Fat burning

The procedure for passing doping control (based on materials from the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA). Testing of athletes Doping testing how it is carried out

The WADA rules clearly define the procedure for collecting doping samples, but, as is known, there are exceptions to any rule. To the point of bullying.

The Kazakhstan team at the Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen suffered from the actions of the Austrian police, who tried to prove that the athletes were taking illegal drugs. The story is not over yet: urgently taken doping tests turned out to be negative, but no one is saying what the police found in the trash cans besides the accreditation of the team doctor.

The entire team was technically excluded from the main tournament of the year, and there is no way to insure against this. You can go to court as much as you like, but no one will ever return the lost medals and cup points to the athletes. Do you need to create pressure on certain athletes? This can be done according to all the rules of the game. If you are playing on the same side as WADA and its officers.

An offer you can't refuse

Let’s put the emphasis right away: we are not talking about whether the Austrian police had grounds for such actions. As a result, there will be some kind of statement on their part - so far only representatives of the biathlon team and the NOC of Kazakhstan, who have their own point of view, are speaking. After all, this is an exceptional case. The point is that the current system infringes on the civil rights of athletes, regardless of their nationality, and if someone really wants, then according to all the rules, you can get to the bottom of anyone, providing an advantage to his opponent. There is plenty of evidence for this.

Everyone has long been aware that athletes are obliged to constantly notify anti-doping services about where they are and when doping officers may come to them. In the ADAMS system, they must enter their location for each day for three months in advance. After this, the procedure is repeated. During competitions, it is necessary to write down every hour in detail. Of course, athletes can correct data and change their location. But two things are constant.

First: every day they are obliged to observe the so-called hour of absolute availability, and if the athlete is not in the specified place at this hour, this is a violation. Three such absences are disqualification. Second: if a doping officer finds an athlete anywhere, then it is simply impossible to refuse his offer to go to the restroom, pull down his pants, roll up his clothes above the navel and pee in a jar in his presence. Any attempt to counteract will be considered a violation. Be it in competition or outside of it.

Famous American skier Lindsey Vonn, who once had to leave a formal fashion awards event to take a test, called it "an integral part of the life of athletes."

The acceptable arrival time for doping officers to take samples according to the current rules is from 5 to 23 hours. If an accredited employee arrives at 10:55 p.m., he will stay until the athlete has provided the required amount of urine. Even if you can only fill the jar at 4 am. They can come every week, or even every day.

Here is an effective mechanism for putting pressure on an athlete. Some people can sleep just a couple of hours before an important start, while others will rest peacefully, enter the competition fresh and win. In order not to be unfounded, here are the real stories of those for whom the usual sampling procedure really interfered and created maximum inconvenience.

“I took the test late in the evening, and in the morning they woke me up again”

The Championship's special correspondents have collected several interesting stories on the topic of taking doping samples. The most recent example is with the Frenchman Jean-Guillaume Beatrix, who approached the World Cup stage in Nove Mesto in mid-December last year in very good shape, but in the sprint he took only 31st place, losing more than a minute to Martin Fourcade.

“The doping controller came to me late in the evening. After some time, I managed to pass the test, but I only slept for a few hours. Early in the morning I was woken up by another controller. As a result, I didn’t get much sleep and ran the sprint poorly. After a sleepless night, running a race is difficult for any athlete. I wouldn’t want to go through this again,” Beatrix complained.

“The toughest doping control for me was during the Olympic Games in Turin and Sochi. We had to take blood and urine tests at night. It's very frustrating when you have to start the next day. I understand that there is a good reason - the fight for the purity of the sport, but I still don’t want this to affect the condition of the athletes before the start,” a story from eight-time Olympic champion Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen.

World champion Tomasz Sikora, now head of the Polish men's team, also complained about the work of doping officers: “Once during the World Championship they took a doping test from me for four days in a row. At first I was happy about the visit of the doping officers, but when this was repeated day after day, it really became annoying and annoying. I reassured myself only by the fact that after this no one would have any doubts about my purity.”

And Vladimir Drachev, the last Russian World Cup winner, told how our biathletes and skiers were “shaken” for a bad joke. It’s good that they didn’t take away their phones, like the Kazakhs, and the police didn’t force them to take doping tests.

“Once the skiers and I went to ski in Rovaniemi. The guys had cans on the window, and for fun someone wrote “Erythropoietin” on one of them. Estonians passing by noticed this, took photographs and reported it to the Finnish police. A few hours later the squad arrived. They turned the whole house over, but soon became convinced that these were ordinary biochemist jars, and there were no prohibited substances. But the Estonians shouted that the Russians were using doping. The guys were kept in the police station for three hours, but then they were released, making sure that it was really a bad joke,” Drachev said.

