The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) published an official “position paper” laying out some specific calls for anti-doping reform worldwide.
The crux of the position paper was a call for a strengthened, independent, international body to oversee various anti-doping efforts. WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) already exists as the international anti-doping authority, but as doping’s shadow continues to grow within sport, calls have become louder for its authority to be strengthened.
In particular, the USOC statement called for WADA to have increased authority, funding and oversight of various national anti-doping agencies.
The USOC statement also specifically called for more encouragement and protection for whistleblowers who expose doping. On the flip-side of that ideal, the USOC also called for more sanctions against “anyone who knew of should have known about a doping violation.”
You can read the full USOC position paper by following this link. A portion of that statement is republished below:
With these principles in mind, and while the USOC is open to workable alternatives to these specifics, it appears that the global anti-doping solution should include at least these elements:
- Strong WADA. WADA must be positioned as the strong, independent, global leader in anti-doping, with greater authority, independence, and funding.
- Authority.
- International Testing and Investigation Authority. WADA should have oversight of NADOs, and a direct role in athlete testing, both in and out of competition, when necessary to ensure the integrity of the anti-doping movement is maintained.
- Centralized Testing and Investigation Oversight of NADOs and Anti-doping Systems. WADA should have a clear role in checking and certifying in-country anti-doping organizations and laboratories and the ability to sanction non-compliant organizations, as well as jurisdiction and rules to address failing national anti-doping systems.
- Independence. WADA should be governed independently of the sports organizations it watches and works with, and needs to have clear, transparent policies on governance. No person serving in a governance role in the IOC, any NOC, IF, or ANOC should also serve in a governance role for WADA.
- Funding. In order to do these first two things, WADA needs more funding from more governments as well as from the IOC.
- Authority.
- Whistleblowers. WADA’s rules must include specific protections for whistleblowers, and clear, easy means (including anonymous means) for reporting violations.
