Abstract des Autors

Like most Olympic Games, the Games of the XXIII Olympiad PyeongChang 2018 (the Games) presented some unique challenges and opportunities from a doping control perspective. These were the first Winter Olympic Games since the revelations of institutionalized Russian doping and process manipulation at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. It was predictable that suspicion around the integrity of the anti-doping activities would be prevalent. This suspicion was highly manifested at the start of the Games and residual suspicion by some athletes and teams lingered throughout the Games Period.
A second challenge involved the fact that the Games took place during the transitional phase towards implementation of the International Testing Agency (ITA) – a new anti-doping service provider to which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) intends to outsource most of its anti-doping responsibilities during the Games. Given that the development of the ITA’s infrastructure, processes and operating methodology is still in its infancy, it is a credit to the IOC and the staff of the Doping-Free Sport Unit (DFSU) of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) that communications, as well as problem identification and resolution, were generally well handled. A significant risk existed considering that specific roles and responsibilities remained largely undefined just a few weeks out from the start of the Games. There is little doubt that the ITA will benefit from the learnings of the PyeongChang experience.
The WADA Independent Observer Team (IO Team) was impressed by the open and active engagement we received on the ground from anti-doping stakeholders including the IOC, the GAISF DFSU and the Doping Control Team of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG). Daily meetings between these groups, which were attended by members of the IO Team, facilitated our understanding of the doping control-related challenges being faced and proved a useful forum in which we could raise and make recommendations concerning emerging issues. The IO Team appreciated the efforts made by the relevant stakeholders to address the issues raised. In addition, the IO Team noted with satisfaction that a significant number of recommendations made in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games IO Report which were relevant to these 2018 Games had been implemented by the IOC, POCOG and WADA respectively, prior to the opening ceremony.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, despite a number of issues and challenges highlighted in the following pages, overall the IO Team was satisfied with the end-to-end doping control arrangements put in place for the Games and congratulates the IOC, the GAISF DFSU, POCOG, the Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA), the WADA accredited Seoul laboratory, CAS and the other stakeholders involved on the considerable investments, efforts and opportunities that were seized upon to protect clean sport. The IO Team thanks the IOC, GAISF DFSU, POCOG, KADA, CAS, doping control personnel, laboratory staff and the many volunteers who gave us their time and their insights to help us shape this report. (gekürzt)