Those scary therapeutic exceptions

Well, about how the procedure itself goes - in the story of the American Lindsey Wen, world champion in ski jumping.

“In 2009 in Liberec I won the world championship. After the end of the competition, I was taken to the room to take the test. The inspector entered the booth after me... I was ashamed and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t do anything. I was allowed to get up, get dressed and wait in the room. Then the procedure was repeated... I was able to take a sample only after an hour and a half, and when I poured urine into two different bottles, due to nervous shaking, I spilled some on the inspector... This is not the most awkward situation, there were worse. The need to pass tests and the process itself are two very different things. Then I started to twitch from every knock on the door,” she said.

It turns out that there is interference in intimate areas that are simply unacceptable in ordinary life. All the doping officers have to do is film the entire process, then it will be a complete idyll.

Well, yes, to the question of therapeutic exceptions. More precisely, that disclosing information about them is a terrible interference in personal life. Trying to pee on someone's command for a couple of hours in the presence of a stranger is an integral part of the life of athletes. Publishing a list of prohibited drugs that they take is their personal life. Nobody got anything wrong?

The rules of the game are not the same for everyone

The head of the International Biathlon Union, Anders Besseberg, called for a calm approach to the doping test procedure.

“For example, doping officers came to one of the athletes at seven o’clock in the morning on Christmas Eve. There is no need to blame anyone or look for malicious intent, this is a normal situation. In professional sports, athletes must be ready to take a test 24 hours a day - these are the rules of the game,” he asserts.

But are they the same for everyone? Most of the athletes interviewed by the Championship said that they did not experience any problems, and doping inspectors came exactly when the convenient time was indicated in the ADAMS system. But at the same time they emphasized that this was during normal times. “If the finger is pointed at someone, you can do whatever you want,” they admit.

And what then is equality for everyone? To avoid such problems, WADA would do well to listen to the opinions of athletes - no one is saying that sampling should be abolished altogether. But we need to make this procedure more humane, understandable and truly equal for everyone. Okay, you don’t have to listen to the Russians - no one will hear anyway. But if Bjoerndalen and Vonn talk about problems, then you can’t just shrug it off, although WADA somehow manages to do this.

Moreover, over the past few years, the WADA leadership has been trying to push through the issue of obtaining the right to night-time doping sample collections and surprise inspections. Now this is only possible in exceptional situations when the police are involved. Can you imagine what will happen if such a right is given to anti-doping fighters?

Problem The issue of doping is the scourge of modern sports. Thus, recently traces of the drug erythropoietin were found in the blood of Russian biathletes Yuryeva and Starykh, which increases the hemoglobin content in the blood, improving many physical indicators.

AiF.ru found out what doping is, why athletes use it, who and how fights doping, and what the athlete faces for using the substance?

What is doping?

Doping is any substance of natural or synthetic origin, the use of which allows one to achieve improved athletic performance. Such substances can dramatically increase the activity of the nervous and endocrine systems for a short time, as well as increase muscle strength. Doping includes drugs that stimulate the synthesis of muscle proteins after exposure to muscle loads.

Who tests athletes for doping?

A huge number of medications have the status of prohibited for athletes during competitions. The modern concept in the field of combating doping in elite sports is given in the Anti-Doping Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

At the international level, the use of prohibited substances by athletes is controlled by WADA. In addition, each country has national anti-doping agencies that operate at domestic competitions, thereby minimizing the number of international scandals. In Russia, RusADA does this.

How are athletes tested for doping?

Representatives of WADA and RusADA can ask an athlete to take doping tests at any time, even when they are on vacation. From the moment of analysis, samples are stored in the laboratory for ten years. Data can be rechecked at any time. This is done so that the doping detection technology, which is constantly one step behind its production, can reveal the fact of manipulation after the end of the competition. This means restoring justice after the fact, taking away the award won by dishonest means, and giving victory to the “clean” athlete.
The sample taken from the athlete is divided into two parts. Initially, one part is opened, which is called sample A. If it shows a negative result, no further action follows. If sample A turns out to be positive, the athlete is suspended from all competitions until sample B is analyzed. If the latter turns out to be positive, a special commission imposes certain sanctions on the doping athlete.

How is an athlete punished for doping?

In the case of intentional doping, a penalty of up to two years of suspension from all competitions may follow. If the use of performance-enhancing drugs is associated with aggravating circumstances (repeated use, combination with other prohibited substances), the athlete's period of ineligibility can be increased up to life.

Which athletes have been caught doping?

