WADA Publishes New Anti-Doping Rule Violations Report

[mrhender]

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2015-06/wada-publishes-new-anti-doping-rule-violations-report

For those interested:

With Nearly 2,000 Sanctions, the 2013 Report is most comprehensive stats offering to-date

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published its first ever Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) Report today, which reveals that 1,953 sanctions were levied for ADRVs that were committed in 2013. The sanctions were handed out to athletes and athlete support personnel from 115 countries in 89 sports following tests performed in 2013 and other non-analytical investigations that were concluded that same year.

“WADA is pleased to provide the most comprehensive set of doping statistics to-date. This new ADRV Report, when combined with the Annual Testing Figures Report, will be of value to the anti-doping community’s efforts to protect clean athletes in every country around the world,” said WADA Director General, David Howman.

Doping remains biggest threat to integrity of sport

The ADRV Report illustrates the incidence of doping in global sport during 2013; and, breaks the sanctions down by sport, testing authority and nationality. “With close to 2,000 sanctions in one year and almost every sport represented, it’s evident that doping still represents a huge threat to modern-day sport,” said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie. “Protecting clean athletes, and upholding the integrity of sport remains WADA’s number one priority. In light of the Report’s findings, WADA and its partners around the world must continue to deter current athletes from doping; and, crucially, educate future generations — the athletes of tomorrow — from ever considering doping as an option,” added Reedie.

First time ADRV Report made possible by unprecedented collaboration

This is the first time that WADA has been able to pull together such a comprehensive report on ADRVs. The data has been collated by WADA, following information received from Code signatories, who are responsible for the results management of doping cases. “Whilst we have long produced annual statistics on anti-doping testing figures, the clean sport community has until now been lacking a robust annual compilation of ADRVs worldwide,” said David Howman. “This ADRV Report has been made possible thanks to the commitment of our signatories worldwide to report the outcomes of both their Adverse Analytical Findings (otherwise known as positive results) and non-analytical ADRVs,” he added.

Follow-up to 2013 Testing Figures Report

The ADRV Report follows on from the 2013 Testing Figures Report released last year, which disclosed the results of all the tests performed by WADA-accredited laboratories on urine and blood samples collected that year.

This new ADRV Report details the outcomes of the Adverse Analytical Findings, including those that resulted in sanctions. The Report also illustrates those ADRVs that emanated from Non-Analytical Findings (e.g., a failure to submit to a test, possession, use or trafficking of a prohibited substance following an investigation, etc.). Combined, the two reports provide powerful data that will help Anti-Doping Organisations gain a better understanding of the global incidence of doping in 2013, and adapt their anti-doping strategies to further protect clean athletes.

 

[mrhender]

An article on the report here:

http://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/wadas-2013-adrv-report-less-than-1-of-samples-result-in-sanction/

WADA’S 2013 ADRV REPORT: LESS THAN 1% OF SAMPLES RESULT IN SANCTION

A report published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) in 2013 has revealed that less than 1% of samples received and analysed by WADA laboratories resulted in a sanction. WADA’s accounts for 2013 show that it received US$28.8 million during the year, meaning that each doping sanction cost $17,019.

WADA’s 2013 ADRV report revealed that 207,513 samples were received and analysed by WADA laboratories during 2013. Of these, 2,540 resulted in an Adverse Analytical Finding (1.22%); and 1,687 (0.81%) resulted in an ADRV. Interestingly, just three of those ADRVs resulted from blood testing. WADA also reported 266 non-analytical ADRVs in 2013 (i.e. whereabouts failings, refusing/evading tests; trafficking etc.)

In some sports, the figures suggested that testing could perhaps be better directed. Badminton conducted 1,264 tests during 2013, for example, to return just two AAFs and one ADRV. On the other hand, bodybuilding returned 162 ADRVs from 1,710 tests (9.5%). Cycling produced 153 ADRVs from 22,252 tests, or in other words, just 0.7% of tests resulted in a sanction. This either suggests that cycling was a relatively clean sport in 2013, the year in which Lance Armstrong and Michael Rasmussen admitted doping, or that dopers were evading the testers.

In terms of tests carried out by National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs), there were a few surprises. The National Anti-Doping Commission (NADC) of Ukraine carried out just nine doping tests in 2013, less than the 10 carried out by Niger. The Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), which came under criticism for allegedly never having carried out a blood test at the start of 2013, returned six ADRVs from 294 tests, or in other words, 2% of its tests resulted in an ADRV.

