DownloadReport on performance
Output 1.1 – DeterRence Program
Deterrence
Education
Consistent with obligations under our legislation and the Code, we plan, implement and monitor the effectiveness of anti-doping education programs. Education is a key strategy to decrease the number of athletes contemplating doping, reduce inadvertent ADRVs and raise anti-doping awareness throughout the Australian sporting community.
Education Service Charter
The 2008–09 ASADA Education Service Charter focused on consolidating the strengths and exploring opportunities of the 2007–08 Education Service Charter as identified through:
- the analysis of participant feedback, and
- consultation with NSOs, Australian athletes, other national anti-doping organisations, and WADA.
The result was a targeted and flexible anti-doping education program for athletes at all levels of competition and their support personnel, and the continued delivery of face-to-face education strategies encompassing:
- Pure Performance Seminars which provide athletes and support personnel with quality anti-doping education to make sure they are informed and knowledgeable about their anti-doping responsibilities and to reduce the risk of athletes inadvertently doping
- Pure Performance Athlete Workshops which engage and influence the behaviour of athletes to deter them from doping
- Athlete Outreach sessions which teach young athletes about their anti-doping responsibilities in a fun, interactive environment, and
- Coaching Workshops which raise the awareness of coaches and other athlete support personnel in relation to their anti-doping responsibilities and encourage them to foster an anti-doping culture among their athletes.
The implementation of the 2008–09 Education Service Charter achieved a 38 per cent increase in sessions delivered and a 30 per cent increase in participants over the 2007–08 ASADA Education Service Charter.
The target for the Education Service Charter was to provide 8,000 athletes and support personnel with face-to-face anti-doping education. We exceeded this target, with over 10,500 people attending over 200 education sessions delivered across Australia.
Throughout 2008–09, the Education Team delivered 171 Anti-Doping Workshops, 43 Pure Performance Seminars, four Athlete Outreach sessions and three Coaching Workshops. These activities included working with professional sports, national and state sporting organisations, key support personnel groups and large-scale junior and senior-level national and international events.
Changes to the Code from 1 January 2009 contributed to an increase in demand for our education services. This demand accounted for the significant increase in Anti-Doping Workshop sessions and participants compared with 2007–08 numbers.
| Program | Number of sessions delivered | Number of participants |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Performance Seminar Program | 43 | 3,368 |
| Anti-Doping Workshops | 171 | 5,773 |
| Athlete Outreach sessions | 4 | 1,323 |
| Coaching Workshops | 3 | 66 |
| Total | 221 | 10,530 |
Partnerships
Our Education Team continued to work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders. During 2008–09 the team:
- collaborated with WADA in relation to new education initiatives and models
- supported National Pharmacies in the development of course materials designed to provide pharmacists with the opportunity to develop the necessary up-to-date knowledge of the rules relating to the use of drugs in sport at the elite and semi-elite level
- formed an important part of the Pure Performance Program for the Australian Olympic Team, working closely with the AOC to ensure all Australian athletes going to the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics had the opportunity to receive face-to-face anti-doping education
- continued to form alliances with Australian athletes in delivering pure performance messages to the Australian sporting community
- partnered with the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to deliver a pilot project focusing on anti-doping in community and school sport, and
- formed an alliance with the AOC to help deliver its Live Clean, Play Clean program for 2009–10.
Evaluation
Athletes, support personnel, NSOs and sport medical professionals provided feedback through our 2009 Stakeholder Survey. Results indicated that:
- 57 per cent of respondents received face-to-face anti-doping education from ASADA in the last 12 months
- 82 per cent of participants were satisfied or above with ASADA presentations at education sessions
- 73 per cent of participants were satisfied or above with athlete presentations at education sessions
- 77 per cent of participants were satisfied or above with the fact sheets provided at education sessions, and
- 64 per cent of participants were satisfied or above with the other publications available at education sessions.
Feedback from participants attending our anti-doping education sessions indicated that:
- 92 per cent believed that the activities delivered within the seminars and tailored workshops of the Education Service Charter reduced the risk of inadvertent doping, and
- 92 per cent believed that the activities delivered within the athlete workshops of the Education Service Charter deterred athletes from doping.