In January 2014, it became known that doping tests A of two Russian athletes, Irina Starykh And Ekaterina Yuryeva, gave a positive result. Erythropoietin was detected in their blood. Irina Starykh faces a two-year disqualification, and Ekaterina Yuryeva, for whom this is a repeated puncture, faces a lifelong ban from the sport.
On December 2, 2008, it became known that doping tests of three leading Russian biathletes gave a positive result. Erythropoietin was also found in the blood. The violators were Ekaterina Yuryeva (it was she who was caught doping again this year), Albina Akhatova And Dmitry Yaroshenko. All athletes were disqualified for two years.
In the summer of 2012, the legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong was found guilty of doping - erythropoietin, which was found in his tests in 1999. The athlete was stripped of all the titles he had won since 1998, including the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold.

In November 2009, after information appeared in the media about the discovery of erythropoietin in the blood of Russian skiers Yulia Chepalova, the athlete announced her retirement and criticized not only the leadership of WADA, but also the president of the Russian Olympic Committee. Together with Chepalova, two more Russian skiers were disqualified for the same violation: Evgeniy Dementyev and Nina Rysina.
In February 2002, at the American Olympics in Salt Lake City, WADA representatives announced the discovery of traces of erythropoietin in the tests five-time Olympic champion Larisa Lazutina- Russian skier. The athlete was deprived of her last awards (one gold and two silver) and disqualified for two years. The incident occurred right before the start of the women's relay race, in which Lazutina was supposed to take part.

What is erythropoietin?

Erythropoietin is one of the kidney hormones. It increases systemic blood pressure and also increases blood viscosity by increasing the red blood cell to plasma ratio. At the same time, the hemoglobin content in the blood increases, improving a number of physical indicators of the athlete.

Erythropoietin is used illegally as a doping agent in some sports. Many athletes, coaches and experts believe that erythropoietin is a doping of the last millennium, which is now easy to calculate.

Both professionals and juniors, veterans, and wheelchair players can be subject to doping control.

The procedure for conducting doping control is clearly defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA) and the International Standard for Doping Control ( ISDC): "Testing" ( Testing).

Selection for testing can be carried out both during competitions and out of competition.

Doping control may involve the provision of either a urine sample, a blood sample, or both urine and blood. In the latter case, the athlete himself decides where to start ( Author's note: They are usually guided by the readiness to take a urine sample).

PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION OF A URINE SAMPLE FOR A DOPING TEST

1. General Provisions

To expedite the sample collection process, the Athlete is permitted to drink beverages, which must be available in the Doping Control Station waiting area. He should make sure that the drink has not been opened previously. Under no circumstances should you use drinks offered by third parties.

Doping Control Inspector ( Doping Control Officer) (hereinafter referred to as “inspector”) or an authorized person ( Chaperone) the anti-doping service personally informs the athlete that he has been selected for doping control, and the inspector is required to present his Doping Control Inspector ID and a document authorizing him to conduct testing. He will then inform the athlete about the rights and responsibilities of the athlete and ask him to sign the Doping Control Report (on page 1) to confirm his consent to be tested. After which he takes the athlete to the Doping Control Point. Refusal to provide a sample may be considered an anti-doping rule violation and may result in ineligibility for a period of 2 years. The athlete has the right to be accompanied by his representative and an interpreter (if necessary) ( Author's note: I recommend that minors must have their own representative). The athlete must report to the Doping Control Station immediately after receiving the notification, and before that the athlete is not allowed to use the shower or toilet.

But it is allowed:

attend the award ceremony (if the athlete is required to participate in it);
hold a press conference;
do relaxation exercises or take an ice bath;
undergo a medical examination and receive the necessary medical care (if necessary);
take part in the post-match team meeting in the team locker room (in team competitions);
change out of your game uniform;
find your representative and (translator;
complete training (in case of out-of-competition testing);
take an ID;
any other exceptional circumstances provided there are sufficient justifications and mandatory documentary evidence.

However, the duration of the delay cannot exceed one hour from the date of notification.

At the Doping Control Station, the athlete is given the right to choose one from three packaged urine collection containers. He must check the integrity of the package and then print it. The athlete must ensure that the inside of the container is clean.

The container is a transparent plastic glass with a lid. The glass is marked with graduations up to 180 ml. The 90 ml division is marked with a longer mark.

4. Urine collection procedure

The sample is taken in a specially designated room (usually a toilet). The athlete's representative is not allowed into this room. During the urine collection procedure, the athlete must be in the field of view of the inspector, who must be of the same gender as the athlete. If the inspector is of a different gender, then it is allowed to attract a witness to sample collection. In order for the inspector (witness) to freely observe the process of passing urine, the athlete must expose his body from the waist to the middle of the thigh and roll up his shirt sleeves to the elbows.

This procedure should not cause irritation to the athlete, because this is necessary to avoid possible manipulations.

Urine is collected into a graduated glass. The minimum sample volume is 90 ml. If the volume of the sample provided is insufficient, the athlete will have to provide an additional sample (until the specified volume is reached).

