Are the Sochi Games clean? Is doping eradicated there? At the IOC, we believe it. Or, at least, we try to convince ourselves of this. To date, the army of scientists in charge of doping controls have not caught a single fish in their nets. An unsuccessful fishing trip. And yet, the efforts made by the Olympic institution do not let up. Arne Ljungqvist, the president of the IOC medical commission, revealed his figures: 2453 checks are expected to be carried out during the Sochi Games, of which just over half are out of competition. For an always negative result.
The secret? “It’s always difficult to answer,” suggests the Swedish professor. Between athletes and scientists, who is smarter? Today, I am tempted to think that our scientists have become smarter. Our anti-doping program has never been more effective. »
The program in question has undergone some variations since the last Games. In Sochi, out-of-competition checks are more numerous than those carried out after the events. The samples will now be kept for ten years by the IOC, with the possibility of analyzing them again over the coming decade. Above all, those responsible for the fight against doping are no longer moving forward blindly. Richard Budgett, the new IOC medical director, explains: "We are now much better at targeting potentially suspect athletes, thanks to a whole network of information provided by WADA, by national Olympic committees, international federations, national agencies anti-doping…”
NHL hockey players are no exception to the rule. They too were tested, in North America before their arrival in Russia, then in Sochi since the start of the week. Their samples can be re-analyzed over the next ten years, including when scientific progress makes it possible to detect growth hormones. “A very close prospect,” assured Arne Ljungqvist.
In Vancouver in 2010, the Games were completed with just one positive case. “But we did not notice any at Albertville 92, Lillehammer 94 and Nagano 98. On the other hand, there were seven at Salt Lake City 2002 and seven again at Turin 2006,” explains Arne Ljungqvist. The pendulum swings back and forth. » In Sochi, the IOC seems convinced that it will remain in its camp.
