Tuesday, FINA released a statement on its anti-doping efforts for the first half of 2016. With the aid of various National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs), the IOC and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), FINA took some 1,817 samples from swimmers, divers, water polo players, open water swimmers, and synchronized swimmers from around the world. The samples, taken between January and the end of June, 2016, come as part of a targeted anti-doping program that FINA, the world governing body of aquatic sports, was required to take part in.
All samples were unannounced and obtained outside-of-competition. Of the 1,817 samples, 1,104 of them were taken from the following countries:
- Australia: 91
- Brazil: 122
- China: 237
- France: 121
- Great Britain: 71
- Japan: 63
- Russia: 260
- USA: 139
Russian Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko also stated Tuesday that none of Russia’s 260 samples tested positive for banned substances. So far in 2016, all anti-doping samples and tests in Russia have been conducted by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which is currently operating under the strict supervision of the British Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD). The necessity of UKAD in Russia was determined after investigations into Russian honesty in sports began in 2015.
These 1,817 samples taken from aquatic athletes around the world cost FINA $1.49 million, a number which will continue to grow as more athletes are tested between now and the beginning of the Rio Olympic Games on August 5th, and thereafter.
If the athletes can’t pay off testing labs or have govt federations cover samples up – Fina did a good job. Any clear negative tests in this time frame should not be suseptable to dismissal because of the “swimmers are innocent” mindset. Glad to see this statement.
Fina needs this type of press to renew confidence.