The report also showed that far more males returned AAFs than females in 2013 – 1,357 compared to 330. Also, despite recent concerns that today’s dopers are evading testers through micro-dosing, in 2013 the majority of ADRVs resulted from in-competition tests rather than out of competition tests (1,321 against 366).

WADA and other national anti-doping organisations have consistently defended themselves from criticism of the low rate of sanctions resulting from the testing regime. ‘You can’t just back off from testing’, Nicole Sapstead, CEO of UK Anti-Doping told the Sports Integrity Initiative in a March 2015 interview. ‘We have to remember that testing is not just there to detect – it also serves as a deterrent. If you back off from testing, it rather undermines that general premise.’

 

[King Boonen]

“Protecting clean athletes, and upholding the integrity of sport remains WADA’s number one priority."


That's all we need to hear...

 

[mrhender]

Re:

An article on the report here:

http://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/wadas-2013-adrv-report-less-than-1-of-samples-result-in-sanction/

Cycling produced 153 ADRVs from 22,252 tests, or in other words, just 0.7% of tests resulted in a sanction. This either suggests that cycling was a relatively clean sport in 2013, the year in which Lance Armstrong and Michael Rasmussen admitted doping, or that dopers were evading the testers.

If one considers the bolded a possibility they should read or re-read this previously posted study and think of the recent ABP hassle...

http://omicsonline.org/open-access/...cost-analysis-2161-0673.1000148.pdf?aid=32505

 

[mrhender]

Re:

“Protecting athletes, and upholding the illusion of integrity in sport remains WADA’s number one priority."


That's all we need to hear...

Fixed that

On a serious note, I don't think WADA are the worst of the bunch... Quite sure a lot of them are anti-doping to the core.. They are just facing a harsh world of realities..

And another note i read yesterday that WADA's annual research budget is down around 70% from 2006 numbers....

Will find and post link later...

 

[Catwhoorg]

Thanks.

I have downloaded the full report for perusal later.

 

[Benotti69]

I have no faith in WADA.

 

[neineinei]

It's a sequel to the 2013 Testing Figures reports, "How little has happend since then." UCI have 7 cases still pending from 2013.

 

[D-Queued]

Re: Re:

“Protecting athletes, and upholding the illusion of integrity in sport remains WADA’s number one priority."


That's all we need to hear...

Fixed that

On a serious note, I don't think WADA are the worst of the bunch... Quite sure a lot of them are anti-doping to the core.. They are just facing a harsh world of realities..

And another note i read yesterday that WADA's annual research budget is down around 70% from 2006 numbers....

Will find and post link later...

Fortunately we have the Clinic.

The Clinic maintains its place as the sole body that has taken on the responsibility for highlighting the exploits of doping scumbags in sport.

Well, ok, at least twelve of the participants do.

Dave.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Re: Re:

“Protecting athletes, and upholding the illusion of integrity in sport remains WADA’s number one priority."


That's all we need to hear...

Fixed that

On a serious note, I don't think WADA are the worst of the bunch... Quite sure a lot of them are anti-doping to the core.. They are just facing a harsh world of realities..

And another note i read yesterday that WADA's annual research budget is down around 70% from 2006 numbers....

Will find and post link later...

Fortunately we have the Clinic.

The Clinic maintains its place as the sole body that has taken on the responsibility for highlighting the exploits of doping scumbags in sport.

Well, ok, at least twelve of the participants do.

Dave.

You all still not tired of flexing in front of the mirror?

 

[RobbieCanuck]

You cannot fault WADA for trying because 207,513 tests is a lot of tests. Especially when you consider the cost of each test - the sample takers and their expenses, the need to follow chain of custody, the lab expenses and the costs in dealing with the athlete and so on. It is not cheap. Money also limits how much WADA can do. It is easy to criticize WADA in the Clinic when we are not the ones having to find the money to do the testing.

Given it is so easy to beat testing with micro-dosing it is also easy to understand why the results seem inordinately low. The ABP has the negative side effect of condoning doping up to the maximum level of an athletes parameters, for example. But 2000 + sanctions in the broader sporting world is a lot and is a lot more revealing than past statistical compilations show. Doping is still a huge, huge problem. It is endemic.