In some cases, the inspector may ask the athlete to provide a larger sample volume - up to 120 ml. This is required if, in addition to general research, it is necessary to do an additional check for any specific prohibited substances (if the anti-doping service receives relevant information from reliable sources).

The athlete's sample, provided in an insufficient volume, is poured by the athlete into an additional container (jar), tightly closed with a screw cap and temporarily sealed with a specially self-adhesive strip, on which the athlete and the inspector sign. Until the athlete is ready to resume the urine collection procedure, he must remain in the waiting area of the Doping Control Station.

5. Selecting a kit for filling, storing and identifying a doping sample

The inspector is obliged to offer the athlete to choose one from at least three sealed individual sets. If the athlete or his representative is not satisfied with the condition of the packaging (cardboard box or foam container), he has the right to request a replacement kit.

Once a kit has been selected, the athlete or his representative must:

unpack it and remove two bottles marked “ A" (red or orange label) and " IN"(blue label);
check the identity of the 7-digit identification numbers on the bottles and caps, as well as on the box intended for transportation;
remove the packaging, red safety rings and screw caps from the necks of the bottles;
make sure the bottles are clean.

The athlete independently pours his urine from a glass into a bottle first. IN" in a volume of at least 30 ml (to the bottom edge of the blue label), and then at least 60 ml into the bottle " A" (to the bottom edge of the red label). The remaining urine in the glass is used by the inspector to conduct a rapid test.

The inspector performs a rapid test of the relative density (specific gravity) of urine using an indicator strip or a refractometer. The density should be no less than 1.01 when using test strips and no less than 1.005 when using a refractometer.

If urine density does not meet the required standard, the athlete must take repeated samples until the required compliance is achieved ( Author's note: Therefore, it is very important not to drink too much liquid before taking a test. In any case, no more than 1.5 liters).

This action is performed by the athlete personally. To do this, it is necessary (the red rings from the necks of the bottles must be removed) to put the stopper on each bottle and rotate it until it stops until the clicks stop. This is a sample seal.

The athlete must ensure that the bottles are sealed tightly and cannot be opened ( Author's note: You can uncork the vials without violating their integrity using special equipment that is available only in the laboratory).

The inspector must also ensure that the vials are closed securely and do not leak when tipped.

The inspector enters into the doping control protocol (hereinafter referred to as the “protocol”):

date of sampling;
numbers on bottles;
sample volume and urine density;
type of sport (sports discipline);
athlete's gender;
medications (prescribed by a doctor and taken independently), nutritional supplements and any other substances that the athlete consumed during the last 7 days.

The latter is entered from the words of the athlete and with his voluntary consent ( Author's note: For example, Alex Bogomolov at the Australian Open 2005 indicated in the protocol that he used an inhaler that the doctor prescribed for him for asthma. This drug contained the prohibited salbutamol, which was detected in laboratory tests. The Anti-Doping Tribunal disqualified Bogomolov for 1.5 months. If this message had not been made, he would have faced a 2-year disqualification).

In addition, when an Athlete has a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Prohibited Substances, this Exemption must be presented to the inspector and recorded.

After filling out the protocol by the inspector, the athlete and his representative must make sure that the information entered is complete and accurate (5 pages), while being sure to check the code numbers on the packaging and in the protocol.

(Author's note: When urine and blood samples are taken, they are entered into one protocol).

If an athlete has any complaints or comments about the procedure, he can indicate them in a special place in the protocol. If the comments do not fit on the scoresheet, the inspector must provide the athlete with an additional scoresheet.

The protocol is signed:

athlete;
athlete representative (if present)
witness to urine sample collection (if one was involved)
doping control inspector.

(Author's note: By signing the protocol, the athlete thereby consents to laboratory research).

A copy of the Doping Control Report is given to the athlete, which he must keep for 6 weeks.

Another copy (page 6 of the Protocol), but without indicating the athlete's name, is packaged along with the vials for sending to a center (laboratory) accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Studies are carried out with urine in a bottle " A" If traces of prohibited drugs are found in the first sample, a second sample from the bottle is examined. B».

An athlete can be disqualified only if the results of the first test are confirmed by the second. If no traces of prohibited drugs are found in the second sample, no sanctions are applied to the athlete, but doping control can be repeated at any time.

The procedure and requirements for providing a blood sample follow virtually the same rules as collecting a urine sample, however, the collection of the blood sample is performed by a qualified phlebotomist or trained blood collection examiner.

Typically the blood collection procedure is as follows:

1. The athlete will be asked to take a relaxed position for a while (usually 5-10 minutes). If a blood sample is taken for a biological passport, the athlete must rest for at least 2 hours before this.

