WADA publishes Independent Observer Team Report for 2016 Rio Paralympic Games

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) publishes its Independent Observer Team’s (IO Team’s) Report concerning the anti-doping program at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.  In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), WADA is invited by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to send an IO Team to the Paralympic Games.

The role of the IO Team is to help instill confidence in both athletes and the public as to the quality, effectiveness, and reliability of the IPC’s anti-doping program for the Games; to provide feedback and suggest areas of possible “real-time” improvement to the program; and, to make recommendations within its post-Games Report for potential improvements to the program for future editions of the Games.

“The anti-doping program, which was implemented and overseen by the IPC, was able to achieve a number of positive outcomes in the face of challenging circumstances in Rio,” said IO Team Chair, Michael Petrou.  “The IPC should be commended for its anti-doping program at the Games and particularly for implementing a number of good practices that could serve as an example to other Anti-Doping Organizations and Major Event Organizations, ” Petrou continued.

The IO Team monitored all aspects of the anti-doping program in Rio, including: test distribution planning; the selection of athletes for testing; athlete notification and sample collection procedure; the Therapeutic Use Exemption procedure; chain of custody, and Results Management.

As is the case following all IO Team Missions, the Report includes a number of recommendations  covering operational and policy areas that could assist the IPC and future Local Organizing Committees to further improve the anti-doping program at the Paralympic Games and continue to protect clean athletes.

A full copy of the IO Team’s Report can be found here.

                                                                                                                      -ENDS-

MEDIA CONTACTS

Ben Nichols, Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications
Phone: + 1-514-904-8225
E-mail: media@wada-ama.org

Maggie Durand, Coordinator, Media Relations and Communications
Phone: + 1-514-904-8225
E-mail: media@wada-ama.org