to the fightagainst doping in sport including,but not limited to, ensuring that therules for managing doping controlresults follows the universallyaccepted procedures, there is an

appropriate mechanism in place forreviewing and granting therapeuticuse exemptions, and, for IFs inparticular, there is an out-of-competition testing program asdefined by the Code.

Implementation is anotherimportant step, and is no minortask, but in the end amounts to littleif there is not full compliance. AnADO or IF is Code-compliant onlywhen its policies and rules are inline with the Code, and it isapplying and enforcing them.

Given that the Code was approvedin 2003 and that it came into forcein January 2004, one mightreasonably expect all ADOs and IFsto have achieved full Codecompliance by now. Particularlysince the Code, in its current form,is the result of extensive draftingand consultation with, as well asfinal approval from, all stakeholdersincluding ADOs and IFs, a processwhich began as early as 2001.

Some have taken on the fightagainst doping in a very resolutemanner. Because of their firm anddecisive action in confrontingdoping, these ADOs and IFs standa far greater chance in terms ofsafeguarding their sports’ andanti-doping programs’ integrityand credibility. And their athletesstand a far greater chance ofexperiencing the joy of fair andhonest competition, without any

clean athlete ever consideringresorting to doping in order to“level the playing field.”

Others, whose authoritiessystematically have turned ablind eye to doping over theyears, now find themselves indesperate situations calling forextreme measures to salvagewhat good might possibly remain,as evidenced by recent headlines.

Between these two extremes,there are those stakeholders thathave taken some measures andare compliant in some areas whilenot so in others.

Whatever the case may be,now is the time for all Codesignatories to act, and WADA canhelp. We have programs andactivities in place, operating on adaily basis, that are intended toassist stakeholders in meetingtheir Code requirements.

Code Compliance:

The Time Is Now

Richard W. Pound, WADA President

We will report publicly on compliance by the end of 2008,and I encourage every one of your organizations to take ahard look at your rules and programs today and contactWADA should you have any questions or require assistanceso that you are fully compliant and can be reported as such.

1 play true - issue 2 - 2007

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We review stakeholders’ rules andprovide models of best practiceand guidelines to facilitateimplementation. Model rules havebeen developed for IFs, NationalFederations, National OlympicCommittees, National Anti-DopingOrganizations and Major GamesOrganizers. Guidelines areavailable for, among otheractivities, result management,out-of-competition testing,whereabouts information,therapeutic use exemptions, bloodand urine sample collection, andeducation programs.

In addition to the assistance inrelation to rules and processes, wemonitor sanctions, appealingdecisions that are not in line withthe Code. To help ensure there areCode-compliant anti-dopingprograms worldwide, we foster theestablishment of Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADO),and so far have helped to bringmore than 100 countries into thefold. We have proposed thedevelopment of an IF anti-dopingorganization, based on the RADOmodel, so that some of the smallersports can share resources in thefulfillment of their Code requirements.

We will report publicly oncompliance by the end of 2008,and I encourage every one of yourorganizations to take a hard look atyour rules and programs today andcontact WADA should you have anyquestions or require assistance sothat you are fully compliant and canbe reported as such.

Doping is the greatest dangerfacing ethical sports today, andthe consequences of not facingthis danger head-on through Codecompliance can be far-reaching,including non-participation in theOlympic Games.

David Howman, WADA Director General

I am pleased to provide a briefintroduction to this issue of PlayTrue in which we highlight someof the recent advances in thescience of detection as a resultof WADA’s scientific researchprogram. Common themes youwill read about are the relativescarcity of funds for anti-dopingresearch, the significant impactWADA’s research program hasmade in spite of this and in arelatively short period of time,and the value of partnershipand collaboration.

WADA’s program was establishedin 2001, and has since devotedmore than US$31 million to

scientific research. This year wecommitted US$6.6 million to theprogram. For an internationalagency with an annual budget ofapproximately US$23 million,close to 30 percent of the totalbudget for scientific research is asignificant commitment. It hasbeen a worthwhile investment,resulting in our ability to detect anumber of performanceenhancing drugs, such as thedesigner steroid DMT and more

recently hGH. Still, we know thatmore can be done and recognizethe need to continue to cultivatechampions, forge partnershipswith our stakeholders and seekcollaboration from outside thetraditional anti-doping movement.

For this issue we interviewedseveral individuals who haveindeed championed the need fora dedicated research program orwho have contributedsignificantly to our ability todetect doping through their ownresearch activities. I want to takethis opportunity to recognize theirinvaluable work, without whichthere could be no legitimate fight

against doping in sport. Thereare many others too who havededicated themselves to scientificstudy in the field of anti-doping,or who have used their expertisein other highly specialized areas,to the service of the fight againstdoping in sport. WADA and itsstakeholders are grateful for thiswork and for the partnershipscreated, which allow us tobecome more and more efficientat deterring and detecting doping.

Progress Based on

Research

For an international agency with anannual budget of approximately US$23million, close to 30 percent of the totalbudget for scientific research is asignificant commitment. It has been aworthwhile investment, resulting in ourability to detect a number of performanceenhancing drugs, such as the designersteroid DMT and more recently hGH.

2play true - issue 2 - 2007

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3 play true - issue 2 - 2007

PPllaayy TTrruuee:: Given your experience over severaldecades of anti-doping, how do you perceive theimpact of WADA on anti-doping research?

PPrrooff.. AArrnnee LLjjuunnggqqvviisstt:: The absence of an interna-tionally available research fund for anti-doping wasa major stumbling block in the fight against dopingever since the beginnings, back in the 1960s and1970s. Decades ago, I raised the issue with theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC), in particularits Medical Commission chairman at the time, Princede Mérode, and the IOC president himself. Some local(domestic) funds were available in a few countriesbut practically nothing at the international level.

In the absence of other funds, the IAF (InternationalAthletic Foundation), which was established in1988, funded some research in the field in the

1990s. In particular, the IAF supported researchconducted by the Cologne laboratory for the creationof a library of reference substances for the identificationof steroid metabolites.

The creation of WADA, therefore, had a major impacton scientific research in the field of anti-doping.Suddenly, money for long-term research projectswas available and scientists started to show interest,including scientists and scientific laboratories thathad not previously been involved in anti-doping.Sport today is a multi-billion dollar business. Noenterprise of that size would produce a budgetwithout a substantial part of it being allocated forresearch and development. The WADA budget forresearch into anti-doping is a major part of WADA'sbudget, yet it is still a minimal fraction of thefinancial return in global sport.

Prof. Arne Ljungqvist, who represented Sweden in high jump at the Games of the XV Olympiad in Helsinki

in 1952, has dedicated his career to the health of athletes. He has held several influential posts in the field

of sport and anti-doping, including chairmanship of both the IOC's and the IAAF's Medical Commissions.

As chairman of WADA's Health, Medical and Research Committee and member of WADA's Executive

Committee, Prof. Ljungqvist has played a pivotal role in the development of science and research to

combat doping in sport. Play True met up with Prof. Ljungqvist during his recent meetings in Montreal

to solicit his thoughts on the current state of anti-doping research and what promises it may hold for

the future of safe and fair competition.

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

Championing the

A Conversation with Arne Ljungqvist

Science

Page 7: Play True 2007 - Summer - Research...BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping

“The creation of WADA had a majorimpact on scientific research in the fieldof anti-doping. Suddenly, money for long-term research projects was availableand scientists started to show interest,including scientists and scientificlaboratories that had not previouslybeen involved in anti-doping.”

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5 play true - issue 2 - 2007

WADA devotes a significantportion of its resources toscientific research. Nevertheless,these resources, which areinevitably limited, cannot aloneguarantee the effectiveness ofanti-doping research programsworldwide. Therefore, WADA, asthe coordinator of the fightagainst doping, works inpartnership with a number oforganizations—includingInternational Sports Federations(IFs), governments and NationalAnti-Doping Organizations(NADOs)—that provide valuableexpertise and resources in thefield of research.

For example, WADA has workedin close cooperation with USADAto implement a test for growthhormone, and the two organizationsare currently working together onprojects linked, among otherthings, to genomics andproteomics—the study of themodification of genes andproteins through the exogenousintake of substances. Serving asanother example is thepartnership with the Agencefrançaise de lutte contre ledopage to co-fund researchprojects linked to metabolomics—the study of changes in a numberof biochemical parameters in

human fluids following the intakeof doping substances. SeveralNADOs fund their own scientificresearch projects, often inconjunction or in liaison with WADA.

IFs also partner with WADA onresearch, the most recent examplebeing the development of theAthlete’s Passport, a project thataims to examine the biologicalparameters of athletes over acertain period of time in order toidentify abnormal profiles in thecontext of the fight against doping(see related article, page 19). Inaddition, WADA promotes anti-

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

How does WADA’s Health, Medical and Research(HMR) Committee determine priority themesfor research funds?

We base our decisions on intelligence, experienceand our understanding of the evolution of science.

Examples of intelligence are those projects that arebased on the seizure of designer drugs and thedevelopment of methods for their detection.

Experience tells us that athletes are ready to trythe latest. Therefore, we support projects for thedevelopment of techniques for the detection of newsubstances before they arrive on the market, just aswe support projects intended to improve alreadyexisting analytical methods.

Examples of the understanding of the evolutionof science are the support of projects intended todevelop methods for the detection of gene doping.The risk that gene transfer technology may bemisused for the purpose of doping is obvious to us,although it may not be there yet. But better to beproactive than reactive.

Can you illustrate how the gap is closing on cheaters?

Let me take human growth hormone (hGH) as anexample. There is evidence that hGH has been usedfor the purpose of doping for more than 20 years,despite the fact that the substance at that time wasextremely expensive and the supply very short. Thereason for the high cost and limited supply was thefact that the hormone could only be obtained by

“We support projects for the development of techniques for the detection of newsubstances before they arrive on the market, just as we support projects intended toimprove already existing analytical methods.”

Science and Research

Essential Partnerships

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doping research on a governmentlevel. In Beijing in December2006, for example, the Chinesegovernment organized a seminar,attended by WADA representatives,in order to present the results ofvarious scientific research projectsand advance anti-doping researchin the country.

The pharmaceutical industryprovides another importantfocus for WADA and researchcollaboration. “Several pharma-ceutical companies share ourconcerns and do not want their

drugs, developed for therapeuticpurposes, to be abused for dopingpurposes,” explained Dr. OlivierRabin, WADA’s science director.“By collaborating with thesecompanies, we gain access to anincreasing amount of informationon substances or moleculesduring their development phase,and we are able to analyze theirdoping potential, determinewhether they can be detected bycurrent tests and, if not, developdetection methods before theyarrive on the market.”

Similarly, WADA is exploringcloser collaboration with drugagencies on an internationallevel in order to encourage thepharmaceutical industry to takethe anti-doping aspect furtherinto account in its work andenable anti-doping agencies tobe able to identify substanceswith doping potential far earlierand more systematically. In thisregard, numerous meetings havetaken place, with follow-upscheduled in the coming months.

6play true - issue 2 - 2007

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

extracting it from the hypophysis of dead people.With the arrival of modern genetic-based technologyfor the production of hormones, growth hormonesuddenly became readily available.

In 1996 the IOC initiated a project for thedevelopment of an analytical method for thedetection of growth hormone doping—GH 2000.The intention was to have a method in place priorto the 2000 Olympic Games. Due to difficulties infunding the project, the aim could not be fulfilled.

Now, with the WADA research fund available wealso have the basis for a detection method in place(see related article, page 15), as we have for thedetection of, for example hemoglobin-based oxygencarriers (HBOC), homologous blood transfusions andother substances or methods. This rapid progresswould in all probability not have been achieved inthe "pre-WADA time."

Further examples of the closing of the gap are thefindings at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002.