2. He must be asked to choose from at least three sets:

a set of equipment containing everything necessary for taking a blood sample: a syringe, a sterile needle, two special vacuum tubes with a red and blue number (similar to a silent sample);
kit for safe storage and transportation of the sample: an unmarked container, adhesive labels and two sealed plastic bags.

(Author's note: As always, you should carefully check the equipment to ensure that it is clean and has not been damaged).

4. Blood Control Officer) determines the most appropriate place for blood collection (usually on the non-dominant arm), applies a tourniquet and disinfects the skin at the puncture site.

(Author's note: If an athlete is prone to loss of consciousness during blood sampling, then he is recommended to be with an accompanying person).

The required blood volume is 13 ml (about 3 teaspoons). This is enough to fill two test tubes.

The athlete should not make any vigorous movements with the arm from which blood was drawn for 30 minutes after providing the blood sample.

If the inspector is unable to collect blood after three attempts to insert the needle, then collection of the blood sample should be cancelled.

5. The athlete must open the containers as directed by the inspector and place the blood sample tubes into the containers. The containers are screwed until they click, which prevents them from being opened by unauthorized persons.

6. The inspector enters the corresponding code numbers of the tubes into the Doping Control Protocol and completes it as provided for when submitting a urine sample (clause 9). After which the athlete signs the protocol.

7. Each of the containers is packed in sealed bags, one of which contains page 6 of the Protocol with code numbers of the sample, date and time of blood sampling, type of sport, gender of the athlete and, if indicated, a list of medications taken by the athlete in the last 7 days (without indicating the athlete's first and last name). Blood sample bags are placed in a refrigerated box and sent to a WADA-accredited center (laboratory).

Additional Information

If the athlete is a minor or has a physical disability, the procedures described above may be modified. The athlete must check with the inspector about changes.

Positive research results are immediately communicated to the athlete and are not disclosed to the public. If the athlete does not agree with the result, the same laboratory repeats the research, but at his expense (and it is not small).

According to the international standard, 10 working days are allotted for the analysis. At major tournaments, such as the Grand Slam, Olympic Games, ATP and WTA final tournaments, this period is 24 hours for samples that show a negative result, 48 hours for samples that require additional testing (when the screening result showed the presence of a prohibited substance), and 72 hours for complex types of analysis - such as the determination of erythropoietin or the origin of testosterone.

P.S. Since athletes, like all people, are not immune from illnesses and injuries, if therapeutic treatment with pharmaceuticals containing prohibited substances is necessary, it is necessary to submit a scientifically based application to IDTM (International Doping Tests & Management) in advance (no later than 30 days). for a specific medicine. In this case, IDTM may allow its reception.

If you need to check whether food additives or medicines contain prohibited substances, you must fill out a special form “Product Information. Request" and send to IDTM in one of the following ways:

Email: or This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it.

DOPING SAMPLES FROM SALT LAKE CITY ANALYZED IN MOSCOW

Moscow, Elizavetinsky proezd, 10. At this address is located one of the most mysterious sports institutions - the Anti-Doping Center of Russia, the only laboratory in our country that has received accreditation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The center is headed by Professor Vitaly Semenov. SE correspondents went to him to ask questions that interested our readers.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

Thanks to Professor Semenov: he immediately agreed to become our guide and show us the storage facilities and laboratory rooms of his center.

But first of all, Semenov gave a short lecture.

It all started in 1967,” he said. - It was then that a medical commission was created under the International Olympic Committee, which, in particular, was called upon to wage the war against doping. This commission was headed by IOC member Prince Alexandre de Merode from Belgium.

At that time, there were only two groups of drugs prohibited for use by athletes - psychostimulants and narcotic substances. The commission immediately attracted particular attention to track and field athletes and cyclists. And the first to undergo serious testing were the participants of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The development of medical science forced the IOC Anti-Doping Commission to include a group of anabolic steroids in the list of prohibited drugs. This happened just before Montreal '76.

By the way, the history of the appearance of anabolic steroids in sports is very interesting - and instructive. Steroids were given to patients (among whom were athletes) in the postoperative period - to quickly restore strength and quickly gain muscle mass within 2 - 3 weeks. But they gave it, which is very important, in therapeutic doses. Unfortunately, this technique then migrated from medicine to sports. And the line was overcome that, as Paracelsus used to say, separates medicine from poison.

Also in 1976, the first cases of anabolic steroid use at the Olympics were recorded - 12 athletes, mostly weightlifters, were caught using nandrolone and methandrostenalone. It was a shock for everyone: no one suspected how seriously this disease had affected the sport.

True, it was still a long way off before the emergence of WADA (it, as is known, arose in the wake of the scandalous Tour de France '98, when almost half the peloton was disqualified after doping control).

The 1976 Olympics became a turning point in the protracted and endless war against doping, Professor Semenov emphasized. And then the Hewlett Packard company developed the first doping detection and identification systems, which were adopted by the IOC laboratories.

