Anti-doping news

Commonwealth Games testing / Nigeria

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO, Mike Hooper, has announced that Nigerian weightlifter, Chika Amalaha, has been issued with a notice of disclosure after returning an adverse analytical finding from a in-competition test on July 25, and has been provisionally suspended from the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Ms Amalaha won the gold medal in the Women’s 53-kilogram division. The athlete’s A sample was found to contain both amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide, both prohibited as diuretics and masking agents under class s5 of WADA’s Prohibited List. Ms Amalaha has pursued her right to have her B sample tested, which will take place at the accredited laboratory in London on July 30. Source CGF IWF Comments The sport of weightlifting has always been a leading sport in terms of the fight against doping in general and its number of doping control samples in particular. With 1240 test already conducted in 2014, the IWF aims to clean up the sport and reach to a fair competition environment. This impressive amount of testing, education seminars and prevention, contributes in raising awareness among athletes, officials, while at the same time the IWF also uses strict sanctioning. Willing to protect our clean athletes, we accept no violation the IWF Anti-Doping Policy and target those countries having significant violations in the past, and others suspicious criteria. Prior to Glasgow 2014, the Nigerian Team proceeded to late athlete replacement concerning a high number of lifters. Nigeria was one of the countries under the scope of the IWF for this competition. There was and is an excellent cooperation and coordination between the CGF Medical Commission and the IWF and we have shared relevant testing information in order to make the target testing even more effective. Focusing on Youth athletes and grassroots development, the IWF held seminars at each Junior, Youth and Senior World Championships and every Continental Youth Qualification Event to educate the younger generation. Considering the young age of the athlete, the IWF will seriously investigate the entourage as

WADA makes amendment to Section S.2.1 of 2014 Prohibited List

Montreal, May 30, 2014 Dear Colleagues, WADA has confirmed an amendment to Section S2.1 of the 2014 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) activators Xenon and Argon will be added to the 2014 Prohibited List, after the recommendation was made and approved by WADA’s Executive Committee during its May meeting. Having recently been alerted to the substance of Xenon and its potential performance enhancing characteristics, the WADA List Committee discussed the matter during its April meeting and recommended namely adding the two noble gases – Xenon and argon – on the Prohibited List. The change will be effective following the required three-month notice period, and once UNESCO has appropriately communicated the amendment to all States Parties. The revised 2014 Prohibited List will take effect on September 1, 2014. The change to the List reads as follows: S2. PEPTIDE HORMONES, GROWTH FACTORS AND RELATED SUBSTANCES The following substances, and other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s), are prohibited: 1. Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents [e.g. erythropoietin (EPO), darbepoetin (dEPO), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers and activators (e.g. xenon, argon), methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA), peginesatide (Hematide)]. The revised 2014 Prohibited List can be found on WADA’s website. Best regards, World Anti-Doping

TUE information for 2014 Glasgow

The Commonwealth Games Federation published guidelines for the athletes participating at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games with regard to TUE. The CGF Medical Commission requires that all athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014 with a documented medical condition requiring the use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method included on the WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Methods 2014 must be in possession of a TUE valid for the period of the Games- 13th July to 3 August 2014. Read the full document

IOC Injury and Illness Prevention Conference hailed a success with record participation in Monaco

The 2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport came to a close on 12 April, in Monaco. The meetings, described by many delegates as the most constructive yet for researchers and practitioners in the field of sports medicine and prevention, were attended by a record 980 participants from 81 countries, and included 113 speakers, 5 keynote lectures, 24 symposia, 76 workshops and 202 abstracts; a remarkable increase at all levels from the last edition in 2011. The Conference was the second organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and was attended by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, President of the NOC of Monaco and IOC member along with fellow member Dr Robin Mitchell, IOC Medical Director Richard Budgett, IOC Head of Scientific Activities Lars Engebretsen and a large number of world-renown experts in the fields of sports medicine and injury and illness prevention. Experts, team physicians from National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), and students exchanged news of the latest research and advances in the prevention of injury and illness in athletes. Several symposia and workshops on application of the field’s current knowledge highlighted that the message and penetration are improving. “We went into the Conference with high expectations and these were exceeded on every front”, said IOC Medical Director Dr Richard Budgett. “From the opening session with HSH Prince Albert II, all participants threw themselves into the workshops, keynotes, symposia and poster sessions delivered by inspirational researchers and practitioners.” He added: “The Conference will change the practice of prevention, boost further research and protect the health of athletes everywhere. The success is a tribute to all those who worked so hard to bring this unique three-yearly Conference to fruition; to our wonderful hosts in Monaco and most of all, to the nearly 1000 delegates who brought it to life and will ensure that their new understanding and knowledge translates into action, in particular in preventing injuries and illnesses in athletes all over the world until we meet again in three years' time.” The protection of the athletes’ health is a top priority for the IOC, which is working together with different stakeholders to make this objective a reality. For instance, the event also saw the participation of Worldwide Olympic Partner GE. As official provider of medical imaging and ultrasound equipment to the Olympic Games, GE Healthcare successfully held a workshop on its Point of Care Ultrasound technology empowering elite athlete care. The Conference is being followed by a three-day Advanced Team Physician Course (14-16 April) in Mandelieu, France, which will convene 150 participants from around the world to provide knowledge and insights on sports medicine to NOC physicians. While there are many health benefits that can be derived from the practice of sport, there is also an inherent risk of injury and illness, especially at the elite level. The IOC has therefore initiated and supported research on various topics related to the health of athletes, with the ultimate objective of significantly reducing injuries and illnesses in sport. The IOC also conducts an extensive surveillance study during each edition of the Olympic Games, collecting invaluable information on all athlete injuries and illnesses acquired during competition and, or training, in order to gain further knowledge about the effectiveness and weaknesses of existing prevention programmes. The IWF was represented Dr. Dominik Doerr, Member of the IWF Medical

IWF Executive Board sanctions Federation of Azerbaijan for multiple doping cases

True to its firm stance against the use of doping, the IWF Executive Board unanimously decided to sanction the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation whose athletes produced multiple adverse analytical findings in 2013 for a fine of USD500,000. At the same time the IWF calls the Federation to conduct an investigation into the athletes' entourage (coaches, team doctors). With regard to the organisational contributions of the Azerbaijan Federation to international weightlifting and maintaining its policy not to punish innocent athletes the Board decided not to suspend the Federation. However, the fine is payable within 6 months and until the fine is paid in full Azerbaijan is not eligible to participat in the IWF Calendar

Official Communication

As it is known, the IWF has been implementing a highly comprehensive and intensive Anti-Doping Program including both in-competition and out-of-competition testing. In this process, in 2013 several anti-doping violations were disclosed. The IWF is looking at each case with utmost thoroughness, with full respect to the relevant WADA and IWF rules, and the rights of the athletes. The relevant procedures of anti-doping violations by multiple weightlifters from Azerbaijan have now been closed. Accordingly, lifters found positive at the 2013 European Championships and subsequently in out-of-competition testing have been sanctioned and the results of the 2013 Championships have been updated. Both the competitors concerned and the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation have received punishment following the sanctions stipulated in the IWF Anti-Doping Policy. The Weightlifting Federation of Azerbaijan is one of the most active also as the home of a Weightlifting Academy and host of various significant events. Drawing the conclusions of last year they now have the obligation to turn a new page and build a new, clean national team. The IWF is hereby calling all athletes’ attention to the fact that the IWF Test Distribution Plan (TDP) has become even more sophisticated and effective under the guidance and control of its neutral Anti-Doping Commission and through the progressive introduction of the steroid passport the testing will become tighter than ever