John Fahey: "There is much more doped than punished"

 

Elected as President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2007, Australian John Fahey is about to go out to the Columbia Reedie after the World Conference on Doping in Sport , which opens Tuesday in Johannesburg. In an interview with “World”, he expressed his “concerns” about Jamaica , where WADA has conducted an audit.

What conclusions have you these six years at the head of the AMA?

Doping in sport remains a nagging question, as shown by the Armstrong case. But we have made great strides in our ability to ferret out the cheaters. We have improved the education of athletes and that of future generations. We strengthened collaboration between the various stakeholders in the fight against doping, such as industry or pharmaceutical law enforcement.

Before the creation of WADA in 1999, there were 150,000 tests per year worldwide. Today, there are about 250,000.

However, the number of positive cases remains at 1%. How do you explain that?

The anti-doping community must continue to evolve and be be inventive in order toincrease the rate of positive tests. We do not know exactly the percentage of athletes who dope, but we believe it is much higher than the number of those who are punished. That is why we must constantly refine our anti-doping policies. The new World Anti-Doping Code will come into force in 2015 with more stringent recommendations.

During his career, Lance Armstrong has undergone hundreds of checks without ever being caught. The anti-doping system is ineffective?

The anti-doping community has clearly recognized that his eyes Lance Armstrong had escaped far too long sanctions. But we do not need to lose sight of the positive aspect is the fact that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has used a non-analytical approach to get Armstrong to make accounts. This shows that our system is robust and that even if you go through the checks, this does not meanthat you will escape punishment. This analytical approach is not for a few years as an excellent complement to traditional techniques of scientific tests.

The relationship between WADA and the International Cycling Union (UCI) have always been tense. Do you think the change at the top of the UCI will open a new era?

WADA did know she was looking forward to working with the new President [Brian Cookson] and conduct an investigation independent in order to identify the problems encountered in the recent past of cycling .

How to make the most effective anti-doping?

Incentives should be introduced to ensure that the anti-doping agencies identify cheaters. The new code provides for more stringent standards for improvingtesting and the level of doping organizations. As proposed in the new code could also consider stronger sanctions while maintaining flexibility, put in place a system more relevant test or give a greater role in the investigation of Police .

There was no blood test at the last Euro. Do you think the football ball done enough against doping?

WADA maintains a strong relationship with the football authorities. As a leading global sport, soccer ‘s responsibility to make sure it stays clean.

All sports and all countries they struggle with the same intensity against doping?

Some sports and some parts of the world have more money than others tosuppress doping. The AMA tried to fill this gap by creating the Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADO). RADOs helped some countries and organizations todevelop anti-doping programs in areas of the world where there was previously no doping quality action. RADOs also helped set up test procedures and educational programs in areas of the world that were late. You have decided to conduct an audit in Jamaica…

The AMA has expressed concerns about certain aspects of the Jamaican anti-doping program pointed in August by the former director of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, Renee Anne Shirley [which revealed one out of competition control was achieved in five months before the Games London 2012]. But the AMA refrained from any speculation about the potential impact this may cause .

The AMA has made a visit last month in Jamaica and delivers his comments in a timely manner. Jamaica is one of the issues to be discussed at the World Conference on Doping in Sport.

About the “Puerto” case in Spain , you have appealed the decision of the judge destroy the blood bags that would have to identify some non-cyclists customers doctor Eufemiano Fuentes … You think that light was not done in this case?

The AMA believes that the decision to destroy the blood bags was particularly disappointing and is an initiative that is far from being satisfactory. This is why we appealed. We are awaiting a decision on this matter. WADA cannot deliver any further comment until that process is underway.

According to the principle of rotation, your successor will come from the sports movement. In August, the Committee International Olympic Committee (IOC) has written to ask WADA to change orientation andbecome a service provider to countries and federations to make the checks. Is this the right direction?

The AMA is and must remain independent. It serves athletes integrity. But at the same time it must assist and support global public authorities and all sports, including the IOC. One of the changes we propose to introduce in the new code is the need to develop more accurate tests and, in particular, take into account the specific needs of each sport.

In collaboration with the federations, WADA identify substances or prohibited methods most likely to be used in certain disciplines. This will help anti-doping organizations to better plan their strategy and control laboratories to improve the analysis of samples.

John Fahey: "There is much more doped than punished"