HOW ARE DOPING TESTS TAKEN?

As for the Moscow laboratory, it was created a little later - in 1971. And it received accreditation from the IOC (and, accordingly, the right to conduct analyzes of samples taken at major world competitions, including the Olympic Games) on July 7, 1980. And even then, computers came to the aid of anti-doping service employees.

True, the machines of that time resembled huge cabinet-like monsters with a gigantic database. Two years before the Moscow Olympics, all the necessary equipment was purchased directly from Hewlett Packard. And in the time remaining before the Games, the laboratory workers mastered the equipment and methods. At the same time, the volunteers who took the tests were employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under whose leadership the laboratory was equipped.

And even then, regulations for taking tests from athletes were developed. A requirement for strict control over the samples taken was immediately introduced. Moreover, urine or blood is taken for analysis only in the presence of witnesses - doctors and representatives of the athlete. Containers are immediately sealed. Sample "B" is stored at a temperature no higher than -20 degrees, while sample "A" is immediately sent to the laboratory.

If the “A” sample gives a positive result, the commission sets a deadline for a control analysis. As a rule, 15 to 20 days after the results of the first analysis are announced.

Anti-doping services achieved today's precise work through trial and error.

After the ’76 Olympics,” Professor Semenov continued, “when the “A” doping tests of 12 athletes gave positive results, it was decided to turn to control samples, which were stored in refrigerators at a temperature of -20. And then an incident occurred. Before Montreal, all sample jars, sealed with lead seals, were stored in freezers. But the organizers of the 76 Games apparently considered it wasteful to use such an amount of lead and, as an experiment, sealed these jars with plastic seals, assigning each a code number.

And when, in the presence of representatives of countries whose athletes were accused of using prohibited drugs (and they certainly endorse the inviolability of containers with sample “B”), the freezers were opened, it turned out that the plastic seals could not withstand the low temperature and cracked. Of course, there were protests from athletes and their representatives. I had to reseal the jars, put them back in the freezer for 3 weeks, and then re-open them. Thank God, we managed to convince all interested parties that it was not the doctors’ fault that the seals were broken.

An important detail: today, any - even the smallest - violation of the regulations for taking samples or storing containers with blood or urine can lead to the invalidation of all results of the laboratory’s work.

According to Semenov, the main thing that disappeared from the work of anti-doping services along with the de Merode era was the presumption of innocence of an athlete whose sample tested positive for a prohibited substance. Then decisions were made only after hearing explanations from the athlete himself, his coach and doctor. And today WADA often replaces the IOC medical commission, taking over its functions.

WHO HAS ACCESS TO SAMPLES?

It turns out that only two people from the laboratory’s impressive staff have access to the doping sample storage area. Only Vitaly Alexandrovich himself and his assistant, who processes the samples delivered to the laboratory, have the keys to this holy of holies center. However, the director of the center opened a secret door to the SE correspondent.

Containers come to us from all over the world - sealed and with code numbers,” Semenov said. - None of the laboratory workers where the analysis will be carried out is present when samples are taken. This is done in order to ensure complete anonymity in work. So none of us knows whose sample he is currently analyzing. My assistant records all receipts in a special journal and makes sure to recode each container. You see in this journal a six-digit digital code assigned to the sample jar when the analysis was taken, but this four-digit code is the code assigned to the sample already in our laboratory. In this case, the protocol, which indicates the number and surname of the athlete, is sealed in the presence of witnesses and handed over to the chairman of the IOC medical commission.

The staff of our center, the professor continued, like other laboratories, deal only with recoded samples. Look, the journal notes which of the workers in my laboratory accepted the brought samples, on what date, from which competition, the date and signature of the person who accepted them. In addition to the sample, a protocol is also brought to the laboratory, which notes what the athlete took and for what reason in the last three days, what medications he used if he was sick at that time.

- Who brings samples from competitions?

A courier who also doesn’t know whose samples are in his bag. By the way, the bag is also sealed - and no one except the receiving specialist can open it. From the brought jar with samples, our workers take 5 microliters for the analysis of psychotropic substances, steroids, diuretics, drugs, beta blockers... In a word, the entire range of necessary tests is performed within these walls.

After the “B” sample is analyzed, which confirms the athlete’s purity or, conversely, his guilt, the container is transferred to a special refrigerator, where it is stored for some time until it is written off. Previously, we did not store clean samples at all, but at the end of last year, after the addition of tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) to the list of prohibited substances, WADA issued a circular requiring that even negative doping samples be stored for up to 8 years! Obviously, in anticipation that means of detecting new substances will be developed and retrospective analysis will have to be carried out. Can you imagine what size refrigerators laboratories will now need?!

- Did the Russian center receive samples from Salt Lake City?

