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ITU Institutes Athlete Biological Passport Programme |
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Thursday, 29 July 2010 |
The International Triathlon Union today announced that it will institute
its own Athlete Biological Passport programme to ensure the most solid testing programme possible, promoting the right of all ITU athletes to
fair and clean competitions.
ITU is proud of being an international
sport federation which implements one of the most-advanced anti-doping
programme in the Olympic Movement, joining only a handful of federations
maintaining such a programme.
Developed by the World Anti-Doping
Agency, the Athlete Biological Passport reveals doping indirectly by
monitoring selected biological variables, in contrast with the
traditional direct detection of doping. "Biological monitoring
throughout an athlete's sporting career should make any prohibited
preparation far harder to implement," according to WADA. The operating
guidelines were approved in December of 2009.
With the firm
commitment to the fight against doping, ITU has been investing
substantial resources to its anti-doping mission. The ITU Anti-Doping
Regulations and the ITU Anti-Doping Program, which have all been
confirmed by WADA, are fully compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.
As shown by annual statistics, ITU athletes have for the most part
respected their engagements as athletes to a fair and clean sport.
Establishing its own Athlete Biological Passport programme will further
reinforce ITU's anti-doping initiatives and reaffirm ITU's commitment to
clean and safe sport.
"We are delighted to mark this important
step in the ITU's fight against doping initiatives," said ITU President
and IOC Member Marisol Casado. "Since its inception, ITU is increasingly
committed to ensure that athletes and everyone involved in triathlon
play a part in eradicating the use of drugs in sport. I believe this new
programme will further reinforce our commitment, letting the sport and
its athletes stay clean and healthy."
"WADA commends the ITU for
its decision to implement a longitudinal follow-up program," said WADA's
Director General David Howman. "The Athlete Biological Passport adds a
powerful tool to support the fight against doping in sport. Coupled with
other strategies, it makes prohibited preparations harder to implement
by those athletes who may take the risk to cheat. We know that the
effects of some substances remain detectable in the body longer than the
substances themselves. The Athlete Biological Passport Model allows the
anti-doping community to exploit this reality through a similar
approach to that used in forensic science."
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