Three athletes were found doped with an analog oferythropoietin (EPO)—Aranesp—and which had beenon the market for only a few months. Probably, thoseinvolved in the athletes’ doping did not believe that therewas already a method in place for the detection of thesubstance. But it was, very much thanks to a fruitfulcollaboration with the producer of the substance.Therefore, we consider it very important to continuouslydevelop the collaboration with the pharmaceuticalindustry (see related article, page 5).

What is the greatest challenge in the field of anti-doping research?

To keep up with the accelerating introduction of newdrugs on the market. And not just new in the sensethat they are more efficient and with fewer sideeffects than their predecessors but truly new in thesense that they work in a completely new way. Agood example would be those drugs that the medicalcommunity hopes to have available within a near future for the purpose of gene therapy.

Continued on page 8.

“By collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, we gain access to an increasingamount of information on substances or molecules during their developmentphase, and we are able to analyze their doping potential, determine whether theycan be detected by current tests and, if not, develop detection methods before theyarrive on the market." Dr. Olivier Rabin, WADA Science Director

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“History tells us that exogenous intakeor administration of substances can bedetected, and that will prove true alsofor gene doping. The existence of WADAfunds for research will accelerate thedevelopment of new detection methodsand the improvement of existing methods.”

Prof. Arne Ljungqvist

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8play true - issue 2 - 2007

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

What concerns you most about the current state of anti-doping scientific research?

The fact that the resources for research into anti-doping are still quite limited and that scientists willnot find research into anti-doping as a priority field.

Scientists conduct their specific research becauseof personal interest in, and passion for, a particularproblem. But they also take availability of fundinginto account. You hardly go into a research field forwhich there is no possibility of funding. In short: wehave to compete with other areas of research for thegood scientists by showing the importance of ourfield of research and by showing the scientists thatwe have money available for them. It is probablymore prestigious to conduct research into cancer,AIDS, or malaria than to do research in anti-doping,though anti-doping research is also a noble causeoffering significant benefits to public health. It is atough competition, and it is for us to build up theprestige of research in anti-doping, and it is for theOlympic Movement and for the public authorities tounderstand the importance of proper funding. WithWADA having been in place for seven years with anunchanged budget—which could not be fulfilledduring the first few years—I now think it is time toincrease the WADA budget substantially. And I takefor granted that 20–25 percent of an increasedbudget will still go to research. I honestly believethat it is an inevitable evolution if the fight againstdoping shall continue to develop.

Where is the future of anti-doping research?

An obvious, and probably not too distant challengewill be gene doping, and to find ways to detect it(see related article, page 12).

We have already been successful in recruiting thenecessary international expertise to assist us. But Ibelieve that we will have to pass through both failuresand disappointments before we have a method, ordifferent methods, in place. And that may prove acostly path to pursue. I hope that our stakeholders willunderstand and accept that. Scientific researchcannot be expected to always give immediate andclear cut answers to all questions.

One further area of research relates to the high costsof doping controls and analysis. The developmentof inexpensive and large scale screening methodswould greatly enhance the efficiency of the anti-dopingwork by allowing for a significant increase in theoverall number of doping controls.

But the future of anti-doping research will obviouslynot be limited to research into methods for thedetection of doping. We need to know more aboutlong-term effects and side effects of various types ofexisting and future doping regimes, as we need toknow more about what drives athletes to abusedoping substances. It may sound a little pessimistic,but I am afraid that there will always be athleteswho are ready to dope. We have to conduct researchin order to better understand how to prevent peoplefrom resorting to doping and what strategies shouldbe used from time to time in order to detect thosewho actually dope. WADA has today a very smallresearch budget for studies based on sociologicaland behavioral science (see related article, page 30).

Let me finish with an optimistic conclusion. I havebeen involved long enough to have experienced allthose events that have taken place when new dopingsubstances have come into use. The comments, evenfrom well known scientists, have often been: "You will never be able to detect that." Such were thecomments when we first started to develop methodsfor the detection of anabolic steroids back in the1970s. Such were the comments when attemptswere being made to detect testosterone. Such werethe comments when EPO came on the market in theearly 1990s. And such were the comments whenattempts were being made to detect growth hormone.Today we have methods available for each of thesesubstances. Of course, they can be improved so thatdrug takers do not produce false negative samples.And, of course, the methods would have beendeveloped much quicker had proper research fundsbeen available. But history tells us that exogenousintake or administration of substances can bedetected, and that will prove true also for gene doping. The existence of WADA funds for research willaccelerate the development of new detection methodsand the improvement of existing methods.

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9 play true - issue 2 - 2007

Play True: Can you give us a little background on the history of research in anti-doping? WADA is a fairly young organization. When did scientific research become a priority for WADA and why?

Dr. Olivier Rabin: Before the inception of WADA,anti-doping research was handled mainly by theIOC and the IOC-accredited anti-doping laboratories.A WADA research program was identified as a keypriority by the constituents of WADA and wasestablished as early as 2001, less than twoyears after the agency was created.

What are the objectives of WADA’s research program?

Overall, the program aims to improve our ability todetect and deter doping. We have several goals inthis regard. First, we want to enhance existing testsand methods so that they become more sensitive,more rapid, more selective and less costly. We alsodevelop new tests and technologies to detect newsubstances and new markers as we become awareof them. We are exploring new strategies in the fightagainst doping, such as the longitudinal study ofathlete biological parameters—what we call the“Athlete’s Passport” (see related article, page 19).

Our work too is devoted to the anticipation offuture doping trends and practices as well as thedevelopment of a worldwide network of researchteams able to coordinate and bridge scientificresearch efforts among the various partners.

What have been some of the key themes of theresearch program in 2001–2006? How are these themes identified?

WADA’s HMR Committee, a panel made up ofinternational scientific experts, identifies prioritythemes that need to be addressed through research.The current focus includes compounds and methodsregulating and enhancing growth; compounds andmethods enhancing oxygen carrying capacity ofblood; endogenous and exogenous anabolic steroids;projects relating to the Prohibited List; gene and cellulartechnologies applied to sports; and genetic, physiologicand environmental factors related to doping.

What is interesting to note is the evolution of thesethemes since WADA first launched its scientificresearch program, revealing the necessary constantadjustments of anti-doping research to incorporatecutting edge scientific knowledge and address newissues facing anti-doping.

WADA Scientific Research Program: In Depth

WADA holds multiple science and medicine responsibilities in the fight against doping in sport, including

annually preparing and publishing the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, overseeing stakeholder

implementation of Therapeutic Use Exemptions, and accrediting and re-accrediting anti-dopinglaboratories worldwide. These duties were assumed by WADA in 2004 with the entering into force of the

Code and its related International Standards.

Another key priority for WADA is the development of the field of anti-doping scientific research for

the effective detection and deterrence of doping in sport. WADA Science Director Dr. Olivier Rabin, in an interview with Play True, explains how WADA's scientific research program is structured and

some of the advances the program has achieved since its inception in 2001.

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

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Who typically applies for WADA scientific research funds?

Various organizations and research teams from the fivecontinents apply for WADA grants. The majority of theresearch teams are academic teams not traditionallyrelated to the anti-doping field but applying their areaof expertise to anti-doping research. It is key for WADAto attract other scientific competencies to expand anti-doping horizons. Many projects are also coming fromanti-doping laboratories which apply their expertise inthe field to develop innovative research.

How are research proposals solicited, and how do you determine which ones to fund?

It is quite an extensive annual process, beginningwith a call for proposals in the early part of the yearfor submission in May. The peer review of projects byexternal panels of experts occurs in June and July, sothat, by September, the HMR Committee can reviewthe projects’ peer review ratings and comments. TheHMR Committee then presents its recommendationsto WADA’s Executive Committee for approval. Duringthe balance of the year, accepted proposals undergoethical review by external experts prior to formalacceptance and release of funds. Of course, manyprojects are multi-year endeavours and we activelymonitor their progress throughout their entire lifecycles.

As far as determining which projects to fund, we firststart with the principle that approximately 70 percentof our budget will go to quality projects in subject areasdefined as priority research themes by the HMRCommittee, roughly 20 percent will be devoted totopics we have targeted as needing research attentionbut not necessarily covered by research applications,and the rest is reserved for those situations in whichwe need to be reactive, such as when a new designersteroid is uncovered and we need to develop rapidly adetection method for it.

How much has WADA devoted to research?

WADA committed US$6.6 million to scientific researchin 2007. That’s in addition to the US$25 million thathas been put toward research since 2001. What’simportant to recognize is that for an internationalagency with an annual budget of approximatelyUS$23 million, close to 30 percent of the total budgetfor scientific research represents a significant

How WADA Allocates its Research Budget

WADA's research budget is divided into three types of

"responses" or programs: standard grants, targeted grants

and reactive grants. While approximately 70 percent of

WADA's 2007 research budget is allocated to projects based

on the subject matters prioritized by the HMR Committee,

approximately 20 percent is targeted to specific areas to

respond to specific research questions that need answering.

The remaining budget is reserved to enable WADA to react in

times of need, for example when a new designer steroid is

uncovered and the rapid development of

a detection method is required.

WADA’s research budget is divided into three types of

“responses” or programs: standard grants, targeted grants

and reactive grants. While approximately 70 percent of

WADA’s 2007 research budget is allocated to projects based

on the subject matters prioritized by the HMR Committee,

approximately 20 percent is targeted to specific areas to

respond to specific research questions that need answering.

The remaining budget is reserved to enable WADA to react in

times of need, for example when a new designer steroid is

uncovered and the rapid development of

a detection method is required.

Quick Stats:WADA Scientific Research Program 2001–2007

229911 Applications received from 205 research teams5500 Teams from traditional anti-doping field110055 Teams from outside anti-doping (e.g. genetics)

111177 Projects approved for funding (approximately 40% acceptance rate)

2266 Percentage of WADA's overall budget dedicated to scientific research in 2006

3311..66 Total US$ in millions committed by WADA to scientific research, 2001–2007

Standard Grants70%

Reactive Grants Targeted Grants

10% 20%

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WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

investment and reflects WADA’s commitment toadvancing the science of detection.

Let’s talk about results. What can you say about theoutcomes of research so far? How has the researchhelped to advance the fight against doping in sport?

There’s quite a long list of important improvementsand breakthroughs in anti-doping science, but togive you some examples, let me start with anabolicsteroids. In 2005, we discovered and discloseddesoxy-Methyl-Testosterone, or DMT, the designersteroid uncovered by WADA in collaboration withthe Montreal anti-doping laboratory headed byProf. Christiane Ayotte and later related to the BALCOaffair. Other key advances relating to anabolicsteroids include the detection of 6 Oxo compounds;a method to detect aromatase inhibitors; thedevelopment of certified reference materials tofurther increase the quality of substance analysesin laboratories; proof of tainted supplementsconverting into nandrolone; the detection of newlong lasting steroid metabolites; and confirmationof IRMS importance to detect testosterone abuse.

As for blood doping, we have been able to developand implement a detection method for HBOCs.With the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) asour partner, we have been working on a detectionmethod for homologous blood transfusion. Otherprojects include the development of the EPO analysissoftware GasEpo; the study of the influence ofexercise on EPO urinary profiles; explorationof new approaches for EPO detection (e.g., 2 DG,chromatography, antibodies); as well as the bloodmodule for the Athlete’s Passport.

The abuse of hGH is an area of critical concern forthe fight against doping, and WADA has devotedmore than US$3 million to hGH research alone.This research has included the development andvalidation of the differential immunoassays;co-development of the hGH markers approach

(with the IOC and USADA); validation of markersfor ethnic and sex differences; and demonstrationof the non-validity of the Ghrelin marker.

Our research efforts have also brought us thedevelopment and validation of insulin detection, thedetection of dextrans, identification of the maskingproperties of alpha reductase inhibitors, and theergogenic effects of Beta-2 agonists.

Where are you currently focusing your research efforts?