But of course! And recently we received instructions from WADA to double-check them for THG content. As you know, these samples turned out to be clean. By the way, we keep all the jars with tests in these refrigerators. - Professor Semenov pointed to rows of freezing units along the wall. - The numbers glowing on the settings panel indicate the temperature mode. For example, for samples containing darbopoietin, the optimal temperature range is from -36 to -86. At slightly higher temperatures, hydrolysis is possible.

And also about the sensational THG. As Semenov said, this substance was first obtained and clinically studied back in 1963! Moreover, it was even recommended as a contraceptive. Its structure is close to nandrolone, but its properties are different. This resemblance to a criminal steroid is what put THG outlawed.

HOW DO LABORATORIES TAKE EXAMINATIONS?

The center's employees will also serve the Olympic Games in Athens. They received this right on December 24 last year, when a message came from WADA headquarters that the World Anti-Doping Agency had extended the accreditation of the Russian center for another year.

All 29 laboratories accredited by the IOC are certified for professional suitability annually. And passing this exam is not easy. After all, in order to meet the required level, the center’s employees must efficiently and quickly analyze a huge number of samples (according to Professor Semenov, up to 15 thousand per year!) to identify all known prohibited substances. In addition, every quarter WADA sends laboratories from 6 to 8 samples (the so-called professional test), which must be analyzed within 12 days and provide the agency with a complete picture of the “cocktail” contained in the control container.

As you understand, the equipment must be appropriate. And oh, how expensive it is.

Your correspondents were shown the most modern devices that are capable of detecting any doping that can be identified today in the blood or urine by the smallest particles. And all the equipment costs about two million dollars. Since work at the center is continuous, the equipment wears out and ages physically and mentally. According to WADA rules, the laboratory's arsenal must be updated at least once every three years.

HOW IS A DOPING TEST TESTED?

A very insignificant amount - 50 microliters - is taken from a sample jar for each type of analysis and inserted into the receiving device of a special apparatus. After the smart machine analyzes the biochemical composition of urine or blood, it displays a graphical picture of the substances contained in the sample. A Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph will tell you exactly what doping and in what quantity is contained in an athlete’s sample.

As Semenov reported, it is very difficult to identify darbopoietin. Here it takes three days to analyze the sample.

WHO SECURES THE SAMPLES?

In the hands of Professor Semenov and his colleagues is the fate of medals of all possible ranks, thousands and even millions of prize money. It was logical to ask how such an important facility is protected. It turns out that until 1992 the laboratory was guarded by a double police post. And today the police are on duty only on the first floor of the building, and the entrance to the third floor, where the center is located, and to individual blocks are guarded by reliable electronic locks, which can only be opened by employees who have the right to access a particular area of the laboratory. In addition, the entry and exit times of each employee to particularly important blocks of the center are recorded.

WHO ELSE DOES THE ANTI-DOPING CENTER HELP?

At the end of the excursion, Semenov said that laboratory workers often have to carry out instructions from criminologists.

Our center is always ready to help the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB in cases when their laboratories capitulate to unknown narcotic substances,” the professor boasted. - Already now we can identify negligibly small doses of concentration of any substance. The sensitivity of the center's instruments is amazingly high. Although there are no professional criminologists on the staff of our institution - only doctors, chemists, biochemists and analysts.

But what qualifications!

Rovshan ASKEROV

"Blood or urine?" Answers to the most stupid questions about doping

How to deceive an officer, what a blood passport is made of and who they are - innocent asthmatics - everything you wanted to know about doping, but were afraid to ask.

We, reading comments on articles and news, saw that not all of our readers understand the rules of the game in modern anti-doping. So the idea came up to create a text in the genre of the so-called FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), timing it just in time for the start of the biathlon season, where, unfortunately, in recent years this topic has also been encountered more often than we would like.

So, we gathered a pool of experts and asked them the most stupid and naive questions about doping - everything that ever came to our minds. Below are their answers. Some surprised even us.

Who collects doping samples?
There are two types of control: competitive and non-competitive. It is carried out by specially authorized people - the so-called doping officers, representing either national anti-doping agencies, or structures that have a contract for sampling with WADA, as well as international sports federations. For example, in athletics the Swedish company IDTM has such a contract.

In front of the inspector, if he is attentive, it is impossible to write from a fake penis. Opportunities for manipulation only appear if the inspector is corrupt, but this is a separate topic.

Competition control is the one that operates from the start to the end of the competition. Out-of-competition, respectively, during the training period, outside of starts.

How do doping officers recognize the athlete they are looking for?
First of all, of course, from photography. But to be sure, the athlete is always asked a clarifying question. Having received an affirmative answer, they show the controller’s ID. Usually one or two people come. Most often this is a man and a woman, since control must be exercised by a person of the same gender.