It is unclear if these stats include all the testing done by federal NADOs and international federations or just WADA which may explain the smaller numbers of ADRVs. I gather this results are just WADA. The athlete culture is abysmal and disappointing. Somehow we have to address both deterrence and a proactive message about the immorality of doping by demonstrating what a disgusting attitude some athletes have such as Armstrong. His rationalizations are a farrago of nonsense.

IMO every country needs to make doping a criminal offence like France and Italy. According to the CIRC report this really spooks athletes. The Statute of Limitations (8 years) needs to be removed. In many legal jurisdictions there is no SOL for many crimes. Why is one needed in cycling?

Event organizers have to be more bold in removing cheaters from their Records base. There has to be no tolerance for past dopers being allowed to be officials, managers, DS etc in sport in general and in cycling in particular. Riis, Vaughters, Millar (media), Hincapie, etc - all must be out of the sport forever.

Hincapie is a classic example. He cheated his whole career. He sat like a bump on the log at the press conference for the Tour of California when Armstrong chastized Kimmage. La was lying through his teeth. Hincapie sat there, knowing all along LA was lying AND SAID NOTHING, while LA was intimidating and defaming Kimmage. What kind of a person (a$$h0!e) does that?

If Hincapie wants to run a cycling store or fool someone into going to a cycling camp so be it. But for him to be involved with training cyclists or owning a development team- that is feeding and maintaining the culture of doping, because these kids think because George is a good guy, it is OK to dope. It is hugely counter-productive.

The Clinic can play a role with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and not just the whining, mocking, trolling and excessive cynicism that passes for commentary here.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Re: Re:

“Protecting athletes, and upholding the illusion of integrity in sport remains WADA’s number one priority."


That's all we need to hear...

Fixed that

On a serious note, I don't think WADA are the worst of the bunch... Quite sure a lot of them are anti-doping to the core.. They are just facing a harsh world of realities..

And another note i read yesterday that WADA's annual research budget is down around 70% from 2006 numbers....

Will find and post link later...

Fortunately we have the Clinic.

The Clinic maintains its place as the sole body that has taken on the responsibility for highlighting the exploits of doping scumbags in sport.

Well, ok, at least twelve of the participants do.

Dave.

Dave you are one of my favourite commentators but unfortunately we have the Clinic. Regrettably we have too many commentators that do not provide factually based i.e. evidence base commentary. Too many try to pass off unsubstantiated hearsay, speculation, guessing, unfounded assumptions and opinion as fact.

And the Clinic is a good place to practice debating skills and slagging your opponent. I am guilty of that from time to time.

But the quality of the commentary needs to be elevated not just from the infamous 12 (whoever they are?) but from everyone. We all need to check our facts. We all need to give an informed opinion otherwise the Clinic just degenerates into bedlam. It is not good enough to just say that scumbag doper X without some frame of reference as to why they are a doper.

“A person is entitled to their opinion. S/he are entitled to their informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” - Harlan Ellison.

 

[Tonton]

You cannot fault WADA for trying because 207,513 tests is a lot of tests. Especially when you consider the cost of each test - the sample takers and their expenses, the need to follow chain of custody, the lab expenses and the costs in dealing with the athlete and so on. It is not cheap. Money also limits how much WADA can do. It is easy to criticize WADA in the Clinic when we are not the ones having to find the money to do the testing.

Given it is so easy to beat testing with micro-dosing it is also easy to understand why the results seem inordinately low. The ABP has the negative side effect of condoning doping up to the maximum level of an athletes parameters, for example. But 2000 + sanctions in the broader sporting world is a lot and is a lot more revealing than past statistical compilations show. Doping is still a huge, huge problem. It is endemic.

It is unclear if these stats include all the testing done by federal NADOs and international federations or just WADA which may explain the smaller numbers of ADRVs. I gather this results are just WADA. The athlete culture is abysmal and disappointing. Somehow we have to address both deterrence and a proactive message about the immorality of doping by demonstrating what a disgusting attitude some athletes have such as Armstrong. His rationalizations are a farrago of nonsense.

IMO every country needs to make doping a criminal offence like France and Italy. According to the CIRC report this really spooks athletes. The Statute of Limitations (8 years) needs to be removed. In many legal jurisdictions there is no SOL for many crimes. Why is one needed in cycling?

Event organizers have to be more bold in removing cheaters from their Records base. There has to be no tolerance for past dopers being allowed to be officials, managers, DS etc in sport in general and in cycling in particular. Riis, Vaughters, Millar (media), Hincapie, etc - all must be out of the sport forever.

