Doping control procedure

Athletes choice is done in the following way:

1)      on competitions of single athletes – 3-4 the best placed, or athletes that equals or beat national or world record;

2)      on collective sports competitions – 2 or 3 athletes from each team, random drawing;

3)      specially determined athlete if there is a suspicion on doping;

4)      training control – choice by the method of random sample or targeted control

Doping control on sports competitions starts after the competition is completed. Control out of competition can be done from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Doping control outside of competition gathers inner circle of the athletes from registered test groups: Olympic candidates, top athletes, national team members, athletes that wish to continue career after penalty due to doping use and athletes that compete on international competitions. Athletes that are included in test group have an obligation to regularly inform their sports association about the time and place of training, and also about longer absence from the place of living.

There is a protocol of International Olympic Comitee that determines doping control procedure. There are differences, from national to national anti-doping control rules.

1)      Information to the athlete that he has to be tested on illegal substances. On huge sports competitions, athlete is under non-stop surveillance, from the moment of information till control room leaving. Athlete must sign an information, and after that he goes to the control point, in scheduled time. Athlete can have a follower.

2)      Registration and identity check(accreditation, ID card, passport…). Athlete is given info about procedure.

3)      Sealed and steriled bottle can be chosen by the athlete, in which he will urinate.

4)      Athlete urinates under surveillance of controlor, in the area intended for that. Athlete can be completely nake, or has to remove clothes from the middle of the back to the knees. Athlete has to excrete at least 75 ml of urine. Procedure gives enough time for urinating.

5)      Athlete chooses the package – box(from more unused packages) that is contained of 2 clean unused glass bottles, sealed into plastic bags; and then opens the package and unseals the bottles. Both bottles are marked by special number that was chosen by the athlete(code number), on one bottle “A”, on the second “B”. It is possible that bottles and covers are already laser coded and marked with letters A and B.

6)      Placing urine in bottles A and B is done by athlete or controlor on his demand. Urine in the amount of 50 ml  is placed into bottle A, and other 25 ml or 50 ml, or if there is more urine, is placed in bottle B. Small amount of urine is left in sample bottle, for pH value and specific weight analysis. After that athlete or on his sign controlor closes and seals the bottle. Turning the bottles downwards present are ensured that bottles are closed well.

7)       Controlor determines pH value and specific weight of the urine rest, to determine urine possibility for analysis. Rules say that pH value has to be 5-7, and specific weight 1010 or bigger. If measured values are not proper, controlor has right to ask for new sample, and seal given sample. Doping controlor, or doping control commission can ask giving of new sample if there are concrete circumstances that give reasons to doubt in regularity of first sample giving.

8)      Blood sample taking for doping control is done only by qualified medical stuff. In that sense person that takes blood has to have evidences about qualifications. Athlete has to be introduced with the whole procedure of blood taking and has to sign a formular by which is given acceptance for this type of test. This procedure means that athlete can choose(among at least two offered) the box for blood sample. Procedure is done in the following way: controlor clears the skin with sterile gauze sodden with desinficience, after what blood is taken from the surface vein of hand. Not more than 25ml of blood is taken, and then it is put in capsules that are code-marked by controller.

9)      During doping controle procedure controller has to ask an athlete about the medicaments or other substances that were used in the last few days.

10)  Urine or blood sample taking is followed by doping control formular completing. Athlete can check regularity of this formular, and especially code number on bottles and the one on the formular. Eventual athletes remarks are taken into the formular.

11)  Athlete confirms correction by his signature and gives acceptance to data entered. Formular is signed also by doping control commity and athletes follower. Along with that procedure of sample taking is completed, and athlete gives one sample of the formular.

12)  Formular is sent to competition organizer’s proper commission, or to sport association. Samples are sent to the proper accredited lab. Both shipments are sealed. Samples that arrive to the lab are marked only with number, along with formular.

13)  Only sample A is being analyzed, while bottle with sample B is guarded under specific conditions( if supercontrol is needed).

14)  Lab informs authorized sports association(national antidoping organization) by fax or e-mail about the test results. If the result is negative, sports association informs sports organization, or sports delegations(teams) and authorized sports commissions. Athlete needn’t be informed about the results. If result is negative, sample B is destroyed in the period of 30 days after the day of result A tests information.

15)  If result of lab analysis was positive, authorized sports association, after determining athletes identity, informs competition organizer and sports association, or sports organization which member is the athlete tested. National sports association informs the athlete and asks for explanations. Athlete, or his national comitee, has the right to ask bottle B examination. Athlete can presence when bottle B is opened, and can be followed by the person in which he has confidence, or representor of his sports organization or association. If testing of sample B show that the athlete was doped, authorized sports association, or nacional antidoping organization, does the procedure for athlete and other people responsibility determination  and pronounces the temporary suspension.

Sanctions

Authorized sports association can pronounce sanctions that are related to sport results cancellation and prohibition of competitions. The competent state authority can lead criminal law procedure versus the athlete and responsible people.

Anti-doping rules offense, according the World antidoping codex, can have following consequences:

a)      Disqualification – all athlete results on some competition are cancelled. Points, medal and reward cancellation is followed by disqualification. If it is determined that more than one member in team sport broke the antidoping rule during the time of sports manifestation, whole team can be disqualified or some other discipline measures can be done;

b)      Temporary suspension – it is temporarily enabled to the athlete or some other person to take part in any competition, before the final decision from search, after it is confirmed that anti-doping offense is done;

c)      Competition prohibition – athlete or any other person is disabled in some period to take part in any competition or other activity, or financial help receiving. In the case that national sports comitee doesn’t enable penalizing, authority for sanctions is given to the authorized international sports association, and in some countries to national antidoping organization.  

“Doping in sport”, Marina Djordjevic Nikic