International Testing Agency (ITA) Chairwoman Valerie Furneron expressed confidence in ensuring a robust anti-doping program at the Tokyo Olympics this year.
In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and International Federations and National Anti-Doping Organizations, the ITA is working to close any pre-competition testing gaps.
The organization also leads a panel of experts that includes experts from International Federations and National Anti-Doping Organizations from all five continents. The team is responsible for reviewing data on athletes who may participate in the Games, conducting risk assessments and sharing testing recommendations with other anti-doping organizations.
In December, the group released 26,000 testing guidelines following the update of the pre-Games risk assessment. For comparison, the anti-doping program before the competition in Rio 2016 included 1,500 recommendations.
In addition to the pre-Tokyo doping control program, the ITA has developed and implemented a global long-term retention program with the support of the IOC Special Fund. As a result, all samples collected from athletes traveling to Tokyo 2020 will be stored for up to 10 years.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, sporting events will be fully managed by an independent organization, and I can guarantee that the ITA team will do everything possible to provide the highest quality program in Tokyo for all participating athletes and countries, said Valerie Furneron.