EAA Launches Anti-doping Study
The European Athletic Association is surveying its Member Federations in an effort to catalogue the anti-doping educational measures available to the sport across Europe.
“We are fully committed to drug free sport and we believe that education plays a key role in the fight against doping,” says EAA President Hansjörg Wirz, who also heads the EAA’s Anti-Doping Working Group. “Our aim is find out exactly what the federations are doing in this area and then design ways for the EAA to support their efforts.”
The research is being conducted in cooperation with International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), a Stockholm based company providing doping control services for international sports organisations. In exchange for access to the survey results, IDTM will share the cost of the survey with the EAA.
“IDTM is delighted to be working together with the EAA,” says Managing Director Staffan Sahlström. “Education is recognised as an important tool for achieving doping free sport and this project can provide a great stimulus for developing anti-doping educational activities throughout European Athletics.”
From telephone interviews with the individual responsible for anti-doping activities in each of its 49 Member Federations, the EAA will collect information on the types of activities currently taking place, the target audiences and the resources available. The project plan is to complete the interviews by the end of January 2006 and present the results and analysis later in the spring
“We are aware that some of our federations have their own excellent programmes, some are working with national partners and some require our assistance,” explained Wirz. “By documenting these details the EAA will be able to improve its understanding of the situation, communicate examples of best practice and plan additional positive measures.”
Over the last two decades, athletics has been at the forefront of the arduous struggle against doping. The first analysis for steroid use at an international competition in any sport was conducted at the 1974 European Athletics Championships in Rome.
Since then, the sport has carried out more doping control tests than any other sport and has pioneered weapons such as out-of-competition testing and blood testing. Its consistent ‘tough-but-fair’ stance on the international level has earned it credibility and encouraged other sports to adopt many of its initiatives.
“The popularity of athletics and public interest in our events are built on the acceptance of the concept of fair play, respect for the health of participants and other ethics,” says Wirz. “To build our popularity we need to go beyond being a police force; we need to constantly show people that these values are central to athletics.”
“We are fully committed to drug free sport and we believe that education plays a key role in the fight against doping,” says EAA President Hansjörg Wirz, who also heads the EAA’s Anti-Doping Working Group. “Our aim is find out exactly what the federations are doing in this area and then design ways for the EAA to support their efforts.”
The research is being conducted in cooperation with International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM), a Stockholm based company providing doping control services for international sports organisations. In exchange for access to the survey results, IDTM will share the cost of the survey with the EAA.
“IDTM is delighted to be working together with the EAA,” says Managing Director Staffan Sahlström. “Education is recognised as an important tool for achieving doping free sport and this project can provide a great stimulus for developing anti-doping educational activities throughout European Athletics.”
From telephone interviews with the individual responsible for anti-doping activities in each of its 49 Member Federations, the EAA will collect information on the types of activities currently taking place, the target audiences and the resources available. The project plan is to complete the interviews by the end of January 2006 and present the results and analysis later in the spring
“We are aware that some of our federations have their own excellent programmes, some are working with national partners and some require our assistance,” explained Wirz. “By documenting these details the EAA will be able to improve its understanding of the situation, communicate examples of best practice and plan additional positive measures.”
Over the last two decades, athletics has been at the forefront of the arduous struggle against doping. The first analysis for steroid use at an international competition in any sport was conducted at the 1974 European Athletics Championships in Rome.
Since then, the sport has carried out more doping control tests than any other sport and has pioneered weapons such as out-of-competition testing and blood testing. Its consistent ‘tough-but-fair’ stance on the international level has earned it credibility and encouraged other sports to adopt many of its initiatives.
“The popularity of athletics and public interest in our events are built on the acceptance of the concept of fair play, respect for the health of participants and other ethics,” says Wirz. “To build our popularity we need to go beyond being a police force; we need to constantly show people that these values are central to athletics.”