Is the anti-doping system better prepared to prevent institutionalized doping? Opinions by Graeme Steel and Joseph de Pencier.

At the end of 2022, iNADO collected feedback on the topics that were most interesting for our Members. The answers went in all different directions with topics such as ADAMS, NADO independence, scientific developments, prevention, etc. voted by many.   

One answer with a fair number of votes was “What are the (new) lessons learned from the Russian doping scandal”.  

The processing of the Russian doping scandal has spawn over a number of years and the legal management of the consequences might seem convoluted and confusing for many. Therefore,  there is merit in revisiting this episode to try and answer the question if we are better prepared now to deal with something like this in the future.  

Former iNADO CEOs Joseph de Pencier (2012 – 2017) and Graeme Steel (2017 – 2019) witnessed the eruption of the Russian institutionalized doping, its disruptive evolution, and the difficulties in dealing with the consequences.  Therefore, their analysis is particularly relevant for the anti-doping community. Both conclude that the voice of the athletes will be crucial in preventing similar events in future. We would like to share their thoughts in the piece here.