Results for October to December 2008 Testing Program CCES adopts CADP and implements stronger athlete whereabouts program

(Ottawa, Ontario – February 24, 2009) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is pleased to provide anti-doping results for October to December 2008, a busy quarter for program development in preparation for 2009 policy changes. 

With the final version of the new Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP) released on October 15, the CCES immediately turned to the business of implementation. The CCES Board of Directors formally adopted the new CADP in November, and it came into effect in tandem with the new World Anti-Doping Code on January 1, 2009. 

Throughout the quarter, the CCES balanced the Canadian sport community’s need for education and adoption assistance with the requirement for international consultation on best practices. In November, the CCES co-hosted a conference for the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations (ANADO), along with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Over 100 international delegates met in Vancouver to discuss strategies for interpreting and implementing the new World Anti-Doping Code. In October, the CCES led a workshop with the Qatar National Anti-Doping Organization on the elements of anti-doping, including urine and blood collection protocols. 

The CCES conducted 707 doping control tests from October to December 2008. The majority of the doping controls (80%) were conducted on Canadian athletes under the CADP. To ensure an effective program, more than 64% of these tests were out-of-competition with no notice to the athlete. These 365 tests were primarily targeted at athletes in the CCES registered testing pool, a group of elite-level athletes who are required to submit their whereabouts to the CCES to facilitate unannounced testing. 

“We are pleased that there is steady increase in compliance with the athlete whereabouts program,” said Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES.  “I think that athletes understand the underlying rationale of the whereabouts program, and while they may experience some growing pains with the rules and the mechanics of the requirements, for the most part they seem to be accepting it as a part of the responsibilities of a world-class competitor.” 

An additional 139 fee-for-service tests were conducted on behalf of various sport organizations during events held in Canada. Highlights this quarter were the 30 tests conducted at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships held in Ottawa and 24 tests during two Fédération internationale de bobsleigh et toboggan competitions in Calgary. The CCES is continuing to collaborate with VANOC on the implementation of anti-doping strategies for the 2010 Games, including doping control at sport events conducted prior to the Games. 

During the quarter, three anti-doping rule violations were reported. A water polo athlete received a two-year sanction for a second cannabis violation, the first repeat offense under the CADP, and a valuable warning for athletes who may underestimate the seriousness of a cannabis violation. A volleyball athlete was sanctioned for the presence of finasteride in a sample collected during the summer, and a CIS football athlete for cannabis; both were given a warning and reprimand. Although finasteride is removed from the 2009 Prohibited List, cannabis remains listed as a “specified substance”, and under the new CADP will now almost certainly carry a sanction which includes a period of ineligibility and publication of the athlete’s name. 

The very popular medication information service didglobal.com, offered in collaboration with UK Sport, was discontinued on January 1, 2009. We regret the loss of the service, and we are working with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and UK Sport to build a new online substance inquiry service, anticipated to go live at the beginning of June. 

The CCES is an independent, national, non-profit organization. Our mission, to foster ethical sport for all Canadians, is carried out through research, promotion, education, detection and deterrence, as well as through programs and partnerships with other organizations. 

-- 30 --