ASADA EdUcation Session
Education resources
To support the face-to-face delivery of our Education Charter, we made a number of resources available to athletes and support personnel to further assist their understanding of their responsibilities under the ASADA legislation, the Code and sport anti-doping policies.
During the final six months of 2008, we provided athletes and support personnel with the Pure performance in sport DVD, an Anti-doping handbook, a Doping control guide, and an Information wallet card. With the introduction of the revised code on 1 January 2009, we distributed additional resources, including the 2009 versions of the Prohibited substance and methods guide, the Athlete testing guide and the Medications reference guide.
In total, we distributed the following number of resources:
- 248 of the Pure performance in sport DVDs
- 903 of the Anti-doping handbook
- 3,537 of the Doping control guide
- 7,265 of the Information wallet card
- 2,768 of the 2009 Prohibited substance and method guide
- 5,424 of the Athlete testing guide
- 710 of the 2009 Medications reference guide.
All publications were available for purchase, or for download from our website at www.asada.gov.au. Athletes and support personnel were also able to access comprehensive anti-doping information via our website. During 2008–09, the website had 522,287 page views.
Athlete whereabouts
The revised Code and International Standard for Testing (IST) that came into force on 1 January 2009 globally standardised the whereabouts obligations for athletes subject to the Code.
We revised our existing Athlete Whereabouts Policy and underlying procedures and processes to incorporate the key changes required by the Code and communicated the changes to the athletes in our Registered Testing Pool (RTP).
Since 1 January 2009, athletes in our RTP have been required to provide additional whereabouts information in the form of a schedule of regular locations, for example, their training, home and/or work locations. The information provided allows us to conduct no-advance-notice out-of-competition testing.
During the financial year, approximately 95 per cent of RTP athletes were submitting their whereabouts online.
During 2008–09, 97 per cent of athletes in the RTP were compliant with their athlete-whereabouts obligations.
ASADA Hotline
During 2008–09, the two separate hotlines and the ASADA switchboard number were amalgamated into one ASADA Hotline: 13 000 ASADA (13 000 27232).
The toll-free number provides the following services to members of the sporting community. They can:
- check the status of substances in sport
- provide whereabouts information
- confidentially report doping activity
- find out about Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and
- order ASADA products.
| Status of substance in sport calls | Whereabouts or merchandise calls | Total calls |
|---|---|---|
| 3,795 | 250 | 4,045 |
Search the status of substances online
We are in the final stages of testing a purpose-built online function that will allow stakeholders to search for medications and substances, and determine their status in sport.
The online tool will allow the sporting community to immediately – and anonymously – determine whether a substance or medication is permitted or prohibited in sport. Being online, the service will mean that users can search from anywhere, anytime.
Key deterrence projects
National Anti-Doping scheme amendments
Amendments to the NAD scheme to reflect changes to the Code and standards, as well as to address operational effectiveness, were tabled in Parliament on 13 October 2008.
The amendments were referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances. The committee raised some queries about the parties who should be notified when we request a sample from an athlete who is a minor. These queries were resolved, and there was no motion for disallowance of the amendments.
Revision of sports’ anti-doping policies
During 2008–09, we drove the implementation of the new Code and standards requirements among sports in Australia. We developed new anti-doping policy templates for Australian sports to ensure compliance with the changes, and consulted with sports and key stakeholders to communicate the new requirements, including conducting face-to-face forums. In Australia a total of 91 sports are required to have anti-doping policies that comply with the Code and standards. On 1 January 2009 all of these sports had adopted the new Code and standards. As a result, Australia became one of the first countries in the world to reach this benchmark.
Sports forums
In late 2008 we held a number of 2009 Code Implementation Forums in major capital cities. These forums were designed to provide the sporting community with a comprehensive understanding of the key changes resulting from the new Code and standards. The forums were successfully conducted in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for over 100 attendees from 45 different NSOs.
Marketing and communications
During 2008–09, our marketing and communications activities focused heavily on the changes to the Code and international standards, the 2008 Pacific School Games, and the 2009 Tour Down Under. We also managed the public announcements of ADRVs, as specified in appendix B.
