AIU's request for tougher testing for four federations approved by World Athletics

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ATHLETICS AIU's request for tougher testing for four federations approved by World Athletics

Abigael Wafula 20:23 - 11.03.2024

World Athletics has approved the Athletics Integrity Unit's request for tougher testing for four federations ahead of the Olympic Games.

The World Athletics Council has approved tougher testing requirements for Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Portugal athletes.

The athletes will face more stringent Out-of-Competition (OOC) testing to be eligible for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

As per the AIU, the four federations received clear warnings from the AIU about the insufficiency of their national testing programmes after the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Meanwhile, all four failed to ensure that there was proportionate OOC testing for their teams at the following the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

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The Council has subsequently accepted the AIU’s call for all four federations to have testing eligibility conditions imposed on their athletes to participate in Paris 2024. In the 10 months before July 4, each athlete must have undergone at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) including, if they compete in any event from 800m upwards, at least one Athlete Biological Passport test and one EPO test.

The AIU also requires that the three no-notice out-of-competition tests must have been conducted at least three weeks apart and the first of the three no-notice out-of-competition tests has been conducted no later than 19 May 2024.

Meanwhile, the mandatory testing will affect athletes who are not part of the AIU’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and the stipulations are similar to the minimum regulations to which Member Federations in ‘Category A’ of Rule 15 of the World Athletics’ Anti-Doping Rules must adhere.

The AIU Board has taken this unprecedented step due to the federations’ failure to improve their OOC testing.

By contrast, other federations who received similar warnings following the Eugene World Athletics Championships in 2022 – the Czech Republic and New Zealand – improved their testing dramatically.

“We are pleased with the Council’s decision to support the AIU recommendations. This action is tough, but necessary as we did not receive an adequate response from these federations to clear warnings we gave in the lead-up to the World Athletics Championships last year.

“In this Olympic year, we trust this will be a reminder to all Member Federations that the AIU and World Athletics are extremely serious about ensuring a level playing field for athletes.

“It is up to all Member Federations to work together with their National Anti-Doping Organisations to ensure their team is sufficiently tested before Paris 2024 and the AIU will not hesitate to refer any other federation to the Council if we do not see sufficient testing,” said AIU Chair David Howman.

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