Committed to the Anti-Doping Movement

Real sport is pure human energy. Real sport is trust and respect for the system. With this in mind, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is implementing a world-class anti-doping program.

Today, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique - Institut Armand-Frappier (INRS) based in Montreal, Quebec — Canada’s only World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory and one of 33 WADA-accredited laboratories in the world — was selected to operate the on-site anti-doping laboratory for the 2010 Winter Games.

The on-site anti-doping lab for Vancouver 2010, will occupy a 15,000 square-foot space in the Richmond Oval. There, the INRS will operate the laboratory and manage the testing of approximately 2,450 samples during the 2010 Winter Games. Because of the evolving nature of anti-doping, VANOC’s program is designed to be adaptive in its testing techniques based on the latest practices.

“We are committed to having a world-class program in 2010 and our approach will consist of not only testing, but also education,” said Jeremy Luke, VANOC director, anti-doping. “We are continually seeing advancements in testing and detection, and I have no doubt we will see advancements take place in the next two years leading up to the 2010 Winter Games. To truly have a state-of-the-art program, we’re working with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee to design our program to be able to adapt to these new changes.”

Prevention and detection

Under the authority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Vancouver 2010 anti-doping program will build upon Canada’s solid platform of prevention and detection in the fight against doping in sport by working jointly with WADA and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).

VANOC’s anti-doping program will also serve as a legacy for sport volunteers in Canada. Five-hundred volunteers will be trained as doping control officers, blood collection officers and chaperones. Many of these volunteers will gain valuable experience at Sport Events leading up to the Games, with skills that can be used during and after the Games. 

The lab for the 2010 Winter Games will be busy with testing athletes once the Olympic and Paralympic Villages opens on February 4, 2010.

“In terms of samples, VANOC is planning for a significant increase in testing numbers in comparison to previous Games,” said Luke.

Approximately 800 doping tests were conducted during the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and approximately 1,200 tests took place during the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. VANOC expects to conduct approximately 2,000 tests during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and more than 450 tests during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

An education in anti-doping

In addition to the newly selected laboratory, VANOC’s anti-doping program has a second purpose: education.

With close to 90 per cent of all potential Vancouver 2010 athletes attending Sport Events in Vancouver and Whistler prior to the 2010 Winter Games, VANOC will have many opportunities to educate athletes, coaches, support personnel and the public about the latest information in anti-doping. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to establish key partnerships with civil authorities, including hospital personnel, customs officials and police, to solicit their cooperation and increase their awareness of doping.

VANOC plans to build upon WADA’s highly successful athlete outreach program, and will work closely with national anti-doping agencies and National Olympic and Paralympic Committees to provide interactive resources and education tools to assist in education efforts.

Valuable experience

Since 2007, VANOC has been working with a number of organizations to train 500 anti-doping volunteers for Games-time positions to act as doping control officers (DCOs), blood collection officers (BCOs) and chaperones for the implementation of the anti-doping program. Sport Events are the ideal setting for pre-Games anti-doping volunteers to gain experience and good opportunities to exercise anti-doping education programs.

In August 2007, and again in November 2007, VANOC, in conjunction with the CCES, hosted a series of DCO training sessions. The goal was to ensure doping control staff and volunteers are professional, experienced and efficient in their roles in protecting the athletes’ rights to fair and ethical competition.

Jennifer Ronson was one of about 100 volunteers who participated in the anti-doping workshops. She saw the volunteer experience as her chance to contribute to the movement for fair, clean sport.

“Becoming involved as a DCO, for the rest of my life, is just my way of giving back,” said Ronson. “The healthy pursuit of competition in athletics is something I want to be a part of.”

Another training session will be hosted in Vancouver in September 2008 in conjunction with the CCES to ensure that DCOs and BCOs have the training required to fully participate in the Sport Events occurring during the 2008-09 competitive winter season.

The advancements of technology and practices will keep Canada and the CCES on the forefront of the international fight against doping in sport. VANOC’s anti-doping program is an essential part of the 2010 Winter Games and the future of sport in Canada.