Abstract

Athletes’ potential vulnerability under WADA governance is further emphasised in this contribution. In this chapter, the author reminds us that WADA’s claim that the core rationale for anti-doping is the protection of athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport is an ideal. Being an ideal, it is of course unreachable. Insofar as there is always a risk of false positive and false negative results in doping tests, the reality, he argues, is likely to fall too far short of the desired end. Both false positive and false negative results restrict the possibilities of clean athletes to participate in doping-free sport. False positive test results deprive clean athletes of their right to participate. A false negative result affects the integrity of a ‘doping-free’ sport, as doped athletes are allowed to participate. By application of a mathematical simulation model, the author explores the extent to which doping test procedures are ‘fair’ and ‘effective’ and, accordingly, the extent to which WADA reaches its objective of enabling ‘doping-free sport’ and ‘a level playing field’. It concludes that anti-doping agencies are faced with an unachievable task. Aus der Einleitung