Hincapie is a classic example. He cheated his whole career. He sat like a bump on the log at the press conference for the Tour of California when Armstrong chastized Kimmage. La was lying through his teeth. Hincapie sat there, knowing all along LA was lying AND SAID NOTHING, while LA was intimidating and defaming Kimmage. What kind of a person (a$$h0!e) does that?

If Hincapie wants to run a cycling store or fool someone into going to a cycling camp so be it. But for him to be involved with training cyclists or owning a development team- that is feeding and maintaining the culture of doping, because these kids think because George is a good guy, it is OK to dope. It is hugely counter-productive.

The Clinic can play a role with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and not just the whining, mocking, trolling and excessive cynicism that passes for commentary here.

Excellent post, although SOL being a part of the fabric of many justice systems, it won't go away. Not a chance. Your take on Hincapie and eliminating past dopers from the sport, +1000. The trolling that you denounce kept me from registering/contributing before Wonderboy confessed. I couldn't stand his groupies. There are people who get blinded by patriotism, it's annoying... The skeptics don't bother me as much: I can understand. I have loved cycling since I was a kid, I competed, my wildest dream has always been to win the TdF. And I have been cheated times and times again. I believed in Santa, then in BigMig, Virenque, LA year one, I went to work after Floyd's mutant day in '06 jumping around, telling anyone who could hear how I had witnessed something truly special. A few days later, I stopped believing in Santa. Some are much worse than me. I can understand...

 

[Tonton]

Having said that, the number of tests conducted is quite high. Nice effort on their part, and sound conclusions. The low percentage of positives just means that they're always one step behind the cheats. Only retro-testing can turn this huge disadvantage into an advantage. Retro-testing is THE tool.

 

[mrhender]

Having said that, the number of tests conducted is quite high. Nice effort on their part, and sound conclusions. The low percentage of positives just means that they're always one step behind the cheats. Only retro-testing can turn this huge disadvantage into an advantage. Retro-testing is THE tool.

Cycling is enduring maybe the most frequent and effective testing regime of all sports..

Yet the number of positives it produces seem to imply that the harder the effort from anti-doping authorities the more professionalized the doping becomes.. It is doping evolution in the making and it is in a way sad because what else can we demand than big effort...

I agree that re-testing should be mandatory and systematized -but I think there are a number of technical and monetary issues that yet provide an obstacle, as well as unwillingness from parts of the controlling authorities that wish not to open up a can of worms..

I also think that some parts of the anti-doping environment might have hoped that the ABP would have made re-testing unnecessary as it would catch up on dopers eventually. But as with everything else the dopers adjust and find loopholes in the systems...

So re-testing and closing the sacred window (23-06) of microdosing would be my obvious first step..
----
Upthread I promised to post the link re: annual research budget so here it is:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/how-scientists-are-fighting-doping-in-cycling-176350

WADA has already committed approximately $3m to omics research, but its total research budget for 2015 is only $1.8m (from $6.7m in 2006), and this has to be divided between various research projects.

The article is a good read and in some ways display some issues..
Scientists that on one hand is finding new ways of detecting doping and at the same time talking of producing the first sub-2 hours marathon with marginal gains etc.. They are turning to WADA for funding but when only getting part of what they need, they choose to enroll other investors which purposes and approach is maybe different from the main WADA aim...?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

WADA has already committed approximately $3m to omics research, but its total research budget for 2015 is only $1.8m (from $6.7m in 2006), and this has to be divided between various research projects.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/how-scientists-are-fighting-doping-in-cycling-176350#F2FI75zfM6qJdfqJ.99

However:

Special Anti-Doping Research Fund Potential Nears USD 11.9 Million
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2015-03/special-anti-doping-research-fund-potential-nears-usd-119-million

Clarifying:

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is developing an application process for researchers after revealing that its embryonic fund for new anti-doping research had attained a potential of almost $13 million (£8 million/€11 million).

A total of 12 national Governments have made commitments totalling $6,452,296 (£4,320,860/€5,970,857) to the fund - the Special Anti-Doping Research Fund.

Once paid - and just under $1.79 million (£1.20 million/€1.66 million) has been received already - these sums will be matched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), producing the $13 million total.

Funds are payable in full to WADA by March 31, 2016.

http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1026219/new-wada-research-fund-attracts-6-5-million-from-governments-for-fight-against-doping

 

[sniper]

it's a good spot, but doesn't seem contradictory as the second batch of funding (the 13 mil) will become available in 2016, correct?
Or do you still see contradictions?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I don't see contradictions, just incomplete information.

