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RUSSIA and NORWAY collaboration in the field of anti-doping

© RUSADA and Anti-Doping NorwayMarch 2012

Photo: Scanpix, Joakim Chavez Seldal /Finnmarken, RUSADA, Anti-Doping Norway

Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) For health and fairness in sport! Established in 2008 as an independent national anti-doping organization by initiative of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport in compliance with the WADA Code and the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.

Its responsibility is to prevent and detect violations of anti-doping rules. Its mission is to protect athletes` health and their right to participate in fair, doping-free sport. 6A Begovaya Street, Moscow 125284, RussiaE-mail: rusada@rusada.ru Web: www.rusada.ru Anti-Doping Norway

– a clean sport and a doping-free society

The foundation was established in 2003 to ensure that doping controls and prose-cution of possible anti-doping rule violation is organised independently from The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NOC) and the Norwegian government.

Carries out doping controls and prosecute possible anti-doping rule violation. Further-more, the foundation promotes values, information and preventive work aimed at fighting doping in sport. Anti-Doping Norway also promotes international co-operation. Sognsveien 77 A N-0855 Oslo, Norway E-mail: post@antidoping.noWeb: www.antidoping.no

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COLLABORATION

A strong national anti-doping organization (NADO) adds value to the prestige of a country in terms of sports. A comprehen-sive national anti-doping programme has also become a must for any country hosting Olympic Games.

Russia entered the pre-Olympic era in 2007 when it was granted the right to host the Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi. Thus, fundamental changes in the Russian anti-doping system were needed to guarantee clean and fair competitions. As a result, the National Anti-Doping Agency “RUSADA” was established in 2008. The organization was to carry out a range of Code-compliant anti-doping activities aimed at preventing and detecting violations of anti-doping rules.

For decades anti-doping efforts in Norway included numerous international initiatives assisting other countries to build sustainable anti-doping organizations and programmes. They were also directly involved in the early development of international rules for doping control programmes.

With the initiative from WADA, the three Parties (WADA, ADN and RUSADA) identified a Project Plan in 2009. The Plan aimed at a three-year collaboration with the objective to consolidate mutual efforts in the fight against doping in sport sharing experience in the development of a Code-compliant Anti-Doping Programme.

Anti-Doping Norway’s role was primarily to advise RUSADA on the implementation of the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Programme and to share their experiences from similar projects.

WADA came as the independent observer for RUSADA and ADN to supervise and consult the parties on the collaboration.

The cooperation was made possible with the financial support from the Norwegian and the Russian governments.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

The main purpose of the project was for RUSADA to build a solid National Anti -Doping Agency and to develop a Code- compliant Anti-Doping Programme certified for ISO 9001 quality standard as required by IOC Rules.

A project plan with a step-by-step progress included organi- zation structure, public profile, information and education, testing and test planning, and international communication with the intention to identify quality and trustworthiness of the programme.

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October 2009:Igor Zagorskiy (Deputy Director, RUSADA) and Anders Solheim (CEO, Anti-Doping Norway) together in Oslo.

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ACTIVITIES

The Anti-Doping Norway-RUSADA collaboration was marked by a series of special projects. Every year three meetings took place, two in Norway and one in Moscow, to discuss the results and further plans of the cooperation.

Russian and Norwegian experts worked in the partner-organi-zation as trainees, took part in the joint education seminars for athletes and DCOs and experience exchange programmes.

February 2011:RUSADA is present as an observer in Oslo during the FIS World Championship in Holmenkollen

September 2011:Doping Control Officers

from RUSADA and Anti-Doping Norway after a joint mission

in Oslo.

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Joint testing missions formed an important part of col- laboration. WADA ordered a number of tests from Anti- Doping Norway in Russia, allowing the ADOs‘ sample collection personnnel to cooperate during the project.

A Barents region project took place in 2011. Russian and Norwegian DCOs joined forces in Kirkenes and Murmansk. The joint teams carried out doping controls and Outreach programmes including quizzes and Real Winner interactive education for the Russian and Norwegian participants of the two events.

October/December 2011:A cooperation project for carrying out anti-doping activities in the Barents region.

October/December 2011:The cooperation in Kirkenes and Murmansk had financial support

from the Barents Secretariat.

OUTCOMES

RUSADA Anti-Doping Programme and Quality Management System were certified by an Accredited Certification Agency in December 2011. Over the three years of close collaboration with Anti-Doping Norway, RUSADA has created an efficient Anti-Doping Programme resulting in:

• a developed resources and organization chart

• transparent communication policy

• thoughtful risk evaluation-based testing programme

• fair and Code-compliant results management

• a developed therapeutic use exemption procedure

• information & education programmes

• identified scientific and research policy

• extensive regional and international cooperation.

December 2011:Press Conference in Moscow. Participants from RUSADA, the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation, WADA, IOC and Anti-Doping Norway.

December 2011:RUSADA Anti-Doping Programme and

Quality Management System are certified by an Accredited Certification Agency.

NEW PROJECT PERIOD 2012-2014

The parties have identified the need for furthering the collabora-tion. The key point in the following years will be the quality of the implementation of the anti-doping programme. The cooperation plan also covers the personnel exchange and anti-doping activi-ties associated with the Winter Olympic Games 2014, including cooperation in the framework of the OG Test Events in Sochi in the years 2012-2013.

Stronger focus on investigation, including cooperation with authorities to prevent illegal production and distribution of prohibited drugs, is encouraged by WADA and will be a part of the new project.

The parties aim to continue the cooperation in the Barents region with the objective to promote the idea of Clean Sport and support personnel in the Northern region.

The reciprocal Anti-Doping Norway and RUSADA Sample Collection Agreement is intended to be renewed for another three years.

December 2011:RUSADA Anti-Doping Programme and

Quality Management System are certified by an Accredited Certification Agency.

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“Russia is a powerful country in terms of sports and it is hosting the Olympic Games in 2014. Thus, the elaboration of a full-scale anti-doping strategy entirely complying with the International Standards becomes a priority. We are impressed by the results Russia has achieved in these 3 years and we are happy to extend our collaboration in the future“.

Rune AndersenDirector of WADA, Standards & Harmonization

“Three years of our collaboration with Anti-Doping Norway and WADA turned out to be challenging and at the same time very productive for RUSADA. We managed to overcome a number of obstacles that hampered anti-doping activities in Russia in the past, such as some shortcomings of the legislative system, ineffective planning, the lack of target testing, and finally, an ambiguous public attitude towards doping.”

Ramil KhabrievDirector General, RUSADA

“Russia is a broad and significant sport nation. From our point of view, RUSADA has achieved a lot since we started our co-operation in 2009, and I am sure that this kind of col- laboration is of great value for the development of the global fight against doping in sport. We’re looking forward to assist and to learn from the Russians in the years to come.”

Anders Solheim CEO of Anti-Doping Norway

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RUSADA E-mail: rusada@rusada.ruWeb: www.rusada.ru

Anti-Doping Norway E-mail: post@antidoping.noWeb: www.antidoping.no