Cheaters are winning the battle against anti-doping authorities in elite sport, according to a senior official.
David Howman, who chairs the Athletics Integrity Unit and was director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 13 years, says the anti-doping system has become “stalled”, allowing those who take banned substances to flourish.
“Let’s be honest and pragmatic: the system has become stagnant,” Howman said.
“Elite intentional drug addicts avoid detection. Today we are not effective enough in detecting cheaters.
“Our ineffectiveness in dealing with those who break the rules is damaging the credibility of the anti-doping movement.”
Former world 100m silver medalist Marvin Bracy-Williams was banned for more than three-and-a-half years last month after admitting doping offences, while fellow American Erriyon Knighton was banned for four years in September after testing positive for steroids.
Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich was banned for three years in October after her sample showed a banned diuretic commonly used as a masking agent.
The unity of the global anti-doping effort has been compromised in recent years.
WADA and the US anti-doping agency have clashed over the handling of a doping scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers, the financing and organization of next year’s Enhanced Games, an event that encourages the use of banned substances, in Las Vegas.
Anti-doping authorities in Kenya, whose athletes have been involved in a series of positive tests, are on WADA’s watch list, while Russia, whose officials were caught involved in systematic fraud and sample sharing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,, external The WADA still considers them “non-compliant.”
Howman suggested better information sharing between anti-doping agencies and a “bounty hunt”-style incentive to encourage them to proactively pursue cheaters.
“We must all do more to support our clean athletes, catching the dirty ones, especially those at the top of the sport,” he added.