We are always trying to enhance current detectionmethods, and in that respect we are working onextending the detection window for the EPO test andthe hGH test. As for new tests, some of our prioritiesinclude autologous blood transfusion, certain hormones(e.g. IGF-1) and new steroids. Of course, new methodsare being addressed, such as genomic signatures,proteomics and metabolomics, and longitudinalintegration of chemical/bio-physiological parameters.

What is your feeling about WADA’s ability to meet these challenges?

WADA inherited a situation in which very littleresearch was being conducted and, in a brief periodof just a few years, has built a strong internationalresearch program with various key scientificchallenges solved or being currently addressed.Much remains to be done, but a momentum hasbeen created with the strong belief that withsufficient resources, anti-doping science can deliveradequate solutions to the issues anti-doping is facingand will face in the future.

Science remains a component of an integratedsolution in the fight against doping, and is probablymore under the spotlight today—especially now thatit is universally accepted that doping not onlyundermines the integrity of sport, but morealarmingly poses a serious threat to public health.

“Science remains a component of an integrated solution in the fight against

doping, and is probably more under the spotlight today—especially now that it

is universally accepted that doping not only undermines the integrity of sport,

but more alarmingly poses a serious threat to public health.”

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12play true - issue 2 - 2007

Gene therapy represents an exciting and promising step forward in medical research,

but its misuse to enhance athletic ability poses a serious threat to the integrity of sport

and the health of athletes. WADA has been tracking the threat of gene doping since it

first became a notion and has devoted significant resources to enable its detection.

As early as 2002, WADA hosted a conference on gene doping at the Banbury Center

on Long Island (U.S.), the first time experts from both the scientific and athletic worlds

came together to tackle this issue. Then, in December 2005, WADA, in collaboration

with the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish Sports Confederation, held a second

workshop meeting in Stockholm (Sweden) on gene doping in sport to take stock of

the situation and develop worldwide consensus on the way forward.

Instrumental in leading the debate has been

world-renowned expert Prof. Theodore Friedmann,

professor of pediatrics and director of the gene

therapy program at the University of California,

San Diego (U.S.). Prof. Friedmann is head of WADA's

panel on gene doping and shares his thoughts on

the current state of gene therapy and its

implications for doping and sport.

Play True: How have recent advances in genetics impacted the world of sport?

Prof. Theodore Friedmann: Sport is being affectedseriously by genetics in two important ways. The firstpositive effect is the development of new kinds of testsfor any and all kinds of doping. WADA has developedan important set of research studies and results thatindicate that the tools of the modern geneticrevolution—the same kinds of tools that produced thedeciphering of the human genome several years ago—will be applied to finding evidence of exposure toperformance-enhancing materials and procedures. Onthe negative side, the huge advances in gene therapyand the methods of introducing genes into humans totreat life-threatening disease are being seen by someto allow new ways to dope by introducing genes—notto cure disease but rather to enhance athleticperformance. Genes control the function of musclecells, blood-producing tissues and the ways in whichour bodies utilize energy, and we know that many of

Gene DopingAn Overview and Update

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

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13 play true - issue 2 - 2007

those genes can be manipulated.The advances in methods tointroduce new genes to cure aremore or less identical to themethods that might be imaginedfor sport enhancement. That factmakes the likelihood of attemptsat gene doping pretty high.

Do you believe that gene doping ishappening right now?

My only honest answer to thatquestion is, "I don't know."What we do know is that thereis a growing level of interest inthe sports world in the potentialfor gene doping, and that somescientists working on potentialgenetic cures for muscle diseaseslike muscular dystrophy or blooddisorders are being approached bysports figures to inquire about theuse of genes in sport. We alsoknow that at least one prominentsport trainer in Germany has beenaccused of making attempts to

gene therapy studies have alsoled to very serious and entirelyunpredicted and unexpectedharm to the patients, even death.This technology is highlyexperimental and completelyinappropriate where the goalmight be something other thanthe cure of life-threateningdisease like cancer, neurologicaldegenerations and so on. To applythis very immature technology toathletes or to any young, healthypeople for the purpose ofincreasing some already-normalfunction, in my mind, is unethicaland constitutes deliberateprofessional malpractice.

In terms of developing a detectionmethod for gene doping, how highof a priority is this for the anti-doping community?

During the past four to five years,WADA has developed a vigorousresearch program designed to

convinced that WADA will beable to develop and eventuallyimplement effective new waysto detect doping in sport bythese new methods.

What kind of outcomes has theresearch provided so far?

The scientists working underthe WADA banner have learneda great deal about the functionof some genes that are likely tobe used illicitly in gene dopingattempts, such as genes thatproduce growth factors(e.g. hGH, insulin-like growthfactor and related muscle factors)and erythropoietin. This kind ofscience is complex and long-term, but the results of thesestudies are beginning to bepublished in the scientificjournals and shared with thegeneral scientific community.WADA-supported studies haveshown that when these genes are

obtain an experimental materialdesigned to increase bloodproduction in patients with cancerand kidney disease. His case iscurrently being investigated and Iexpect that more of this situationwill come to light soon.

At the same time, I am veryfamiliar with the problems that thefield of gene therapy continues tohave delivering foreign genes tohumans in ways that are effectiveand safe. Although a number ofremarkable new therapies havebeen developed, a number of

learn how foreign genes mightbe used in attempts to improveathletic performance. Manylaboratories around the world aretaking part in the program and thegeneral genetics community issubmitting high quality proposalsto WADA. I would estimate thatclose to eight million dollars (U.S.)have been committed and spentin the WADA research programfor gene doping, representing asignificant portion of the entireWADA budget. I think that the sizeof the effort is appropriate for thesize of the threat to sport. I am

introduced into test animals,some of the expected effects,such as muscle growth andincreased blood production, doin fact occur but also that manyother unwanted and potentiallydisruptive effects occur to manyother normally functioning genesand to the normal metabolicprocesses that they regulate.In some studies, a number ofthese "side effects" changes togenes and to metabolism arebeing put together to try todevelop a "signature" for exposureto potentially doping agents.

“WADA is not a basic research funding agency but WADA is certainly the leadagency—in fact the only one that I know of—in the application of modernmolecular genetics and DNA technology to the development of improvedmethods for detection in doping and in averting the use of gene therapyapproaches to doping.”

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

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WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

At the December 2005 GeneDoping Workshop, experts stated,in the Stockholm Declaration,*that "gene transfer for the purposeof therapy remains a very immatureand experimental field of humanmedicine." Have there been anysignificant developments in genetherapy since then that wouldchange the outlook for gene doping?

The technology of gene therapyis still very immature and whilethere continue to be advances inserious diseases, we have all beensobered by the magnitude of theproblem of delivering genes safelyinto human beings and to theways in which foreign genes canproduce unwanted effects, someof which are lethal. Since theStockholm workshop, there havebeen many improvements in thesetechnologies, increasing evidencefor success in some lethal diseases.

There have also been additionaloccurrences of setbacks andadverse events, including anadditional death among the groupof children who have been sosuccessfully treated for immunedeficiency by gene therapy. Aswe continue to improve thetechnology, we will sadly seemore ways in which the methodscan surprise us with unexpectedeffects and with serious harm topatients. In medicine, werecognize that treatment can bea two-edged sword: harm andbenefit. To cure disease, we allaccept both sides of the sword.For healthy young people, weshould demand that we do noharm. Clearly, that is not the casefor gene transfer technology.

You also stated that scientificprogress “suggests that newdetection methods are likely toemerge, which will help to keepsport untainted by gene dopingmethods." Is this true?

Yes. It is true. I have no doubt thatnew detection methods will bedeveloped. Early methods arealready being designed at thisvery moment. In exactly the sameway that DNA technology hasadded so much in forensicscience and crime detection, DNAtechnology will add very powerfulnew tools to detect doping.

Let me close by highlighting thatWADA is not a basic researchfunding agency but WADA iscertainly the lead agency—in factthe only one that I know of—

in the application of modernmolecular genetics and DNAtechnology to the developmentof improved methods for detectionin doping and in averting the useof gene therapy approaches todoping. WADA has also sponsoredthe most important and influentialpublic forums for a discussionof this societal problem anddiscussions are underway foranother conference in 2008.

WADA has done the world ofsport a great service inundertaking this work.

Detecting Gene Doping

Exposure to a foreign gene anywhere in the body leaves evidence—a "footprint"—in other tissues of the body that are easily obtained andtested, by methods similar to those used in DNA detection in forensicscience. For instance, if one were to inject a potentially enhancingagent into one tissue—a muscle for example—the presence andaction of that new gene will alert cells in other parts of thebody and will cause responses that can be detected inplaces other than where the foreign gene wasinjected. This occurs in test animals, and it is very likely that the same happens in humans.

BRIEF BIO

Prof. Theodore Friedmann received his undergraduate and M.D.degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and his clinical trainingin pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital of Harvard Universityfrom 1960–1962 and 1964–1965. He served as a medical officerwith the U.S. Air Force and carried out post-doctoral research at theUniversity of Cambridge (U.K.), the U.S. National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) and the Salk Institute in California. He has been on thefaculty of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) since 1971where he is now professor of pediatrics, Muriel Whitehill Professorof Biomedical Ethics and director of the UCSD program in genetherapy. He is currently president of the American Society of GeneTherapy, and in addition to his work with WADA’s Health, Medicaland Research Committee (gene doping panel chair), he has servedon many national and international genetics panels and committees,including chairmanship of the U.S. NIH Recombinant DNAAdvisory Committee.

*The complete text of the December 2005 Stockholm Declaration on Gene Doping is available online at: www.wada-aama.org.

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HGH is a hormone that issynthesized and secreted by cellsin the pituitary gland located atthe base of the brain. HGH isknown to act on many aspects ofcellular metabolism and is alsonecessary for skeletal growth inhumans. The major role of hGHin body growth is to stimulate theliver and other tissues to secreteinsulin like growth factor (IGF-1).IGF-1 stimulates production of

cartilage cells, resulting in bonegrowth and also plays a key rolein muscle and organ growth.

HGH is prohibited both in- andout-of-competition under theList of Prohibited Substances andMethods. Commonly reportedside effects for hGH abuseinclude: diabetes in proneindividuals; worsening ofcardiovascular diseases; muscle,

About hGH Detection

15 play true - issue 2 - 2007

Play True: How did you becomeinvolved in research for hGH detection?

Prof. Christian Strasburger:Following completion of mydoctoral thesis on chemiluminescentimmunoassays in 1984 and twoyears of clinical training, I had theopportunity to stay for a two-yearpost-doctoral fellowship at theWeizman Institute of Science inRehovot (Israel), where I learnedhow to generate monoclonalantibodies against hGH (1986–1988). After returning to Germany,my team and I started a long

series of generating high affinitymonoclonal antibodies to hGH.

An eminent problem anddilemma in clinical medicine isthat different assay techniquesmeasuring hGH yield verydiscrepant results, and yet, onthese measurements, clinicaldecisions are based regardingdaily injections of short childrenand nowadays life-long dailyinjection for adults with growthhormone deficiency. Therefore mycolleagues and I developed andvalidated a method combining amonoclonal antibody and the

extracellular part of a growthhormone receptor molecule toreport only those GH-forms incirculation which retained thecapability of activating GH-receptors.In the validation process of thismethod we recognized that it hada clear preference for recombinanthGH over pituitary-derived hGH inhuman serum.

So that was the start. How long hasthe entire process taken, what havebeen the major steps involved?

The initial observation was madein 1996 and it took more than 12

The Researcher's

PerspectiveThe development of a detection method for hGH has been a significant priority for the scientific community devoted to the fight against doping.The widespread implementation of the hGH detection method is expected to occur later this year.