The primary tool for communicating the changes to the Code was our website. A Code sub-site, accessible from the homepage, was developed to communicate targeted information about the key changes for athletes, sports, and support personnel. It included information about the changes to TUEs, whereabouts filings, the NAD scheme, and the new Prohibited List. The sub-site had 2,629 page views from 1–31 December 2008 (nine per cent of total traffic to the site) and 10,418 page views (five per cent of total traffic to the site) between 1 January and 30 June 2009.
We also developed a new suite of education publications that meets our requirements under the IST, and also the primary goal under the Code – the prevention of doping, and preserving the spirit of sport from being undermined by doping. The updated publications are available to download for free on our website, and they are also available for purchase in hardcopy.
In terms of media activities, we partnered with other organisations and Australian Government agencies to promote our key messages, and the proactive approach to anti-doping taken by such organisations.
A key activity for our Marketing and Communications team was the proactive media strategy for the 2009 cycling Tour Down Under. The Minister for Sport, the Hon. Kate Ellis MP launched the anti-doping program for the Tour Down Under which increased awareness of Australia’s leadership in the field of anti-doping, as well as our collaboration with the Union Cycliste Internationale and event organisers to protect the integrity of the event in Australia among cycling athletes and enthusiasts. This was achieved through coverage in the press and online and, to a lesser degree, on radio and television.
Another key activity during the year was our attendance at the 2008 Pacific School Games in Canberra. This event gave us the opportunity to convey messages about the leadership role we take in anti-doping in sport, and to promote our partnership with the Australian sporting community. Coverage in the media was enhanced due to our collaboration with Australian athletes who promoted our commitment to a level playing field, and helped to raise awareness of anti-doping among tomorrow’s elite athletes.
Pure Performance Programs
2009 Union Cycliste Internationale Tour Down Under
ASADA again partnered with the Union Cycliste Internationale to implement a Pure Performance Program for the Tour Down Under. The 2009 Tour Down Under was held from 18–25 January 2009 in South Australia.
The Tour Down Under is the first event on the Union Cycliste Internationale-sanctioned world professional cycling calendar and the only Union Cycliste Internationale-sanctioned ProTour event that is held in Australia.
The Pure Performance Program initiatives that were implemented included:
- sample collection under the Union Cycliste Internationale’s Biological Passport Program which involved mandatory blood profiling of every cyclist before the event
- comprehensive and targeted urine and blood testing before and during the event
- placing selected samples in the Tank, and sharing intelligence with Customs and Border Protection to enhance interception at the border of any prohibited substances destined for the Tour Down Under and investigation of those involved.
2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival
ASADA continued to work closely with the Australian Olympic Committee by partnering with them to protect the integrity of Australian athletes participating in the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival through the provision of testing services and providing valuable education opportunities for the elite junior athletes involved.
We completed a total of 128 tests across the 17 sports contested in accordance with our national and international obligations. All testing was conducted by ASADA’s sample collection staff (Doping Control Officers and Chaperones) who have completed ASADA’s rigorous accreditation program to work with minors.
Our education staff also worked closely with AOC staff to complement the Live Clean, Play Clean education sessions held in the athlete villages and to deliver an education Outreach Program during the Festival. Over 300 athletes and support personnel patronised the Outreach Program, completing the online anti-doping quiz and interacting with ASADA staff.
2008 Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams
The Pure Performance Program for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Teams provided a multi-faceted anti-doping program conducted over the 12 month period leading into the Games that integrated a number of testing and non-testing elements to ensure that the teams were subject to the most rigorous anti-doping measures ever put in place to protect the integrity of an Australian Olympic and Paralympic team, including:
- every athlete being tested prior to the Games with additional target testing conducted on athletes in identified at-risk sports
- samples of a number of medal contenders and athletes in at-risk sports being placed into the Tank
- athletes competing at the Games being provided with the opportunity to attend an ASADA anti-doping education session as well as receiving hard copies of relevant ASADA anti-doping publications, and
- partnerships between ASADA and border control and law enforcement agencies.
