The use of performance-enhancing drugs is almost as old as sport itself. Although the use of stimulants was first banned in 1928, the analytical instrumentation to test for these substances with sufficient sensitivity did not exist until the appearance of gas chromatography in the 1960’s. The death of two cyclists at major competitions in the 1960’s illustrated the seriousness of drug abuse in sport. Ben Johnson’s removal from the podium at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games for use of stanozolol (an equine steroid), at the same time that governmental hearings were being held about the abuse of anabolic steroids, was a watershed moment for anti-doping. The 1998 Festina scandal, in which large quantities of prescription drugs used for doping were confiscated from a team vehicle by customs officers and gendarmes, showed both the extent of doping and the importance of cooperation between law enforcement and sport authorities.<br/><br/>With the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999, sport and governments formally joined forces to control the use of performance-enhancing drugs. One of WADA’s principle responsibilities is to harmonize testing and adjudication globally, which requires a code that acknowledges differences in national law. The Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS), headquartered in Switzerland, was founded to deal with sport-related legal matters, including anti-doping rule violations. The BALCO scandal in 2003 again reinforced the importance of inter-agency cooperation and initiated the concept of “non-analytical positives”. Most recently, USADA’s investigation of doping on the US Postal team and in cycling has documented the importance of investigations. The case also illustrated the importance of combining investigative techniques with testing approaches resulting in strategic or “intelligent” application of testing.<br/><br/>Mr. Young will discuss the evolution of doping practices by athletes and the anti-doping rules and methods that have been put in place to detect and sanction dopers. This discussion will include the World Anti-Doping Code and its supporting International Standards developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He will also discuss the shift to out-of-competition testing and specialized laboratory analytical techniques designed to catch up to or hopefully stay ahead of the evolving practices of dopers trying to beat the system.

Evolution of the world anti-doping code

249th National Meeting (2015)

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