The successful development of one of the strategies to detect hGH is the result of team work involving key contributions from Dr. Zida Wu, Dr.Martin Bidlingmaier and many students and technicians, led by Prof. Christian Strasburger, chief of clinical endocrinology, CharitéUniversitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte. Prof. Strasburger describes what it was like to take on the challenge of developing the hGHdetection method (isoform approach), an often arduous yet in the end fruitful experience.

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joint and bone pain; hypertensionand cardiac deficiency; abnormalgrowth of organs; acceleratedosteoarthritis. In untreatedacromegalic individuals (knownfor pathological over-productionof hGH), many of the symptomsdescribed above are observed andlife expectancy is known to besignificantly reduced.

The test to detect hGH abuse is ablood test and is reliable. It wasintroduced at the Athens OlympicGames in 2004 and other majorsport events. However, because

hGH is often taken by dopingathletes in the off-season tooptimize performance, the test ismost effective when implementedin a no-advance-notice out-of-competition strategy. Widespreadimplementation of the test, onceproduced on a commercial basis,will allow routine testing.

Another test, in its final researchstage, will be combined with thecurrent test to further enhancethe detection window for hGHabuse. The concepts anddevelopment of both hGH tests

have been systematically reviewedby international independentexperts in such fields as hGH,endocrinology, immunoassay,analytical chemistry, etc. Thesetests are the outcome of nearlyUS$10 million in research overthe course of more than 11 years,first initiated by the IOC and theEuropean Union, and then takenover by WADA when it wascreated and had adopted scientificresearch as one of its priority activities.

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months before we obtained initialfunding from the German FederalInstitute of Sports Sciences toscreen the more than 100monoclonal antibodies to hGHthat had previously beengenerated for their ability to detectthe existing structural differencesbetween recombinant hGH as amonomorphic preparation and themixture of hGH isoforms assecreted by the pituitary gland.

After combining two antibodieseach in a sandwich immunoassayformat for the measurement ofrecombinant hGH on one handand pituitary-derived hGH onthe other hand, we approachedthe consortium GH 2000, led byProf. Peter Sonksen, and informedthem about our potential solutionto the problem they wereaddressing. The consortiumcollaborated in providing us 40blinded samples derived fromeither pituitary stimulation testsfor hGH release or from thepharmacokinetic profiles afterinjection of hGH in GH-deficientadult patients. Our differentialimmunoassay approach permittedus to differentiate these 40 serumsamples without error. This blindtest of the differential immunoassay

strategy based on hGH isoformdifferences certainly represented asignificant breakthrough and wewere able to publish these findingsin The Lancet in early 1999.

It was tedious to maintainresearch support and after the2000 Olympic Games in Sydney,the IOC provided a research grantfor three years by which we aimedto further increase thediscriminatory potency of ourtechnique and select the mostsuitable monoclonal antibodiesamong the large panel of anti-hGH monoclonals that werepreviously established.

Before the 2004 SummerOlympics, WADA, jointly withUSADA, hosted scientificworkshops of the most activescientists involved in hGH anti-doping research worldwide anddecided to move forward with theisoform approach.

The isoform approach by differentialimmunoassay strategy for thedetection of hGH abuse wasapplied during the AthensSummer Olympic Games and theTurin Winter Olympic Games.Because it is not feasible that an

academic hospital providesimmunoassay reagents of thehighest quality control standardfor a long period of time to allWADA-accredited laboratories,we started to look for collaborationwith the diagnostic industry.Unfortunately, our first selectedpartner, after more than two yearsof collaboration, decided todiscontinue the joint developmentproject for the differentialimmunoassay kit. We thereforehad to identify a new partner inthe diagnostic industry and founda highly reputed collaborator inGermany. At the end of 2006,the CMZ-assay company wasfounded which will be marketingthese differential immunoassaykits later in 2007.

What is the status now of thedetection method for hGH?

By changing the performanceplatform of the differentialimmunoassays frommicrotiterplate-based fluorescenceimmunoassays to tube-basedchemiluminescent immunoassaysand by improving the antibodyimmobilization technique, thelower detection limit of our

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WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

method could be dramaticallyimproved. The method is robustand stable and is expected to passindustrial validation andcertification tests in theforthcoming months to thenbecome generally available.

Why is the detection of hGH so important?

HGH has apparently been usedwidespread because it wasconsidered undetectable and theknown physiological effects ofgrowth hormone are musclebuilding as well as lipolytic andtherefore providing energysubstrates which cheating athletesobviously fancy. Growth hormonehas been discovered in theluggage of an elite athlete andseveral athletes have meanwhileconfessed having abused hGH toenhance their performance. Ifclean athletes are to compete on alevel playing field, then hGHdetection must be implemented.

How confident are you in thedetection method’s reliability and validity?

We are extremely confident in thismethod because it is a very directapproach. If an athlete abuseshGH, then by the directmeasurement of hGH, doping

analysts have the best opportunityto prove the abuse. Our method’sunderlying principle is that thesestructural differences betweenrecombinant hGH and hGH inhuman sera exist regardless ofage, gender, ethnic background orsports discipline. With theimproved lower detection limit asachieved during the presentlycompleted commercialization, theusefulness of the method isfurther significantly improved.

What have been the mostsignificant challenges you haveencountered along the way?

After the idea was there, the majorchallenge was to obtain andmaintain research funding for thisactivity at a university teachinghospital. We also had to learn thatthe transfer from an academicsetting to commercial rollout ofsuch a differential immunoassayinvolved tedious work, but alsoprovided opportunities of method-ological improvement. Finally,when we started working on thisproject, WADA was not yetfounded and the message insupport of anti-doping was notas unequivocal as it is today. Evenour colleagues were scepticalabout patenting such an idea dueto the limited number of interestedorganizations at the time.

What advice would you give young scientists interested in anti-doping research?

I would advise young scientistswho have begun to enjoy researchin one area to take a step back andtake a broader look at differentapproaches to the solution of theproblems supposed. Whiletraditional anti-doping laboratoriesare using gas chromatography /mass-spectromaty (GC-MS)methods to detect smallsubstances like anabolic steroids,amphetamines and so on,recombinant proteinsapproximately 100 times largersuch as EPO or growth hormonecannot be detected from serumsamples by these techniques and ifthe GC-MS methodology is to beapplied, then an immuno-recognitionand affinity chromatography stephas to precede the analytical stepto allow removal of the bulk of otherproteins in the sample otherwiseinterfering. Therefore, immunoassaystraditionally used in the neighboringdiscipline of endocrinology havetheir place and in turn endocri-nologists are learning from dopinganalytics and are bringing GC-MSfor steroid metabolites to theclinical routine. Young scientistsshould broaden their horizons andexperience and know that there is“more than one way to Rome.”

“Our method's underlying principle is that these structural differences

between recombinant hGH and hGH in human sera exist regardless of age,

gender, ethnic background or sports discipline. With the improved lower

detection limit as achieved during the presently completed commer-

cialization, the usefulness of the method is further significantly improved. ”

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What do you see for the future of anti-doping research?

I believe anti-doping research has touse a dual strategy. First, there needsto be more funding of anti-dopinganalytical research to narrow the gapbetween the also science-drivendoping versus the anti-dopingmovement. Secondly the phenomenonof doping in my opinion requiressociological and psychological researchlooking at sports as a mirror image ofhuman society and we have to striveto better understand what goes wrongin society leading to the use ofperformance enhancing drugs insports. We need to convince youngathletes that they should compete byfair means, even if it means not winning.

BRIEF BIO:

Prof. Christian Strasburger is chief of clinical endocrinology atCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte. He receivedpost-doctoral training at the medical faculties of the universitiesin Lübeck and Munich (Germany). He also held a post-doctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science inRevohot (Israel).

Prof. Strasburger has published more than 140 scientificarticles and serves on the editorial board of Pituitary, GH-and IGF-research, Journal of Endocrinological Investigation.He was recently appointed editor-in-chief of the EuropeanJournal of Endocrinology. In addition, Prof. Strasburgerserves on the councils of the Growth Hormone ResearchSociety and the European Neuroendocrine Association, andserved formerly on the German Endocrine Society Council.

Prior to university, he was a rower on the German juniornational team and competed at the world championships.

GLOSSARY:

Affinity chromatography: Chromatographic method of separating biochemical mixtures, based on ahighly specific biologic interaction such as that between antigen and antibody.

Chemunilescence: Emission of light (luminescence) without emission of heat as the result of a chemicalreaction.

Chromatography: Family of laboratory techniques for the separation of mixtures. It involves passing amixture dissolved in a "mobile phase" through a “stationary phase,” which separates the analyte to bemeasured from other molecules in the mixture and allows it to be isolated.

Immunoassay: Biochemical test that measures the concentration of a substance in a biological liquid,typically serum or urine, using the reaction of an antibody or antibodies to its antigen. The assay takesadvantage of the specific binding of an antibody to its antigen.

Isoform: Version of a protein with only small differences to another isoform of the same protein.

Mass spectrometry: Analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It is used inanti-doping to find the composition of a physical sample by generating a mass spectrum representingthe masses of sample components.

Microtiterplate: a flat plate with multiple "wells" used as small test tubes.

Monoclonal antibodies: Antibodies that are identical because they were produced by one type ofimmune cell and are all clones of a single parent cell.

Pharmacokinetics: Discipline of pharmacology dedicated to the determination of the distribution andelimination of substances administered to a living organism.

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Given the various practices thathave been used since ancienttimes to enhance humanperformance, doping can beregarded as having existed sincethe beginnings of sport. In thisrespect, it is likely that humanbehaviour has changed less thanthe arsenal of treatment methodsavailable. In the past, more oftenthan not, a substance was takensporadically, during or in proximityto a sporting event. In this context,the toxicological approach, basedon the detection of a substance orits metabolites in a urine sample,can be considered a valid solution.Unfortunately, sport has recentlyseen the establishment oforganized, planned doping, basedon a more rigorous scientificapproach that makes use of allavailable resources. Consequently,it has become increasingly difficultto detect modern doping methodsusing the traditional anti-dopingapproach adapted to old techniques.

The limits of the system havealready been reached if oneconsiders the new protocols for thedoping abuse of EPO (microdoses,intravenous solutions, etc.),autologous blood manipulation,recourse to growth factors or evencellular therapy. The arrival ofbiotechnologies and products as aresult of pharmacogenetics will nodoubt further heighten this trend.In order to ensure that themechanism does not operate infavour of cheats, as opposed to infavour of the organizations leadingthe fight against doping, themethods to combat this scourge

must be adapted and anticipatefuture trends. The fight againstdoping has to be equipped with thesame means, both scientific andfinancial, as those used by cheatsif it is to avoid becoming inefficient.In view of the contribution ofbiotechnologies and new dopingprotocols, endeavouring to detecta substance in the body at a givenmoment is no longer sufficient.Some coaches are effectivelycapable of ensuring that theathletes concerned are “free” of all traces of substance duringpresumed testing periods, despite the implementation ofunannounced testing programsto tackle this stumbling block.Moreover, the ergogenic effectsobtained by an athlete duringtreatment can, in some cases, lastweeks, months or even years, asrecently demonstrated in relationto anabolic steroids.

Consequently, it appears thatthe nature itself of the availablesubstances, combined with thesophistication of the protocolsused, can rapidly illustrate thelimits of the direct detection ofbanned substances, particularlyif only the urine method is used.The majority of dopingsubstances are drugs usedfor purposes other than theirmedical intent; these havenumerous physiological,biological and metaboliceffects on the body. It would therefore beinteresting to try toobjectivize these differenteffects through a more

holistic, medical approach. Thestudy of indirect metabolic effectson the body subsequent to theintake of a xenobiotic is knownas metabionomics. It is alreadyproducing encouraging results inveterinary medicine, for example,to monitor the absence of use ofhormones in breeding.

