Fight Against Doping -- Council Questions WADA, FEI Examines Equestrian Controls

Council of Europe Questions WADA on Testing Procedures

A senior Council of Europe official expressed concerns with the organization’s relationship with the World Anti-Doping Agency, stating that some aspects of its testing procedures are "incompatible with human rights standards."

The council's Deputy Secretary General, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, speaking at a news conference at the end of a sports ministers meeting on ethics on Friday, says WADA needs to pay more attention to issues such as privacy rights when it conducts out-of-competition testing of athletes.

"We believe there are issues such as protection of personal data, how long we keep samples, who gets to retain and see the information and privacy when it comes to out-of-competition testing where there are gray zones that need to be clearly agreed," she said.

De Boer-Buquicchio stressed the need for WADA to work more closely with the council, which was formed in 1949 and is devoted to developing democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights.

"Unfortunately, European recommendations and friendly warnings (to WADA) about important issues such as statutory reform and the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information have so far fallen on deaf ears," she said.

"The adoption of the new Standard for the Protection of Privacy by WADA – against the advice of European members – may, in substance, well be in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights."

Anti-Doping Commission Examines Equestrian Drug Controls

The International Equestrian Federation has begun a review of drug controls in the sport in response to a number of positive results in testing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

International Olympic Committee medical adviser Arne Ljungqvist is in charge of the inquiry, which was initiated by FEI after six horses tested positive at the Beijing Games, with riders unable to explain how banned substances were present. Five riders were suspended from competition, with a sixth ruling pending.

It will attempt to clarify doping protocols in equestrian, where some medical products can be used legally in training but are banned in competition.

"Clearly, the positive cases coming out of [the Olympics] highlighted that there is an issue that needs to be tackled," FEI Secretary General Alex McLin said. "I think there is more that we can do in terms of communicating with and educating riders."

Ljunqvist, McLin and FEI Vice President Sven Holmberg met Tuesday to target four areas for equestrian and doping experts to review: laboratory practices, the list of prohibited substances, FEI legal procedures and communication and education. They will also try to standardize the federation’s work with the revised World Anti-Doping Code, which takes effect Jan. 1.

Changes to FEI's rules could be voted on by the organization’s national federations at their annual assembly in Aarhus, Denmark in Nov. 2009 and come into effect Jan. 1, 2010.

...Briefs

...Jessica Kuerten’s appeal against the ban imposed on her by the International Equestrian Federation last May was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 39-year-old rider will serve the remaining three weeks of her two-month suspension and has been ordered to pay $9,280 in costs towards the FEI’s legal fees and expenses. However, the ban does not take effect again until Tuesday, so Kuerten will be able to compete at this weekend’s World Cup qualifying show in Geneva. The FEI banned Kuerten May 7 after her horse, Castle Forbes Maike, tested positive for Etoricoxib.

...A Belgian court found former world champion cyclist Johan Museeuw and nine others guilty of doping offenses on Tuesday, with the ex-rider sentenced to a suspended jail term and a fine. Museeuw and three other former Belgian cyclists received 10 month suspended sentences and were each ordered to pay $3,416. The chief defendants in the case, veterinarian Jose Landuyt and masseur Herman Versele, received both a one-year suspended sentence and the same $3,416 fine. The men were found guilty of various charges of importing, possessing or using the endurance-boosting drugs EPO and Aranesp.

...Cyclist Leonardo Piepoli attended a hearing with the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor Thursday after testing positive for an advanced version of the blood-booster EPO at the Tour de France in July. Prosecutor Ettore Torri is expected to request a ban for the rider. The case will be heard by CONI’s anti-doping court. The Italian committee said Piepoli failed tests on July 4 and 15 for CERA, an advanced version of EPO, during the Tour de France.

...Italian skier Mirko Deflorian has been banned for 18 months by the Italian Olympic Committee following a positive test for cocaine. The decision by CONI's anti-doping court was made on appeal after the Italian Winter Sports Federation decided in September to clear the 28-year-old skier.

Media Watch

USA Today has a profile on gene doping, claiming that it will be the future of doping. Howard Fenderich reports that some people think gene doping is acceptable.

New Zealand news portal Stuff.co.nz says 2008 was a good year in the fight against doping.

Written by Greg Oshust and Ed Hula III.