WADA Olympics Report

In total 4,770 tests were carried out as part of the doping control programme from 27 July until 24 August 2008, which was the largest ever testing programme for an Olympic Games. The tests included 3,801 urine and 969 blood tests. Urine tests included 817 EPO tests, and blood tests covered 471 human Growth Hormone (hGH) tests. The Beijing test figures show an increase of 32.5 % compared to the previous summer Games in 2004 in Athens. Tests were conducted at 41 doping control stations, 34 located in Beijing and seven in the co-host cities. Of the total number 1,462 were pre-Games/Out-of-Competition tests. 61 results were subject to a TUE.

During the course of the Olympic Games in Beijing there were nine doping cases. All involved adverse analytical findings as a result of the analyses at the WADA accredited Laboratory in Beijing and Tokyo in the case of one pre-Games test.

Maria Morena (Spain) (Cycling) (EPO) (July 30th)
Jong Su Kim (North Korea) (Shooting) (Propranolol) (August 9th & 12th)
Thi Ngan Thuong Do (Vietnam) (Gymnastics) (Furosemide) (August 10th)
Fani Chalkia (Greece) (Athletics) (Methyltrienolone) (August 10th)
Liudmyla Blonska (Ukraine) (Athletics) (Methyltestosterone) (August 16th)
Vadim Devyatrovskiy (Belarus) (Athletics) (Testosterone) (August 17th)
Ivan Tsikhan (Belarus) (Athletics) (Testosterone) (August 17th)
Igor Razoronov (Ukraine) (Weightlifting) (Nandrolone) (August 18th)
Adam Seroczynski (Poland) (Canoe Kayak) (Clenbuterol) (August 22nd)

There was also a further six positives at the equestrian events held in Honk Kong, not covered by this WADA report.

Bernardo Alves / Chupa Chup (Brazil) (Capsaicin)
Rodrigo Pessoa / Rufus (Brazil) (Nonivamide)
Christian Ahlmann / Cöster (Germany) (Capsaicin)
Denis Lynch / Lantinus (Ireland) (Capsaicin)
Tony André Hansen / Camiro (Norway) (Capsaicin)
Courtney King / Mythilus (United States) (Felbinac)

From the information provided by the Chairman of the IOC TUEC, it appears that many NOCs are not aware of the Rules and Procedures relating to TUEs and aTUEs, and even the possibility that they may submit an application for the use of certain prohibited substances to treat legitimate medical conditions.

At the NOC Team Doctors Meeting the day prior to the Opening of the Games there was confusion when the Chairman of the IOC-MC TUEC incorrectly presented that the use of intravenous infusions was not prohibited out-of-competition. This statement was however clarified prior to the conclusion of the meeting, that according to the Prohibited List, M2. Prohibited Methods, the use of intravenous infusions is prohibited. In an acute medical situation where this method is deemed necessary, a retroactive TUE will be required.

The IOC Medical Director notified the IO chair of one adverse analytical finding that did not proceed beyond the initial review of the case, simultaneously with the chairman of the IOC TUEC, due to the Athlete having an aTUE on file at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004. The NOC concerned provided the IOC Medical Director with the necessary documentation shortly after being informed of the situation and an aTUE was subsequently granted retroactively. It was however not made clear to the IO Team whether up-to-date information was submitted or if the aTUE was granted using the same documentation as was submitted 4 years earlier. In either case the IO Team would like to express its concern about way in which this case was handled.

Nearly half of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) present in Beijing did not provide whereabouts information for their Athletes to enable the most effective pre-Games and Out of Competition testing programme. Information about the requirements and tools to facilitate the provision of whereabouts information should be made available to the NOCs in the future.

During the NOC Team Doctors Meeting, the IOC Medical Director stated to all participants that more than 110 NOCs had not fulfilled their obligations in regard to the provision of whereabouts as defined in the IOC-ADR.

After the reminder issued by the IOC Medical Director at the NOC Team Doctors Meeting on 7th August 2008, the number of NOCs providing whereabouts information increased, but there were nevertheless approximately 102 NOCs (half the total participating NOCs) who did not provide whereabouts. During the Games, the IOC did not take any further action against those NOCs who were non-compliant with the Athlete Whereabouts Requirements of the IOC-ADR, however the IOC Medical Director and Doping Control Administrative Coordinator informed the IO Team that the NOCs concerned will receive written notification about their non-compliance after the Games.

The IO Team observed that some NOCs were not aware of the changes to the IOC-ADR requirements for the provision of whereabouts since the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens.

Four IFs carried out pre-competition blood screening, IAAF (Athletics), UCI (Cycling), FISA (Rowing), UIPM (Modern Pentathlon). This testing was outside of the scope of the IOCWADA-BOCOG pre-Games Testing or In-Competition Testing. The four IFs used the same testing protocol and the results were used for their own information purposes, which may have been used for potential target testing of Athletes with suspicious blood values.

Modern Pentathlon was the only IF that used the pre-competition blood screening in Beijing to determine a no-start for Athletes whose haematocrit exceeded their rules of 50 for men and 47 for women or haemoglobin values of 17 dl/g for men and 16 dl/g for women.

The IO Team was informed by an IOC-MC Laboratory observer that the WADA accredited Laboratory in Beijing was unable to test for insulin. The IOC Medical Director was of the opinion that the WADA accreditation of the Laboratory determines which substances are tested. General practice, however, is for the client to decide on the test menu directly with the Laboratory. Nevertheless, all samples will be stored for 8 years to enable eventual re-testing, should the IOC deem this to be necessary in any cases.

In the case of urine EPO analysis, the tests were limited to an agreed number in different sports which varied and consisted of the winner or all of the medallists, in some cases there were also random selections and Athletes who broke World, Olympic or Continental records and in some cases National records in Swimming and Athletics, which is a requirement in order to validate the record. In relation to the number of tests carried out, the number of samples subject to EPO testing was relatively low, notably in the sports where the use of EPO has been detected.

Once all Laboratory results had been received after the Olympic Games in Beijing, it transpired that the result for one of the quality control samples had not been sent to the IO during the Games. This is a concern as it contained a prohibitied substance and should have been reported as an adverse analytical finding.

In the course of the review of the Laboratory results received by the IO Team, there were approximately 100 samples where the T/E ratio exceeded the reporting level of 4 and another 40 samples reported elevated levels of other reportable substances, each of which subsequently each had a negative IRMS test. As a consequence they are therefore not considered as an adverse analytical finding. The IOC Medical Director informed the IO Team, that the IFs would be sent a copy of the test results for elevated T/E samples following the conclusion of the Olympic Games. It would then be the responsibility of the respective IF to investigate the status of the Athletes in question, whether there is a case history on file, or if follow-up testing is required, as provided for in the International Standard for Testing.

An area that left room for improvement was the administrative reporting of the Laboratory […] once the Laboratory had apparently delivered all reports to the IO Team, it transpired that [b]around 300 test results were missing in comparison to the doping control forms[/b]. The IO Team therefore checked the status of the receipt of these Laboratory results with the IOCMC, but at the time of the delivery of this report on 19th September 2008, the IOC had not been able to finish processing the test results from the Laboratory. They believed however, that they too may be missing some reports.

Can’t you do like they do in politics and make a short re-cap/catchphrase telling us what to think?

I’ll have to read it all later though!