Furthermore, the use of indirectmarkers is common in medicalpractice. Thus, an elevatedtransaminase (hepatic enzyme)level in a patient indicates alcoholabsorption, regardless of the bloodalcohol level at the time of thedose. Generally speaking, inpractising medicine, a diagnosis israrely based on a single biologicalexamination; on the contrary, it isbased on a set of combined clinicaland biological elements that makeup the body of arguments to justifythe treatment perspective.

The application of these generalprinciples to monitoring dopingthrough a biological passport couldbe used as a tool in addition to theurine and blood tests. The identi-fication of relevant biological

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

The Frontier between Anti-Doping and Medicine:

The Athlete’s PassportBy Dr. Alain Garnier, WADA Medical Director

19 play true - issue 2 - 2007

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20play true - issue 2 - 2007

parameters should make it possibleto establish individual distin-guishing profiles. This biologicaltracing throughout an athlete’sentire sporting career should makeany illegal preparation far harder toimplement, thanks to thedetection, in the event of suchpreparation, of indirect signs of theuse of banned substances ormethods. As with speed detectionon roads, it is a matter ofprogressing from fixed radars (thelocation of which is often known)to mobile radars that measurespeed on a permanent basis.

The Athlete’s Passport, contemplatedby WADA as far back as 2002,is based on a similar approach.In its final form, it would be usedto meet the two-fold objective ofimproving the effectiveness of thefight against cheats and protectingthe health of athletes. At the sametime, it should also enable theintelligent targeting of athletes andpromote doping controls duringapparently suspicious or criticalperiods. From a more medicalpoint of view, this biologicalmonitoring is also likely to illustratebiological disturbances linked topathological processes, whether ornot these are the result of dopingmanipulation. If necessary, earlyand effective medical interventioncan thus take place. In terms ofpublic health, such an approachis very probably more effectivethan that consisting of advocatingmedically assisted doping. Aboveand beyond the advantagesdescribed, such a model couldalso constitute a good globalindicator of the prevalence ofdoping, information lacking todayin order to optimize the fightagainst doping.

In terms of interpretation of results,the registration of data is also ofconsiderable interest. Indeed,biology and medicine are wellaware of the limits of interpretationwhen references for normality arebased on population averages.The registration of all individualdata means that it is no longernecessary to consider an averagevalue as the norm; on the contrary,it makes it possible to refer to theindividual’s own values and assessvariations in these. In a modelusing individual systems ofreferences, the study of the profileand the intra-individual variabilitybecomes more relevant, bearing inmind that the validity and sensitivitywill increase with the amount of data collected.

Although the concept is simple, inthat different models have alreadybeen validated for widespread usein other fields, such as epidemiology,legal medicine or even veterinarymonitoring, its practical applicationin the field of anti-doping poses anumber of problems. In order torespond to the complexity of thissituation, WADA has developed amulti-level strategy:

• A meeting of scientific expertsto identify the most relevantparameters to be monitored(the fields of haematology andendocrinology are currentlyinvolved), as well as the dataprocessing model to beemployed.

• A legal study in order to assessthe legal validity of the modelproposed and the nature ofpossible disciplinary decisions.

• A feasibility study andimplementation of strategies that

take into account the featuresand specificities of differentsports (the monitoringparameters could vary from onediscipline to another). In thiscontext, a pilot project (theAthletes for Transparencyprogram) under way, developedin France and backed by WADA,should assess the athletes’support for this conceptconsidering the volunteer-basedapproach. It also constitutesa technical feasibility studyin terms of sample collectionprocedures (standardizationof collection and laboratoryanalysis protocols) and theimplementation of an onlinecentralized results platform.

• A pilot study to test andvalidate the most appropriatemathematical processing modelis currently being developedwith the IAAF and the Lausanneanti-doping laboratory.

In conclusion, if the urine andblood tests, which are essentiallytoxicology tests, are to be maintainedand improved through increasinglysophisticated analytical methods,these will inevitably have to berapidly combined with effectivetools such as biological monitoring.In view of the challenges posed bycurrent and future biotechnologicalmethods, an increasingly globaland biological approach, similarto that used in forensic science,is necessary in order to respondwith the expected efficiency.Nevertheless, the descent ofmedicine and its rules on thefield of anti-doping should beaccompanied by in-depthbioethical reflection if theexperience is to be effective and durable.

WADA—Leading Scientific Research in Anti-Doping

The Athletes for Transparency program (left), developed in France and backed by WADA, constitutes a

technical feasibility study in terms of sample collection procedures (standardization of collection and

laboratory analysis protocols) and the implementation of an online centralized results platform for the

type of ‘biological passport’ now being considered. www.athletesfortransparency.com

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As the international organizationpromoting and representing sportsmedicine around the world, FIMSis interested in and committed todeveloping relations andestablishing collaborations withorganizations that share a commonvision, mission, objectives, andactivities. WADA is one of thoseimportant groups.

The basic principle that thepractice of sport and the traditionof physical activity and exercise

must promote physical and mentalhealth should be protected andrespected. Further, the conceptthat excellent health is not onlydesirable but necessary for optimalperformance in competitive sportsmust be understood and accepted.Therefore, all sports medicinephysicians, clinicians, andscientists have the duty andresponsibility to oppose the useof doping practices in sportsbased on moral, ethical, andphysiological grounds.

In FIMS we believe in theseprinciples and have actedaccordingly since the foundation ofour Federation in 1928. Moreover,the Continental Associations ofFIMS in Africa (African Union ofSports Medicine), the Americas(Pan American Confederationof Sports Medicine), Asia (AsianFederation of Sports Medicine),and Europe (European Federationof Sports Medicine Associations),in addition to the countries in theregion of Oceania strongly support

this position. Evidence to this isthe active involvement andparticipation in anti-dopingactivities of many of the leadersand members of FIMS.

One of the main objectives ofFIMS is to educate sports medicinephysicians around the world. Westrongly believe that this will haveas a consequence an enhancementof the quality of medical care forathletes at all levels of competitionand in all regions of the world.This

objective is fulfilled by meansof congresses, team physiciandevelopment courses, advancedteam physician courses,publications (including anelectronic journal), a Web site, andthe preparation and disseminationof position statements on varioustopics of scientific interest andimportance. Given the crucial roleof education in the development ofa human being and the formationof professionals in all disciplinesand areas of knowledge, these

activities represent one importantway FIMS has joined themovement against doping.

In FIMS we look forward tocontinuing our work in this areaand to partner with those that sharethe same values. The work done byWADA and other similar bodiesmust be supported by professionalorganizations to be more effective.This is exactly what FIMS intendsto do and we hope to join WADAin this worthy endeavor.

Sports medicine physicians, clinicians and scientists:

Your duty and responsibility to oppose doping

By Walter R. Frontera, MD, PhD, President, International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)

BRIEF BIO:

Walter R. Frontera, MD, PhD, is dean of the faculty of medicine and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation(PM&R) and physiology at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Frontera completed his medical studies and a residency inPM&R at the University of Puerto Rico and a doctoral degree in exercise physiology at Boston University.

Dr. Frontera's career is rich with positions and achievements dedicated to the health of athletes: establishment of theCenter for Sports Health and Exercise Sciences at the Albergue Olímpico, the training center of the Puerto Rico OlympicCommittee (PROC); PROC chief medical officer in Central American and Caribbean (CAC), Pan American, and SummerOlympic Games; director of medical services, CAC Games; president, Puerto Rico Sports Medicine Federation;member, PROC; and Earle P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and chairman of the department of PM&R, Harvard MedicalSchool and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

As president of FIMS and the Pan American Confederation of Sports Medicine, his main research and clinical interestsinclude sport injury rehabilitation and the effects of aging and exercise on skeletal muscle. Dr. Frontera has publishedmore than 200 scientific publications and currently serves as editor-in-chief, The American Journal of PM&R; boardmember, International Society for PM&R; and fellow, Association of Academic Physiatrists, American Academy ofPM&R, and American College of Sports Medicine.

Guest Feature

21 play true - issue 2 - 2007

"All sports medicine physicians, clinicians, and scientists have the duty and responsibility to oppose

the use of doping practices in sports based on moral, ethical, and physiological grounds."

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In May 2007, the OlympicMuseum in Lausanne added toits permanent exhibitions a newspace devoted to the fight againstdoping in sport. This project cameto light as a result of the closecooperation between the OlympicMuseum, Dr. Patrick Schamasch,director of the IOC Medical andScientific Department, Dr. MartialSaugy, technical director of theSwiss Laboratory for DopingAnalysis, and WADA.

It was extremely important forthe Olympic Museum to renewthis space, not only becausedoping is significant in relationto the future of sport, but also,quite simply, because visitors tothe Olympic Museum cite dopingamong the top three key issuesthat they would like to see dealtwith when they visit the museum.

In order to make the subjectappealing, the Olympic Museumsought to offer the public arecreational and interactive space.The pivoting showcases and

cubes, boxes containinginformation sheets, videos andtouch screens for a final quiz willundoubtedly make this spacedynamic and attract visitors.

This exhibition aims to give thepublic an overview of the past,present and future of the fightagainst doping. While doping insport is not a new phenomenon,it is now important to know thevarious forces involved in the fightagainst doping. At the OlympicGames, attention is drawn to theIOC’s “zero tolerance” policy and,on an international level, thevarious fields of WADA’s activitiesare presented, with an emphasison scientific and medical research,which is one of the essentialweapons in the fight against doping.

The fight against doping alsoentails prevention and education.And, although the issue of dopingoften refers to the sportingcontext, doping conduct canbe understood only in relation tosociety as a whole. Topics suchas the cult of performance and theprofessionalization and increasingmedia coverage of sport arepresented to those visitors whowish to find out about thephenomenon of doping.

While doping threatens theeducational values of sport and

contravenes the spirit of sport, itrepresents a genuine danger tothe health of athletes. The List ofProhibited Substances andMethods is exhibited in an originalform: ten small cube-showcasesillustrate the Prohibited Listcategories with a presentationof the banned substances and anexplanation about their medicaluse, established doping effectsand, in particular, side effects.

In order to safeguard doping-freesport, doping controls are crucial.The control procedure is illustratedin 12 stages through photos, fromthe selection of athletes rightthrough to result management.

Raising athlete awareness isalso a cornerstone in the fightfor clean sport, and a video withtestimonials from well-knownathletes presents an optimisticvision of doping-free sport to thepublic. At the end of the exhibition,visitors can test their knowledgeby means of a quiz, originallydevised by WADA and readaptedaccording to the topics dealt withby the Olympic Museum.

The exhibition will also be usedby the Education and CultureDepartment during guided toursand school visits. Anti-doping kits,anecdotes and a Whizzanator willsupport the presentation.

22play true - issue 2 - 2007

Interactive Anti-Doping Exhibit

made permanent at Olympic Museum

by Francis Gabet, Director of the Olympic Museum

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UK Sport has been up andrunning on ADAMS sinceNovember 2006, and with itrolling out the latest release in thecoming weeks we caught up withthe members of the team at theNational Anti-Doping Organization(NADO) for the UK to see whatimpact the system has alreadyhad, and what it hopes to achievein the future.

WADA has been developingADAMS (Anti-DopingAdministration and ManagementSystem) since 2004, with UKSport now having spent over ayear significantly assisting withideas for functionality, testing andrefinements to help ensure thateach release fully meets the needsof all concerned. The relationshipfirst came about when UK Sportmade a strategic decision in late2005 to fully engage with ADAMSand commit resources to itsimplementation.

The need for dedicated resourcewas paramount and led to UKSport contracting consultantDave Beaumont who has workedclosely with members of theDrug-Free Sport team to ensure asmooth transition to the system.

“We held a number of testing daysover the past few months, followinga mission through the entireprocess of planning, allocation andsample collection to ensure thereare no unforeseen circumstances,”said Beaumont. “These flagged updifferences in the way we work tothe way ADAMS allowed. Workingclosely with WADA we have beenable to iron these out in order tominimize the impact on ourworking practices.”

