There has been comparatively little talk of doping abuse in recent years. Has elite sport become cleaner? Seven questions and answers.
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- Performance enhancement is a big issue in elite sport. Some athletes have already used doping to give themselves an extra boost. However, few cases of doping are to be expected for Paris 2024.
- Without further ado, the "hot phase" for doping is before rather than during the Olympic Games.
- All coaches are now being made aware of the issue of doping by means of an e-learning course. Those who know the procedures, rules, rights and obligations are less likely to make mistakes.
Are many cases of doping to be expected at the Olympic Games in Paris?
No. Put simply, doping tests at the Olympic Games are also an intelligence test. Anyone who gets caught in Paris has failed it. In addition, the use of doping substances primarily makes sense during the preparation phase. During the Games in Paris, the "hot phase" is over.
Things have remained quiet in the run-up to the Games. Has sport really become cleaner?
The hunters have come closer to the hunted. Several experts are convinced of this. "The scope for cheating has become smaller. That's why sport has also become cleaner," says Ernst König, Director of Swiss Sport Integrity. But it is to be expected that individual athletes or groups will commit doping abuse.
Why have the hunters come closer to the hunted?
There are many reasons. Sample analysis has improved massively, cooperation between legal and police authorities is working - both nationally and internationally. Or the ITA (International Testing Agency) foundation initiated by the IOC in 2019 has taken over and professionalized the anti-doping work of many international sports federations.
How much cleaner has sport become?
That can only be said conclusively in ten years' time. That's how long the samples are frozen and can be analyzed retrospectively. Journalist and doping expert Hajo Seppelt says in an interview with "Blick": "The fact is that the investigators and offenders are virtually in a competition that is not always on an equal footing."
Doping abuse is primarily committed in the run-up to a major event. Is the control system seamless? Do all athletes compete on an equal footing?
Hardly, but the testing system has improved a lot. König mentions the progress made with the athlete passport - this creates a profile from the medical test data (urine and blood), which is used as the basis for the indirect detection procedure for doping. König also highlights the work of the Pre-Games Expert Group. Specialists in doping investigation specifically search for gaps in the testing system - by country, sport, risk, time period, etc. The experts pass on these findings so that the national anti-doping agency, the international federation of the sport in question or even WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) can take more targeted samples.
Ten years have passed since the scandal in Sochi with Russia's state-orchestrated doping fraud. Is this still possible today?
"No, not in France," says König. He considers it impossible. Too many parties are involved in the fight against doping. However, the acquittal of the swimming team from China showed that "the rules are interpreted differently in different countries". WADA has a duty to create harmonization.
For Paris 2024, all coaches worldwide must now also complete an e-learning course on doping prevention. Will this really discourage doping?
Prevention is not just about appealing to fairness. The aim is also to prevent unintentional doping violations. If you know the procedures, rules, rights and obligations, you are less likely to make mistakes.