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Anti-Doping Agency begins operations
Posted: Thursday January 13, 2000 01:38 PM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The new World Anti-Doping Agency began operations today with governments hoping it will quickly establish its credentials as a watchdog curbing the threat of drug use in sports. At its first meeting at the International Olympic Committee's Lausanne headquarters, the new agency faced pressure to improve drug-testing procedures before this year's Sydney Olympics and to prove its own independence. "The success of WADA is essential to the continued involvement of the world community in the Olympic movement," White House drug policy adviser Barry McCaffrey told reporters after addressing the session. McCaffrey also promised action at home. Next week, "we will begin the process of standing up our own national task force to deal with the problem of doping in sports in the United States at every level -- that means from the YMCA gymnasium competition through national players," he said. McCaffrey conceded WADA wouldn't bring about "dramatically changed realities" before Sydney. "What is easily possible, however, is that WADA will describe for itself a role which by Sydney will materially enhance the credibility of the drug testing results management, and I would say that's a minimal acceptable outcome," he said. "I would hope you will also see ... changed realities in out-of-competition drug testing prior to the Sydney Games." McCaffrey and officials from Australia and Canada stressed the urgency of stepping up anti-doping measures when they met Wednesday with IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and WADA's provisional head Dick Pound, an IOC vice president. Australian Justice Minister Amanda Vanstone said she would "like to see a commitment toward certain steps being taken to guarantee that Sydney is an Olympics where the test result management can be seen as being transparent, accountable and consistent." McCaffrey backs the IOC's and Pound's role in getting WADA going, but insists the agency should move away from the IOC and its home city. "We do expect that, after an initial transition period which should be short, that WADA would not be located in Lausanne and would have a new leadership that would be accountable to the involved constituencies," he said, adding that the agency also must have more female members. A number of cities have expressed interest in hosting WADA on a permanent basis, and the IOC plans a bidding process, details of which have yet to be decided. WADA's tasks include establishing a single list of banned substances, coordinating unannounced out-of-competition drug testing, developing standards for collecting and analyzing samples, pushing for unified drug sanctions and promoting research. Beyond WADA, countries themselves "simply have to do better," McCaffrey said. "Governments must get involved in setting common standards." The agency, established in November, groups IOC representatives, sports federations, athletes and governments. Twelve members were initially appointed, and another 10 were being proposed Thursday. The agency will be governed by a board of at least 10 members and no more than 35. The United States, Australia and Canada, here as observers, are part of a consultative group of governments on anti-doping measures formed in November in Sydney. The group plans to meet in Montreal Feb. 14-16 to discuss wider government representation on WADA.
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