USADA – FasterSkier

FasterSkier Explains: Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act Passes Senate

Gavin KentchNovember 20, 2020

FasterSkier Explains: Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act Passes Senate A new anti-doping bill that criminalizes international doping conspiracies, while pointedly focusing on high-level organizers rather than on individual athletes, and that makes an expansive claim for U.S. jurisdiction over doping occurring at international competitions while excepting the most high-profile American professional sports leagues, is on the verge of becoming law. Here’s what you need to know: What it is: “An act to impose criminal sanctions on certain...

Doping Feature

Charging into November with Curtailed Anti-Doping Testing

Jason AlbertOctober 26, 2020

Last week Matt Futterman of The New York Times wrote two stories of interest to readers of FasterSkier. One piece was titled “Winter Sports Athletes Are Crisscrossing Europe for Races. Is That a Good Idea?” Futterman advanced this story on Twitter with the following statement: “It’s a really strange moment for the Olympic winter sports schedule to begin. All you have to do is everything medical experts have been telling us to avoid.” It’s a really...

Nordic Nation Podcasts

Nordic Nation: Clean Sport, Testing Gaps, and Virtual Sample Collection with Noah Hoffman

Rachel PerkinsMay 27, 2020

As we all know, the COVID-19 global pandemic has left the world scrambling to adapt to the many challenges of slowing the spread of the virus. In the world of Olympic sports, the ripple effect has disrupted the efforts of anti-doping agencies worldwide to conduct the athlete testing normally relied upon to hold athletes accountable to abiding by the rules surrounding banned and controlled substances. Most international antidoping agencies have halted testing since mid-March as...

General News

News Round Up

FasterSkierApril 16, 2020

Here’s a news brief from around the Inter-webs. Unofficial thoughts on next season’s World Cup On April 9, Nowegian news outlet VG published an interview with International Ski Federation (FIS) Cross-Country Race Director Pierre Mignerey. The interview created some mild buzz, as Mignerey discussed some 2020-2021 World Cup scheduling scenarios. Still seven months away, but with the Covid-19 pandemic impacting global sport, it is no surprise FIS officials are discussing contingency plans. VG’s article was...

Doping News

A Possible New Anti-Doping Tool: Dried-Blood-Spot Testing

Jason AlbertOctober 8, 2019

Last week WADA sent out a press release with this catchy title: WADA leads exciting collaboration on dried-blood-spot testing. Here’s what this means: WADA signed a memorandum of understanding with seven anti-doping agencies, including the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to further explore the viability of DBS (dried-blood-spot) testing as part of its global anti-doping tool kit. WADA claimed, “A further objective of the project is to develop guidelines for the collection, transport, analysis and...

Doping News

U.S. Government Moves to Criminalize Doping in Sport

Jason AlbertDecember 22, 2018

Earlier this week, among the tumult in Washington, D.C., Senators Orrin Hatch of Utah and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, introduced the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act to the Senate. The proposed legislation is named after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian Anti Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) Moscow Laboratory. Rodchenkov was one of several whistleblowers who helped reveal state sponsored doping in Russia. Similar legislation was introduced in June to the House, but has not...

General News

Johaug News Stuns U.S. Women’s Team; Saarinen Takes to Social Media

Alex KochonOctober 19, 2016

In the days following the news of Therese Johaug's positive drug test, several members of the U.S. women's ski team react along with coach Matt Whitcomb. While most agree "this is any athlete’s worst nightmare", Finnish World Cup skier Aino-Kaisa Saarinen sympathizes while pushing for fair play.

Workouts

Wednesday Workout: USBA Camp Strength Stations (and Shooting)

BrainspiralAugust 17, 2016

With more than 100 athletes at the US Biathlon's development camp last week in Jericho, Vt., one of the more interesting workouts of the week was an eight-station strength session. Mix human rock climbing and shooting and you've got plenty to keep you occupied.

General Interviews News

Insider Couple Implies Widespread Doping in Russian Sports in 60 Minutes Interview

BrainspiralMay 9, 2016

On Sunday evening, 60 Minutes aired a 13-minute interview with Vitaly and Yuliya Stepanov, the whistleblowers who prompted a German documentary on Russia's systematic doping in track and field and WADA's resulting ban on the entire team. Vitaly suggests the corruption extends to Russian Winter Olympians as well, including at least four who achieved gold in Sochi with the help of federal agents.

General News

Given the Crime, Are Proposed Sanctions Enough? Tygart Weighs In

Chelsea LittleNovember 9, 2015

GENEVA, Switzerland— After revelations that there was widespread, systematic doping in Russian track and field, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Commission recommended that the Russian athletics federation be suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The findings were a confirmation of the worst fears for many in the sports community, and a sickening realization that suspicions had been well-founded. “It confirmed a lot of what we had heard over the last couple...

General News

Canada Invests Nearly $1 Million into Anonymous Doping Hotline

Nancy FiddlerNovember 15, 2013

On Nov. 5, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport announced the creation of a new and anonymous Report Doping Hotline, funded by the Canadian government, Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee to the tune of nearly $1 million dollars. While the idea of facilitating anonymous doping claims may seem risky, Canada isn't the first to do so and believes the benefits could be substantial.

Olympics World Cup

For Anti-Doping Administrators, a Constant Battle Requiring Creativity & Strong Leadership

Chelsea LittleNovember 7, 2012

Note: For more on Professor Ljungqvist’s fight against doping in Sweden, and its effect on Scandinavian sport culture, you can read

General News

What Skiing Can Take Away from Armstrong Saga

Audrey ManganOctober 12, 201210

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) delivered a definitive indictment to the world on Wednesday morning with the release of its reasoned decision regarding seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. In the 1,000-plus page document sent to the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping agency, USADA found Armstrong guilty of using of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career and of playing a central role in enforcing a systematic doping program on the U.S. Postal team....

General News Racing World Cup

Russian Skier Detained at Swiss Border; Faces Two-Year Ban

Nathaniel HerzSeptember 10, 201023

Russian cross-country skier Nikolai Pankratov faces a two-year ban from competition after being caught with intravenous equipment and 22 vials of actovegin, a drug derived from calf’s blood. Pankratov, who is not on Russian national team, had spent time training in Norway in August. He was detained at the Swiss border on Monday, according to

XCFeeds

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

FasterSkierJune 29, 2009

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