UK Sport’s first foray into ADAMSwas through the Therapeutic UseExemption (TUE) managementelement which has been in placesince November 2006.

Michael Stow, science & informationcoordinator at UK Sport, said: “Wecould see straight away howADAMS allows for better tracking ofTUEs, which means we can noweffectively monitor the types ofmedication athletes are asking forapproval to use. This obviouslyhelps from a TUE point of view, butcan also provide a useful source ofintelligence which can help with theplanning and allocation of tests.”

In April 2007, UK Sport beganmanaging its testing and resultsfunctions through ADAMS, withall aspects from test allocation tothe notification of results nowcentrally managed. The first batchof missions were set up duringJanuary and February, and fromthe start of April all tests are nowmanaged through ADAMS. TheTesting Team at UK Sportallocates the missions and theDoping Control Officers (DCO)then log in to see where they need

UK Sport Embraces

By Russell Langley, Communications Manager, UK Sport

Guest Feature

ADAMS Results Team who manage findings. ADAMS Testing Team who plan and allocate all tests. ADAMS at work at UK Sport.

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to be and when in order to carryout the test.

With the UK Sport team getting togrips with ADAMS, the next phaseof preparation involved theinduction of the DCOs, as JuliaHardy, quality & administrationassistant at UK Sport explains:

“Being out in the field, it was vitalthat the DCOs understoodADAMS, particularly the areaswhich slightly changed the waywe work. With that in mind weproduced a tailor-made user guidefor them covering both ADAMSand UK Sport processes. To backthis up they also have a hotlinethey can call at any time to talkthem through any issues theyhave. However, the user-friendliness of the system meansthis has hardly been used.”

Once the results are back fromthe laboratory, they are inputtedinto ADAMS from where eachstage of the results managementprocess can be monitored toensure Code compliance.

The final stage of the roll-out—athlete whereabouts—is

imminent and with the highprofile cases in the UK over thepast 12 months, arguably themost significant for UK Sport.UK Sport has operated its ownonline whereabouts systemsince July 2005, and the prioritywill be to induct the athletescurrently using this on to ADAMSbefore rolling it out across allother sports. A schedule for thisprocess is currently being drawnup, with the emphasis onquality induction, backed upby thorough education andsupport for athletes.

Overseeing the implementationis Andy Parkinson, head ofoperations at UK Sport. He said:“It has taken a tremendous amountof work to get us to this stage butthe fruits of that labor are alreadystarting to show and we aredelighted with how well the roll-outof ADAMS in the UK has gone.

“The real benefit of ADAMS willcome when more NADOs andInternational Federations come onboard, as the volume of informationit will contain will be invaluable. Forthe first time we will have a globaltest history of athletes, allowing us to

see who was tested where andwhen, and what the outcome was ofthose tests.

“Importantly, we will also be ableto see what tests are planned bydifferent organizations meaningan end to scenarios whereby theremight be duplication of tests onathletes by different bodies.This not only ensures testingacross the world is a little smarter,and therefore more effective,but importantly it also gives moreconfidence to athletes about thequality of the testing program andthe faith they have in our ability tocatch anyone using a prohibitedsubstance or method.

“Looking ahead, we’re keen toremain integrally involved in theongoing development of ADAMS.Having worked on it for so long wefeel a great sense of ownership andwant to do everything we can toexplain the benefits to ourcounterparts across the world. Wehave recently held discussions aboutthe mid term future of ADAMS andhave plenty of ideas on how ADAMScan be further developed and welook forward to sharing our thoughtswith WADA.”

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ADAMS "not only ensures testing acrossthe world is a little smarter, and thereforemore effective, but importantly it also givesmore confidence to athletes about thequality of the testing program and the faiththey have in our ability to catch anyoneusing a prohibited substance."

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25 play true - issue 2 - 2007

Partner Profile

When the ITF took control of the WTA drug testing

program on 1 January 2007, a year after reaching a

similar agreement with the ATP, a significant shift in

the policing of the sport was complete. The Tennis

Anti-Doping Program became exclusively managed

by the ITF, ending the sometimes confusing and

potentially conflicting days of player organizations

policing and prosecuting their own members. It's just

the start, and fresh challenges lie ahead in the next

few months. With important revisions being proposed

by the anti-doping community to the World Anti-

Doping Code for as early as 2008, there could be

crucial implications for professional tennis players who

fail anti-doping tests. Jonathan Overend spoke to Dr.

Stuart Miller, head of the ITF's Science and Technical

Department that oversees the program.

Jonathan Overend: Can you explain how drug-testingprocedures in tennis havechanged, if at all, since the ITF took over the ATP and WTA programs?

Dr. Stuart Miller: From anadministrative perspective it’s nowmore streamlined. We don’t havethree separate organizationsworking with a single testprovider. A key aim at the startwas for the players not to notice adifference. We didn’t want playerssaying, “The way I’m being

treated has changed,” or, “thepeople who are conducting thetests are doing things differently.”We’re still operating on the sameprinciples that testing is largelyrandom, with no advance notice.All the principles for an effectivetesting program are in place.

Who does the testing?

The ITF contracts IDTM[International Doping Tests andManagement] who are one of thebiggest independent testingorganizations in the world. Theywork a lot with WADA in othersports; they have a large networkof doping control officers andchaperones throughout the world;and they facilitate the testingrequirements that we put in place.

What about back at base—has it meant an increasedworkload for the ITF?

There’s no doubt that we’re busierthan before. There’s more testingto organize, we’re working closelywith both the ATP and WTA, andthere are more issues to deal with(either on-site or results

management) but we have madethe program, as a whole, moreefficient by centralizing it.

Ethically, for the good of the sport,was it necessary that both ATPand WTA programs came underthe control of the ITF?

I’m not going to comment on therights and wrongs of playerorganizations trying to policethemselves, but the potential forconflict of interest is clear. Whilethere’s no suggestion that thisinfluenced the ATP’s or WTA’soperation of its programs, to beseen to have no conflict of interestis extremely important and fromthe ITF’s point of view, having aprogram which is free ofsuspicion, which is transparentand cohesive, is very important. Ithink it’s been a good thing andthe fact that we’ve reachedagreement with the ATP and WTAshows they think it is as well.

How many times a year are thetop players tested?

Last year there were close to2,000 tests in tennis, which puts

BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the InternationalTennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping Program,which is now exclusively managed by the ITF.

Stuart Miller came to the ITF from the UK's Leeds Metropolitan University, where he was course leader of the Sport and Exercise Science BSc degree.Stuart has a BSc in sports science, an MSc in biomechanics, and a PhD in neuromuscular biomechanics.

In 1997, Miller became the secretary general of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, the world's leading sports biomechanics society.He was elected as a vice president of the organization in 2001. His expertise is in the field of sports science, and he regularly contributes scientificpapers to national and international publications.

As well as Anti-Doping, Stuart's other responsibilities at the ITF include Technical (equipment) and Sports Science & Medicine.

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us in the upper range of Olympicsports in terms of tests conducted.The frequency of testing dependson the players’ rankings. Becausetesting is random, the more eventsyou play the more likely you are tobe tested; likewise, the better youdo in those tournaments the morelikely it is. Top players wouldexpect to be tested more thanten times per year.

Since the ITF has had control ofthe whole tennis anti-dopingprogram, how many positiveshave there been?

In 2006 there were three dopingoffences—one in Australian Openqualifying, one in a challengerevent and one in a wheelchairevent. So, relatively fewconsidering there were nearly2,000 tests.

So do you believe it’s a clean sport?

You would have to draw thatconclusion. It would be naive tothink we catch every person whois engaged in doping; however,based on the principles that we’reoperating within the program, therecord in 2006 is certainlyindicative of a clean sport. Andyou need a comprehensive test

program to demonstrate whetheryou have a clean sport or not.

In the sport of track and field,athletes have been found guilty oftaking a designer drug thatnobody had known about: THG. Isthat why you feel it would be naiveto think you’re catching all thecheats? The fear there might bean ‘undiscovered’ drug?

Elite sport is lucrative for playersand there have been instances inother sports where the temptationto reach the top by unfair meanshas been too great. However, wehave no evidence that it’s the casein tennis. Tennis is a difficult sportto categorize in terms of itsphysiological demands andtherefore the type of substancesthat players could see as key togiving them success. Tennis has anumber of contributors to success.It has endurance, speed, agility butit also has skill. You can’t be a greatplayer without a significant amountof skill, and that in itself helpstennis be a little more confidentthat there isn’t widespread abuse ofdesigner substances that we don’tyet know about.

A few years ago the ITF was veryvocal in advising players against

the use of nutritional supplements.What is the very latest advice?

The ITF Sports Science andMedicine Commission has veryrecently updated the statementwhich is distributed through ourWeb site and through our testersto players. It does say that playersare recommended not to take anydietary supplements because it’simpossible to guarantee theirsafety. As long as the World Anti-Doping Code maintains a policyof strict liability, the players areheld accountable whatever thecircumstances, so they takesupplements at their own risk.

Finally, what is the ITF doing toeducate players about the risksand dangers of doping?

It’s not just players, but alsocoaches we want to educate andwe’re expanding our work in thisfield. We’ve produced a Q&A leafleton Therapeutic Use Exemptions,we have a 24-hour hotline which isopen to all players who havequestions about medications or theProhibited List, and we also work atjunior level with presentations andWeb site information so we can getto the players at a time when theyare receptive.

Partner Profile

Tennis anti-doping timeline www.itftennis.com/antidoping

Late 1980s: Drug testing in tennis begins with the Men's Tennis Council.

1990: With the formation of the ATP Tour, testing is extended to include performance-enhancing, as well as recreational, drugs.

1993: ITF, ATP and WTA create a joint anti-doping program that covers the whole of the sport.

1999: WADA is founded as an international independent organization to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against doping in all sport.

2002: ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti is elected to the WADA Foundation Board. Consisting of 38 representatives from the Olympic Movement

and governments, this is WADA's supreme decision-making body.

2006: ITF takes over the management, administration and enforcement of the program at ATP-sanctioned events.

2007: ITF takes over the same duties at WTA-sanctioned events.

“Because testing is random, the more events you play the more likely you are tobe tested; likewise, the better you do in those tournaments the more likely it is.Top players would expect to be tested more than ten times per year.”

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Sport as EqualizerParalympics and World Championships multiple gold

medalist Tanja Kari was once known simply as “the skier.” She continues that tradition of single-minded

dedication today, giving her all to keeping sport clean and fair for future generations.

Photo by Joonas Ekeström

Page 31: Play True 2007 - Summer - Research...BBC Radio's Tennis Correspondent Jonathan Overend talks to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) Dr. Stuart Miller about the Tennis Anti-Doping

Finnish cross-country skier Tanja Kari was born tobe a champion on skis. Placed on her first set ofskis at the age of four, Tanja raced in her firstcompetition when she was six. Despite being bornwith a disability that took away her capacity to usetwo poles—two poles offer balance and speed,important factors for any skier—Tanja excelled somuch while using only one pole, that she competedwith able-bodied kids and garnered immenserespect along the way.

“In the beginning, I was able to be equal withother kids who didn’t have a disability. Kids cansometimes be pretty cruel to each other, but theyalso respect other kids who are good at sport. So Ithink skiing gave me a way to grow up equalwithout thinking about my disability,” said Tanya.

She quickly became known as 'the skier' in hercommunity and her skills as an athlete becamemore known than her disability. Today Tanja isone of the greatest female winter Paralympicathletes in history with an impressive listof achievements:

• Four-time Paralympian:- 2002 (Salt Lake City) three gold- 1998 (Nagano) three gold- 1994 (Lillehammer) two gold, one silver- 1992 (Albertville) two gold

• Ten-time World Championships medalist(nine gold, one silver)

Tanja retired at 30, following the 2002Paralympic Games, fulfilled by her career andachievements as an athlete.