International engagement
Sport crosses many boundaries. To successfully carry out our legislative responsibilities, we forge open and constructive relationships with other key anti-doping organisations around the world.
Together, we aim to build a clean athlete environment internationally, where Australian athletes can have confidence in the regime that addresses anti-doping worldwide. In our drive towards a level playing field, we position and promote the value of our programs in an international context, to build the confidence of Australia’s sports and athletes.
Liaison with the World Anti-Doping Agency
WADA is the international independent organisation created in 1999 to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against doping in sport in all its forms.
Our relationship with WADA continues to be a crucial element of our international engagement strategy.
World Anti-Doping Agency Think Tank Seminar
The ASADA Chair attended the WADA Think Tank Seminar in Oslo, Norway, in June 2009.
The seminar was an open forum to discuss WADA’s future strategic direction. It included the WADA President, Director General and senior management as well as the WADA Executive Committee (incorporating government and sports representatives).
The seminar comprised key presentations on strategic topics followed by discussions among the group.
Prohibited List
The Prohibited List is updated annually by WADA. Every year, ASADA and the Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee (ASDMAC) provide technical input to the Australian Government’s submission. We also consult with NSOs for their input.
International Anti-Doping Arrangement Steering Group
Australia continues to be a member of the International Anti-Doping Arrangement (IADA) Steering Group. Other members include the UK, Sweden, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, Denmark and Finland. The aim of IADA is to have a positive influence on the international sporting community through continuous improvement and best practice.
Representatives of ASADA attended the IADA Steering Group meeting held in Montreal in November 2008. One of the main topics of discussion was investigative activity and cooperation between national anti-doping organisations and public authorities. This topic drew on our presentation at the IADA meeting in November 2007 about our investigative activities, as an example of how national anti-doping organisations could work very closely with law enforcement groups. There was also discussion about the biological athlete passport, and attendees heard from a UNESCO representative on the status of that organisation’s ratification and activities on the UNESCO Convention against Doping in Sport.
Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations
We participated in a number of international anti-doping conferences, workshops and meetings during the year.
- At the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations workshop held in Vancouver in November 2008, the ASADA Chair gave a presentation on our successful Beijing Olympics Pure Performance Program – a partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee.
- At the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations meeting in Dublin in April 2009, our Director of Investigations and Intelligence gave a presentation on the development of our investigative capabilities.
Other international engagement
UK Sport Anti-Doping Conference
At the request of UK Sport, the ASADA Chair attended the UK Sport Anti-Doping Conference in February 2009. His presentation highlighted the effective relationships we have established with the law enforcement and customs and border protection authorities in Australia.
Play the Game Conference
Play the Game is a non-government organisation that ‘aims to strengthen the basic ethical values of sport and encourage democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport’.
Play the Game is an independent institution funded by the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations and the Danish Federation of Company Sports.
With a theme of ‘Visions for sport in times of crisis’, this year’s conference was held in Coventry, UK, in June 2009. It gathered several hundred delegates from the world of sport, business and academia to discuss pressing sporting issues with a key focus on anti-doping and anti-corruption.
The ASADA Chair presented two papers at the Conference, alongside fellow anti-doping experts, Dick Pound (former President of WADA) and David Howman (Director-General of WADA).
Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (French Anti-Doping Agency)
In June 2009, the ASADA Chair spent two days visiting the French national anti-doping organisation, Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (AFLD). The Chair gave a presentation to AFLD President, Mr Pierre Bordry, and AFLD staff about ASADA and our enhanced investigative capabilities. He also explained the importance we place on our working relationships with Customs and Border Protection and other law enforcement agencies in Australia.
The Chair also met with French customs and police officers to explain these working relationships, and to discuss information-sharing. Other topics of discussion included whereabouts filing, test distribution planning and target testing. The Chair and AFLD’s new Secretary-General, Robert Bertrand, also visited the WADA-accredited Paris Laboratory, and they attended a testing mission together.
International visitors
We provided a briefing on our anti-doping activities to students from the Amsterdam and Rotterdam Universities of Applied Science.