 

[mrhender]

Thanks for that DW...

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Re:

Thanks for that DW...

No problemo.

The reason I knew about it was coz WADA wouldn't shut up about the funding being pledged on their Twitter feed.

The article seems to imply:
1. the author does not follow WADA's news / announcements and/or
2. the author did not ask WADA for comment (? says he was on Skype with someone though)

Just seemed shoddy journalism to say wah wah we have no funding when potentially they have over 10M in the pipeline?

 

[mrhender]

Re: Re:

Thanks for that DW...

No problemo.

The reason I knew about it was coz WADA wouldn't shut up about the funding being pledged on their Twitter feed.

The article seems to imply:
1. the author does not follow WADA's news / announcements and/or
2. the author did not ask WADA for comment (? says he was on Skype with someone though)

Just seemed shoddy journalism to say wah wah we have no funding when potentially they have over 10M in the pipeline?

Yep.. I got the impression from the article that research was being a minor priority than before..
It would be better if they had revealed the total research sum (or nothing at all) in the context it was used...

And a closer look at the 12 nations contributing reveals a rather odd mix:
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2015-05/wada-announces-priorities-for-special-anti-doping-research-fund

The 12 countries who agreed to contribute to the fund are China, France, Ivory Coast, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and Sweden.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Re: Re:

The 12 countries who agreed to contribute to the fund are China, France, Ivory Coast, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and Sweden.

[/quote]

It looks like Qatar will contribute to anything to keep the World Cup. Shame on Canada

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re: Re:

The 12 countries who agreed to contribute to the fund are China, France, Ivory Coast, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and Sweden.

It is a bizzare mix, but I wouldn't read much into it.

Not that I know anything about the NADO organizational structure, but my first impression is that WADA sent out an email asking for volunteers. A handful of guys who had nothing better to do, wanted to do their job, or pad their resume, replied to sift through the data. Probably just regular-schmoes at a desk, in 12 different countries.

Especially after the thread along the lines of "WADA, a toothless tiger", I'm thinking about WADA less as toothless, and more of an appropriately-toothed kitten casting a skewed shadow. It's all just dudes in some office, in some corporate park, sending emails and making calls: mailboxes full of negative test results to file away, approving expense reports for their testers on the ground, and other average stuff that gets handled in a very average way.

These are thorough statistics. And while it is tough for any international bureaucracy to coordinate, it is frustratingly tough to have to rely on an international bureaucracy that has a tough time coordinating. The report is nothing more than statistics ran and controlled a few different ways, but it still took 18 months to get the staff, get them coordinated, get the data, publish, approve, and present.

The funding mis-figures are probably the same thing. Some dude in one timezone made an announcement before another dude in another timezone could review the attachment. Something sinister is at least a romantic problem, but more likely the same junk that everyone sifts through at their company.

I have no idea what the solution is, and can't even think of a non-commercial organization that does operate well, at such a scale.

 

[mrhender]

I don't read much into it.. Especially not when having no info on why it is so...

Just passing it on....

If WADA are more busy running things the "right way" I can live with humble commercial and communication skills..

All though on second thought the latter might be important, not so much towards the public but rather towards and in cooperation with athletes, organizations etc...

 

[neineinei]

The report gives some insight into the use of TUE's.

A total of 207,513 samples were received and analyzed in 2013 by WADA-accredited laboratories. 2,540 samples were reported as AAFs. Of these:
- 1,687 (66%) samples were confirmed as ADRVs (sanctions);
- 223 (9%) samples were dismissed because of a valid TUE held by the athlete;
- 347 (14%) were categorized as “no case to answer” (i.e. case closed for a valid reason other than a TUE);
- 106 (4%) samples resulted in “no sanction” because the athlete was exonerated; and
- 177 (7%) samples were still pending.

UCI:
9,430 samples collected (urine and blood samples for regular doping tests, blood samples for the bio passport not included)
91 samples were reported as AAF's. Of these:
- 47 (52%) samples were reported as ADRV's (sanctions);
- 14 (15%) samples were dismissed because of a valid TUE held by the athlete;
- 19 (21%) samples were categorized as “no case to answer” (i.e. case closed for a valid reason other than a TUE);
- 4 (4%) samples resulted in “no sanction” because the athlete was exonerated; and
- 7 (8%) samples were still pending.