World Anti-Doping Agency WADA to ban use of intravenous infusions next year

WADA criticises IAAF over poor flow of information

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will ban the use of intravenous infusions on athletes for the purpose of quickening their recovery. The new rule will come into force from the beginning of 2006.
     
The topic of intravenous infusion produced quite a stir at the Helsinki IAAF World Championships in August, when two Czech decathletes, Roman Sebrle and Tomas Dvorak, were given a 5-percent glucose IV drip before the last event of their gruelling competition.
      The procedure was carried out by the Czech Republic's team physician at the Olympic Stadium, and was witnessed by several individuals.
      The Czech team doctor first requested glucose from the official medical services of the games organisers, but as he was not given any he resorted to his own supply and administered the IV drip himself.
     
According to the rulebook, intravenous infusion can only be administered by an official physician of the games. In the middle of an ongoing event, the procedure can only be carried out on the basis of a serious medical concern to the athlete.
      The Czech athletes were given an IV drip an hour and a half before the concluding event of the decathlon, the 1,500 metres.
      According to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), athletes were allowed to use intravenous infusion for recovery purposes but not for blood manipulation, such as diluting blood to mask the use of doping substances.
      No doping substances were found from the decathletes' samples.
      In Finland, the use of intravenous infusion in the middle of an event is categorically forbidden.
     
In WADA's view, the IAAF acted tamely when it failed to inform WADA's impartial observers of the administration of an IV drip in this case.
      On the other hand, WADA itself has also been criticised that its ruling on the use of intravenous infusion during the Helsinki World Championships was open to various interpretations.
     
The Finnish Anti-Doping Committee reported to WADA on the use of intravenous infusion and asked for additional clarification.
      This paid off, as from the beginning of 2006 the use of such procedures will be unambiguously forbidden, unless it is performed on the grounds of an acute medical concern. Even then the measure can only be administered by the event organisers' official medical team.
      The term "acute medical concern" is still open to interpretation, but at least an IV drip can no longer be used to speed up recovery, as was the case in Helsinki.
     
WADA's report praises the Finnish doping control and the actions of the Helsinki games test organisation, which included nearly one hundred people.
      At the 2005 Athletics World Championships, 884 doping tests were taken from 705 athletes. Two athletes, an Indian discus thrower and a Ukrainian hammer thrower, were caught using illegal substances.
     
One female athlete whose sample raised a few eyebrows discovered to her considerable surprise that she was in fact pregnant - she only learnt of the fact after her dope test showed traces of the hormone HCG. HCG is produced by the placenta, and has been used - at least in male athletes - as a agent to hide other illegal substances.
      After a gynaecological examination, the woman was congratulated and cleared of any suspicions of doping.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  IAAF World Championships end on a drier note, but the Olympic Stadium comes up short (15.8.2005)
  Suspicions surround Czech decathletes at IAAF World Championships (12.8.2005)

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