Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES), the governing body for all doping control in Canada, has announced a hold on all doping testing until further notice. This announcement comes on the tail of the International Olympic Committee making the decision that the 2020 Olympic Games would be postponed until next year. While the CCES is currently suspending its testing, athletes are still subject to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, requiring all registered athletes to continue filing their location in the whereabouts system, ADAMS.
“Athletes should know that most other countries around the world are also adjusting their anti-doping programs in accordance with their national responses to deal with COVID-19. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is actively monitoring these adjustments. The CCES will continue to update WADA on the adjustments we are taking in Canada.”
Canada is not the first country to make changes to their doping program. Earlier this month UK Anti-Doping announced a significant decrease in testing to minimize potential exposure to the virus.
While countries doping agencies have reduced or entirely stopped testing, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stated that they will continue testing in spite of the current outbreak.WADA has stated that, unless an athlete is under mandatory lockdown, they are still subject to regular testing procedures. Per WADA;
“If you refuse to be tested or if you do not complete the sample collection process after notification, or if you are not able (or willing) to provide a sample due to a lack of protective measures, your refusal will follow the normal results management process which affords you due process and the opportunity to justify your action. Keeping in mind that little testing is taking place, where appropriate, athletes are encouraged to comply with testing. If you rely on the assistance of a representative to assist with the doping control process (especially for minors or athletes with an impairment), and a representative is unavailable due to the impact of COVID-19, this too should be taken into account in the results management process.”
Other organizations, like FINA or WADA, with anti-doping authority in Canada can still conduct tests there.
Canada has reported at least 4,749 cases of coronavirus with 54 deaths. With a population of almost 38 million, that’s a relatively-low rate of infection compared with much of the world.
Canada has only had a few positive doping tests in its national swimming programs in the last decade. Alec Page received a 1-month suspension in 2014 after testing positive for a masking agent, while William Brothers received a 4-year suspension for evading a doping control test, which was later reduced to 2 years.
If you can’t beat the Chinese join them
I hear the entire russian Olympic team is switching to Canadian citizenship
Not everyone is santo
*Sun Yang wants to know your location*
“Amid COVID-19 outbreak, in a surprising move the Russian National Team stages a training camp in Canada.”
haha
The entire Russian women’s team starts dropping sub 1:00 freestyle splits on the 400 IM
Why would you announce this?!?
yup… SUPER weird…
I mean, the only competition they can dope for in the foreseeable future is a 10m race in their backyard pool
Maybe to tell athletes that random people who they don’t know who they are or where they’ve been won’t be showing up at their door expecting a sample during a pandemic? (disclaimer: i know almost nothing about doping procedures outside of NCAA)
Why would you hide this?
Every swimmer is gonna be built like Kornelia Ender Le Jingyi come 2021..
(Not from the doping but from the increased dryland)
Weird choice of timing… no Olympics… so no testing now….
Yeah it seems super fishy unless there’s some other variable that you’re not considering, like if there was some global pandemic or something that made all of sport trivial and all medical testing vitally important. But barring some bizarre scenario like that you’re right, this is a very weird choice of timing
Obviously that is a big reason… but one has to wonder why no testing AT ALL (with safe measures) to see if anything went on during Trials preparation… thats the weird part… obviously its harder to test with whats going on… but just looks ”conveniant”
The doping agencies as a whole should take this as a time to re-assess and make sure everything’s in place going forward into the Olympics. Without competitions, there should be more opportunities to retest old samples and ensure nobody is slipping through the system