Play True: What has sport given you?

Tanja Kari: Sport has given everything to me. It’s thebasic building block of who I am. It helped me observesociety via sport and sport via society. It also gave me agreat education.

What’s your opinion of anti-doping right now? What is the best way to convince young people not to dope?

I think we need to encourage athletes and make themthink, “What is the core of sport?” There has to be joyand satisfaction, and there must be a healthyrelationship. This has to start with young kids. We needto create safe and enjoyable atmospheres so kids getpleasure from sport.

What is important to you when we talk about anti-doping as an issue?

I believe in the relationship with sport and its healthaspect. Yes, sometimes athletes have to risk their bodyand push themselves to the limit. And I believe that thewhole group, the whole support group needs to be onthe same line with that.

What do you think of competitive pressure in the context of performance enhancing drugs?

Most will think they can achieve without using drugs,but others may become fascinated with the idea oftaking a shortcut. It’s really a question of moral ethicsand the athlete is the one that has to choose his or herpath. They need to ask themselves, What is reallyimportant and what is not? What is a true victory insport? Is it the one in which you can really feel joy and

But Tanja has never really retired and continuesto give back to sport. Today, she is living andworking in Salt Lake City (U.S.) and is amember of WADA’s Athlete Committee andthe International Paralympic Committee’s Anti-Doping Commission.

Tanja recently shared with Play True her views onthe importance of sport in the development ofyoung people, as well as efforts to combat doping in sport.

enjoyment? Or is it just a gold medal without theseingredients? Understanding this helps to understand andcontrol competitive pressure.

As an athlete and as a hero to many young athletes, what isthe most important message you want to convey?

Athletes should challenge themselves. They can be theirbest without drugs or doping, I know they can. They cantrain and give everything to sport and know they will geteverything and more in return.

Athlete Profile

28play true - issue 2 - 2007

“I think we need to encourage athletes and make them think, "What is the coreof sport?" There has to be joy and satisfaction, and there must be a healthyrelationship. This has to start with young kids. We need to create safe andenjoyable atmospheres so kids get pleasure from sport.”

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29 play true - issue 2 - 2007

WADA Updates

The thirteen members of WADA’sAthlete Committee convened inEstoril (Portugal) on April 13–14,2007, to provide their input andrecommendations on theproposed changes to the WorldAnti-Doping Code and relatedInternational Standards.

The group was hosted byLaurentino Dias, PortugueseSecretary of State for Youth andSport, and Committee memberRosa Mota, Olympic and WorldChampion in Women’s Marathon.

The Committee agreed upon thefollowing recommendations andstatements:

• Confidentiality: The committeestressed the responsibility oforganizations and individualsinvolved in the doping controland results managementprocess to maintain athleteconfidentiality when dealingwith athlete information.Committee members stressedthat athletes need to haveabsolute confidence in theintegrity of the anti-dopingsystem and the protection ofconfidential information.

• List of Prohibited Substances:When asked about viewson the List of ProhibitedSubstances and Methods,the Committee supported thecurrent policy and system forconsidering substances andmethods for banning. Further,members noted that cannabisshould always remain on theProhibited List because itsends a strong message toathletes and youth worldwide.Committee members stressedthe responsibility of eliteathletes to serve as rolemodels to youth.

• Tougher Sanctions for Cheats:The committee reiterated itsstrong stance for tougheningsanctions for first-time seriousdoping offences. They said thatsanctions need to be tougher inorder to deter cheating and takecheaters out of competition. Inlight of the revision of the Codecurrently underway, they calledfor increasing the sanction for afirst-time serious doping offencefrom two to four years.

• Incentives for Cooperation withInvestigations: Also in thecontext of the Code revision, theCommittee discussed theconcept of offering incentives(such as reducing sanctions) todoping athletes for providinginformation and facilitatinginvestigations into seriousorganized doping schemes.While the committee agreedthat such a principle might behelpful to stem the scourge ofdoping and to catch cheaters,they urged that, out of fairnessto clean athletes, such incentivesshould not encourage the rapidand easy return of dopingathletes to competition.

• Financial Penalties: Committeemembers reiterated their desirefor financial matters to be fullydiscussed and considered toensure that those who aredemoted in standing by a dopedathlete can recover awards.

• Whereabouts and Missed Tests:Committee members wereasked to provide their views onproposed changes to theInternational Standard forTesting (IST) relating to athletewhereabouts information andmissed tests. Until now, rulesfor whereabouts and missedtests have not been dictated by

the IST in order to allowflexibility to national anti-doping organizations and sportsfederations in setting theserules. Calls are now howeverbeen made by the internationalcommunity to harmonize thispart of the doping control process.As a result, proposals for theglobal policy have been receivedand drafted into a new versionof the IST, which is expected tobe approved by November2007 following extensivestakeholder consultation. TheCommittee has submitted itsfeedback on the current draftproposal to the WADA’sStandards & HarmonizationDepartment for considerationduring revision of the IST.

The Committee receivedpresentations from all membersshowing major advances madeglobally in informing athletes oftheir responsibilities and remindingthem of the need to play true. TheCommittee will be contributing toa special section on the WADAWeb site targeted at athletes forthe promotion of clean sport.

On 14 April, the Committee visitedthe accredited anti-dopinglaboratory based in Lisbon. TheLisbon laboratory is 1 of 34laboratories worldwide that areaccredited by WADA to performanti-doping analysis under the Code.

Chaired by Vyacheslav Fetisov, Head of the

Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport

(Russian Federation), the WADA Athlete

Committee consists of elite international athletes

especially concerned about the prevalence of

doping in sport. In working with WADA and

providing input on anti-doping programs and

initiatives, WADA Athlete Committee members

represent the voice of clean athletes and work to

help level the playing field for athletes worldwide.

Athlete Committee Lends Muscle to a Stronger Fight against Doping

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On 29 May 2007, WADA issuedthe official call for proposals for its2008 Social Science ResearchGrant Program (Program). Thiswas the fourth call for proposalssince WADA first created its SocialScience Research Grant Programin 2004, awarding its first grantsin 2005. With education andresearch being among WADA’sstrategic objectives, the intentionis that social science research willprovide an evidence-basedfoundation for the development ofeducation initiatives that serve thepreventive aspects of WADA’s fightagainst doping in sport as well ascontributing to the existingknowledge base in the field.

To be admissible for funding underthe Program, submissions mustnot only satisfy the Program’sdetailed administrative requirements,but also be related to the specificresearch priorities that areformulated each year by WADA’sEducation Committee and that theAgency sets out in the respectivecall. Furthermore, WADA particularlyencourages collaborative research,projects with specific cultural orregional perspectives, as well asstudent projects.

In a first step, and provided thesubmissions satisfy the Program’sadministrative requirements, thesubmissions are assessed by twoexternal peer reviewers, usingweighted criteria established byWADA’s Education Committee.This includes, in particular, thescientific merit of the proposedproject and the degree to whichthe research will have substantialimpact given the objectives set outin the research priorities of the Program.

In a second step, WADA’sEducation Committee considers

the comments of the peerreviewers and makes its fundingrecommendations to WADA'sExecutive Committee. The ExecutiveCommittee makes the finaldecision as to the projects that willreceive funding. The final step isfor the selected projects to undergoethical review by WADA’s reviewers.

Since its inception, the Programhas served to fund 14 researchprojects, initiated by researchersin regions as varied as Africa,North America, South-East Asia,Western and Eastern Europe, andScandinavia. A couple of thefunded projects have focused ontopics relating to a specific sportor to athletes with disabilities, andone project consisted of a vastinternational literature review ofresearch on anti-doping educationand prevention programs, thebeliefs and behaviours that lead todoping and the predictive andprecipitating factors. Other topicshave included the studies of theknowledge of and attitudestowards doping among a variety ofspecific populations (includingamong the medical profession) orspecific countries or cultures, andthe development of a psychome-trically sound tool for assessingathletes’ attitudes towards andpropensity for doping.

To date, approximately six ofthe research projects fundedunder the Program have beencompleted and their reports arenow posted on WADA’s Web site.Although the Program is stillyoung, the projects that havealready been completed haveyielded conclusions that tendto corroborate the preventivedirection taken by currentand ongoing anti-dopingeducation activities.

WADA’s Education Committeerecently recommended that theProgram be opened up as muchas possible to accommodateresearch that is specific to variousregions or cultures, to help generatemomentum for anti-doping workin regions where few initiativescurrently exist. As a first step infacilitating this development, thecall for proposal documents forthe 2008 Program have beenpublished not only in Englishand French, but also in Spanish.

Finally, among WADA’s long-termprojects are the implementationand development of a centraldatabase of social scienceresearch reports on topics relatedto doping in sport. While thisdatabase will of course feature thereports of the projects fundedunder the Program, WADA alsoinvites all of its stakeholders tosubmit all relevant researchproject reports that have alreadybeen made public for inclusion.

For more information concerningthe 2008 Program please visit ourWeb site. To submit a researchreport for future inclusion in theWADA Social Science ResearchDatabase, please [email protected].

WADA Updates

WADA and Social Science Research

Among WADA's long-term projects are the implementation anddevelopment of a central database of social science research reportson topics related to doping in sport.

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31 play true - issue 2 - 2007

WADA Updates

In 2005, WADA piloted anEducation Symposium inMontevideo, Uruguay, with thepurpose of disseminatinginformation on doping in sport,offering guidance and providingpractical tools participants canuse to disseminate anti-dopingmessages in their countries orthroughout their organizations.The success of the pilot led to fivemulti-national Symposia beingheld in Europe (Moscow andAthens), Asia (Macau and KualaLumpur) and Africa (Cairo).

The Traveling Seminar Concept

In order to give a larger numberof stakeholders the opportunityof benefiting from anti-dopingeducation events, increase

participation in such events bythose involved in anti-dopingeducation first hand and promotelocal collaboration in anti-dopingeducation activities, theSymposium format has recentlybeen replaced by the TravelingSeminar concept. During aTraveling Seminar, members ofthe WADA Education Departmentand a representative of the localWADA Regional Office (or of therelevant Regional Anti-DopingOrganization) travel to two or threecountries within one same regionto run the Seminar activities.

The ultimate goal of the two daySeminar is to empower participantsto develop and implement theirown anti-doping educationactivities. The general objectives

include providing participantswith basic information on anti-doping issues and on WADA’seducation work, introducingparticipants to the ModelGuidelines for Core Educationand Information Programs, andengaging participants in creatinga local annual and long-term planfor anti-doping education. It isintended that, at the end of theSeminar, participants will havegained a level of knowledge ofand comfort with anti-dopingeducation topics and materialssufficient to train others, helpbuild relationships among thedifferent actors in the region toopen the doors for future jointaction, and promote the sharingand communication of anti-dopingeducation materials and policies.

Anti-Doping Goes Global

with WADA Education Seminars

Learning through play: WADA's anti-doping card game introduces spirit of sport values to students in Madagascar.

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Given these objectives, theSeminars include few formalpresentations but instead favoursmall group work. Theseworkshop-style Seminars givecredence to the notion thatathletes do not train in isolationand focus on the importance ofeducating all those who work withathletes (including coaches,health care professional, teachers,and parents) on the dangers ofdoping. Over the course of theSeminar, participants,representing National SportFederations, Anti-DopingUnits/Organizations, Ministry ofSport, National OlympicCommittees and NationalParalympic Committees, worktogether to establish a plan foranti-doping education.

