A new independant organization will be managing and implementing the World Triathlon anti-doping program from now until Dec., 2024 – World Triathlon has signed an agreement with the International Testing Agency (ITA). An independent organization based in Lausanne (which is where World Triathlon is based, too), the ITA is a not-for-profit foundation that’s mission “is to manage anti-doping programs, independent from sporting or political powers, for International Federations, Major Event Organizers and all other anti-doping organizations requesting support.”
According to World Triathlon the move will “guarantee a much more independent management of its anti-doping programme and resources within the sport of triathlon and our organization.”
“This agreement is a very important step forward to guarantee the full independence of our anti-doping programme, and I am absolutely convinced that this cooperation will bring great success to our organization,” said World Triathlon President and IOC member, Marisol Casado.
The ITA will manage all aspects of the anti-doping program – it will develop and implement the test distribution program, manage World Triathlon’s testing pool and the whereabouts submission process, organize and manage out-of-competition and in-competition tests and be in charge of athlete biological passports. ITA will also deliver education activities “in compliance with the international standard of education.”
World Triathlon will also have access to the ITA’s “whistleblowing platform” and will work with ITA “on the development and implementation of a long-term storage and reanalysis policy and long-term storage of samples in the ITA’s centralized storage facility.”
The Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) program will still be the responsibility of World Triathlon and will oversee the results management process, although based on today’s press release from World Triathlon, those aspects of the program might eventually be delegated to the ITA, too.