School Activities

In parallel to the Seminar’sworkshop activities, the Seminarsinclude a school component.Local education experts(representing schooladministrators, classroomteachers, academics, universityfaculty responsible for teachertraining, curriculum developersand representatives from

Ministries of Education, Sportand Youth) are engaged in aFocus Group session, to discussand evaluate possibilities for theintegration, within the local schoolsystem, of the curriculum fromWADA’s Teacher’s Tool Kit. ThisTool Kit contains a series of lessonplans, currently targeting teachersof students aged 10-12 years,with suggested activities forintroducing the Spirit of Sportvalues and anti-doping messagesto young people.

Finally, a classroom activity isincluded among the Seminar’sother activities in order to observefirst hand the reaction to andsuitability of anti-dopingeducation in local classrooms.The classroom activity typicallyinvolves a discussion surroundingthe reasons why people areinvolved in sport (values), whysport is governed by rules andhow cheating (whether doping orother forms of cheating) iscontrary to the Spirit of Sportvalues. These classroom activitiesusually end with students playingthe WADA Anti-Doping CardGame, which places students insituations in which they are eitherencouraged to cheat or find

themselves playing with peoplewho are not following the rulesand may even have to sit out ofthe game because they have been“banned for life.”

Looking towards the Future

The Traveling Seminar concept,along with its associated schoolactivities, was first piloted inNicaragua and Colombia inSeptember 2006. A second setof Seminars were held in the IndianOcean in March 2007 (Seychelles,Mauritius and Madagascar).Several Seminars are beingplanned for 2007 (Africa,Caribbean, Latin America andOceania) and for 2008 (LatinAmerica, Asia, Africa, Caribbean,and Eastern Europe).

Finally, in keeping with WADA’sfocus on positive valuesdevelopment for preventionpurposes, modifications to theSeminar programming areregularly suggested so as to bestadjust the Seminar content tolocal contexts, needs andresources and to encourageparticipants to create andimplement their own, customizedanti-doping programs that arebased on values development.

WADA Updates

Learning by doing: developinga plan for anti-doping education

activities in Mauritius withWADA Regional Director (Africa)

Rodney Swigelaar.

Seychelles Seminar participants with WDA Education Manager Jen Sclater and Education Director Julie Carter.Seychelles Seminar participants with WDA Education Manager Jen Sclater and Education Director Julie Carter.

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WADA Updates

Third World Conference on Doping in SportMadrid (Spain), 15 –17 November 2007

The fight against doping in sport continues toexpand to new regions of the world with theestablishment of three new Regional Anti-DopingOrganizations (RADO).

The Central African RADO (Zone IV), launched inApril 2007, is being hosted by Cameroon, whosegovernment and National Olympic Committee(NOC) have agreed to provide office and staff tocoordinate anti-doping development in the region.

Belarus will be hosting the new Eastern EuropeRADO which was created in March 2007. TheBelarus government and NOC have agreed toprovide office and staff.

In South Asia, a new RADO was established in May2007, and is being hosted by the Maldives, whosegovernment and NOC will provide the office andstaff, in addition to accommodations and meals formeetings held in the country.

Through the RADO program, WADA facilitates thecreation of anti-doping organizations in regions ofthe world where there previously existed limited orno anti-doping activity. Since the launch of theRADO development program in late 2004, 101countries have become newly active in the fightagainst doping in sport. The objective is for allcountries of the world to be engaged by 2010.

Three New RADOs Established: Central Africa, Eastern Europe and South Asia

In February 1999, the First World Conference on Doping inSport was held in Lausanne (Switzerland) and resulted inthe founding of WADA. In March 2003, a Second WorldConference was held in Copenhagen (Denmark) where delegatesfrom governments and the sport movement worldwideunanimously adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (Code)as the nucleus for the fight against doping in sport.The Code entered into force on 1 January 2004.

The years of experience since the Code’s adoption have shownit to be an effective tool, and as with any living document,requires regular review. WADA has always undertaken tocoordinate this work and, in mid-2006, launched a process ofreview on a scale similar to the consultations that led to theCode's initial adoption. The goal is to build on experience tofine-tune the Code and enhance the global fight against dopingin sport. In Madrid (Spain), from 15–17 November, at theThird World Conference on Doping in Sport, delegates willdiscuss the proposed changes to the Code and its relatedstandards. A revised Code will be made available to Conferencedelegates in October ahead of the Conference and a finalConference resolution will be submitted for adoption during thefinal session of the Conference.

Since its inception, WADA has made significant advances in theglobal campaign against doping, and will update delegates,

observers and media on several of thesenoteworthy activities and achievements,as well as future strategies to combatdoping in sport.

Registration to attend the Third WorldConference on Doping in Sport is now open—deadline 15 August 2007. For additionalinformation on the conference program,participation guidelines, registration andaccommodation, please visit the officialconference Web site at: www.wadamadrid2007.com.

33 play true - issue 2 - 2007

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Ne

w!

On March 27–28, 2007,WADA hosted its fourth annualInternational Federation Anti-DopingSymposium at the Olympic Museumin Lausanne (Switzerland). Thissymposium enables anti-dopingexperts from International SportsFederations (IFs) and WADA toexchange proposals forimprovements, information andopinions on various issues linkedto the fight against doping andits administration.

This year, so as to make thesymposium as interactive aspossible, emphasis was placed oncase study workshops in three mainareas: results management and

sanctions; issues linked to themanagement of the fight againstdoping on a day-to-day basis, suchas athlete whereabouts, targetedtesting and Therapeutic UseExemptions (TUEs); and how tocreate annual anti-doping educationprograms for individual IFs.

Other more traditional sessionsdealt with the current revision of theWorld Anti-Doping Code; WADA'sworldwide development programthrough the creation of RegionalAnti-Doping Organizations; and theimplementation of ADAMS, theAnti-Doping Administration andManagement System created byWADA to facilitate stakeholders'

day-to-day management of anti-doping activities. Following theSymposium, WADA also held atwo-day ADAMS training session.

Over 80 participants representingsome 50 IFs took part in the 2007Symposium. Next year, theSymposium will be held on April1–2, in Lausanne, in a slightlydifferent format. On day one,WADA and the IFs will meet,while a concurrent session of theAssociation of National Anti-DopingOrganizations will be held inanother venue in Lausanne. Andon day two, a joint meeting willbe held for the IFs, National Anti-Doping Organizations and WADA.

Fourth IF Symposium Meets with Success

WADA, with the support of UKSport, convened an internationalsymposium of government, sport,anti-doping and law enforcementauthorities on April 16–17, 2007,in London (UK), to advancediscussions on how governmentand sport can best coordinateefforts in the targeting of widescale doping schemes. Attendeesurged increased cooperationamong multiple government andlaw enforcement agencies andwith sports organizations to attackthe more sinister elements in thedoping underground.

Key themes discussed during thetwo-day symposium included

giving law enforcement agenciesthe framework and toolsnecessary to shut down the largescale doping schemes andfacilitating collaboration betweenlaw enforcement and sportsauthorities in their investigativework so that sport can sanctionthose who facilitate and profitfrom cheating. A working groupwas created at the conclusion ofthe talks to follow-up on strategiesdiscussed, including thedevelopment of model protocolsand guidelines for cooperationand sharing of information.

"The 'upstream' organizers of dopingon a broad scale, including

WADA Updates

Investigations Symposium Calls for Increased Cooperation,Development of Model Protocols for Sharing Information

traffickers and members of theathlete entourage, must be heldaccountable," said WADA DirectorGeneral David Howman. "Well-organized and well-financedindividuals and groups who prey onathletes, profiting from their cheatingwhile risking very little themselves,must be stopped. To do so requires amore unified and cooperative actionamong law enforcement and anti-doping agencies to shut down sourceand supply."

The London symposium followed ona first meeting hosted in ColoradoSprings (U.S.) in November 2006 bythe U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and theU.S. Olympic Committee.

Free Educational Tool: Doping Quiz Link Program

Through WADA’s “Doping Quiz Link Program,” stakeholders can put the Doping Quiz on their organizations’ Web sites, givingathletes and members of the athlete entourage visiting these sites a fun and interactive way to learn more about the dangers ofdoping and their responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code.

Stakeholders simply follow a few easy steps to select the Doping Quiz “Web Sticker” they prefer from several options available (seesamples below), and the Doping Quiz becomes a part of the Web site, giving stakeholders another way to ensure that their athleteshave the opportunity to learn about anti-doping.

The Doping Quiz, which operates in 15 languages, serves as the foundation of the Athlete OutreachProgram that WADA takes to major international sporting events including the Olympics,Paralympics and many World Championships.

Visit WADA’s Web site at www.wada-aama.org to get started!

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WADA Program Calendar. For the most current updates, visit www.wada-ama.org

ATHLETE OUTREACH

ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

WADA's Athlete Outreach program raises awareness and encourages doping-free sport through direct interaction with athletes at major sporting events worldwide.

WADA works with stakeholders to facilitate the establishment of strong anti-doping programs in sports and regions throughout the world. The followingare meetings of various development programs, including those of Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs).

ADAMS TRAINING

ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration & Management System) is the web-based database management system that coordinates anti-doping activitiesworldwide. WADA hosts training sessions for stakeholders adopting the ADAMS system.

July 18–19August 28–29September 4

West Asia RADO Project Team MeetingEastern Europe RADO Board MeetingSouth East Asia RADO Board Meeting

JordanKiev, UkraineBrunei Darussalam

July 11–23July 13–29August 8–18Oct. 28–Nov. 3

All Africa GamesPan American GamesWorld University GamesUNESCO-WADA Anti-Doping Education Program for Young Athletes (Tennis)

Algiers, AlgeriaRio de Janeiro, BrazilBangkok, ThailandWashington, DC

INDEPENDENT OBSERVERSThe Independent Observer (IO) program helps enhance athlete and public confidence at major events by randomly monitoring, auditing and reporting on all phasesof the doping control and results management processes.

EDUCATION TRAVELING SEMINAR

WADA’s Traveling Seminars raise understanding about anti-doping efforts, disseminate general information about anti-doping in sport and offerguidance and practical tools for initiating or enhancing anti-doping education programs among WADA stakeholders throughout the world. The datesbelow are subject to change. For the most current information, please contact [email protected].

August 6–7 Santiago, ChileAugust 9–10 La Paz, BoliviaAugust 13–14 Panama City, PanamaOctober 17–18 Abuja, NigeriaOctober 22–23 Accra, GhanaOctober 26–27 Bamako, Mali

September 4–5 Lausanne, SwitzerlandSeptember 8–9 Bucharest, Romania

THIRD WORLD CONFERENCE ON DOPING IN SPORT

The deadline for registering for the Third World Conference on Doping in Sport is 15 August 2007. Visit the conference Web site atwww.wadamadrid2007.com for details on registration, participation guidelines and accommodations (see related article, p.33). November 15–17, 2007. Madrid, Spain.

WADA INFORMATION/EDUCATION SESSION

In cooperation with the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, WADA will host an extensive program to inform government and sport stakeholdersand other interested parties from the region about the importance of the fight against doping in sport and stakeholders’ respective responsibilities underthe World Anti-Doping Code. October 5–6, 2007. Patiala, India.

July 11–23 All Africa Games Algiers, AlgeriaJuly 13–29 Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

WADA Calendar

35

CODE REVIEW & CONSULTATION

The World Anti-Doping Code (Code) represents one of the most important achievements to date in the fight against doping in sport. The Code is the coredocument that provides a framework for harmonized anti-doping policies, rules and regulations among sports organizations and public authorities. Buildingon the experience gained to date and to further advance anti-doping efforts, WADA has initiated a Code consultation period, similar to that used in itsdevelopment, for a practical review of its provisions and fine-tuning them to enhance anti-doping programs. The Code consultation process commenced inApril 2006 and has now entered its third and final stage of consultation.

June–JulyOctober 15 November 15–17

Third Consultation Phase Final draft revision posted onlineFinal draft revision submitted for adoption, Third World Conference on Doping in Sport

Montreal, Canada Montreal, CanadaMadrid, Spain