Can an athlete refuse or take a break?
Refuse - no. Otherwise it will be counted as a positive test. As for the pause, he must justify the reason, which must be valid. Well, let's say an athlete mom wants to breastfeed her baby. But usually the sample is taken right away - there are actually very few reasons to postpone the sample collection. A control protocol is filled out in a standard form, which indicates the authorized organization, date, time. A separate important column is what the athlete took seven days before the control: vitamins, medications, supplements, absolutely everything. Do not confuse this with so-called "therapeutic exclusions". By them we mean prohibited drugs that, for medical reasons, can be used during a certain period. The final protocol is signed by the athlete and the anti-doping control inspector.

How is the sample submitted?
The athlete, excuse me, is peeing in a jar. The process of passing urine must be carried out in the presence of an officer in order to exclude the possibility of sample substitution. Theoretically, it is, of course, possible to replace the sample if the inspector’s attention is diverted, but if the instructions are strictly followed, this is impossible. There were various stories using various devices -. But in front of the inspector, if he is attentive, this is impossible to do. Opportunities for manipulation only appear if the inspector is corrupt, but this is a separate topic.

Does doping control involve taking urine or blood too?
With blood, everything is much more complicated, because there are more stringent requirements for this. The room must be suitable for blood collection and the collection must be carried out by an officer who is certified to do so. Urine is taken in order to find prohibited substances in it. Blood is taken extremely rarely for these purposes, because apart from growth hormone and a limited number of other prohibited substances, it is very difficult to find anything there. Blood is taken mainly for the so-called blood passport. Very often, both blood and urine are taken together. Previously, before the introduction of the passport, blood was the basis for a more thorough check - in case of deviation of some indicators.

What is an anti-doping passport?
This is a very serious topic, and therefore it is better to talk about it in detail. Well, if you really want to figure it out. Let's get this straight: this is not some kind of paper or document. This is a computer program that is maintained by the anti-doping organization in relation to athletes who are part of the international testing pool, that is, who are members of their national teams and take part in international competitions. Its official name is “athlete’s biological passport.”

In general, the profile of an athlete in the anti-doping organization (that same passport) consists of three parts. These are a hematological profile (the blood passport itself), a steroid passport and an endocrine passport. At the moment, the steroid and endocrine profile are not widely used. A set of material and indicators is being collected, but no one will be disqualified based on them yet due to the fact that the criteria by which it would be possible to recognize whether an athlete has used prohibited substances or not have not yet been determined. But sooner or later this will happen.

Why are these passports needed?
Blood passport is mainly associated with the use of erythropoietin, which affects endurance. Since erythropoietin cannot be found in urine after 14-17 days, methods for detecting it in urine are often ineffective. Erythropoietin, while leaving the body after two weeks, nevertheless has a longer lasting effect in terms of endurance. But erythropoietin and blood transfusion, which also affects endurance, change some blood parameters - such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocyte percentage. Therefore, scientists and sports hematologists specially developed the so-called stimulation index. This is a specially developed formula into which certain blood parameters need to be entered, and with a 99 percent probability, if the required level is exceeded, it shows that the athlete has taken prohibited substances or manipulated blood. All these parameters are in the athlete’s biological passport.

And how does a passport prove doping?
The athlete's blood is taken over a long period. All indicators are entered into a program that builds graphs of normal blood parameters. After all, blood is usually taken in different conditions: when he is not participating in competitions, during competitions, when he is in the mountains. And the program analyzes all this data. There are absolute indicators: for example, in women, hemoglobin is over 165 - this is an absolutely accurate indicator of manipulation. A woman cannot have such an indicator - this has been proven by many years of research. In addition, the program builds so-called corridors with upper and lower limits for a specific person. When some indicators go beyond the boundaries of this corridor, this means that the athlete used manipulations with blood.

That is, a blood passport does not reveal doping, but serves only as indirect evidence of its use?
Now, from a legal point of view, the indicators of an athlete’s biological passport are the same evidence as a positive result on a urine doping test. As it usually happens: all the indicators of the athlete’s biological passport are entered, the program gives a “red” - an indicator that something is unclean. Each anti-doping organization has its own experts who immediately receive these indicators. Anonymously, without indicating the name of the athlete or sport - just indicators. If all three experts say that these indicators are 99.9 percent indicative of blood manipulation, then this equates to a positive test result. Yes, of course, this is not direct, but indirect evidence. But from the point of view of legal force, it is no different.

Why then do athletes take illegal drugs and manipulate blood? Surely they cannot help but understand that they will be caught?
The first reason is that they hope that the anti-doping service will not come to them during the out-of-competition period. The second and most common is that they will have time to remove traces of a prohibited substance from the body before the start of the competition and at the competitions themselves, the test of the sample will show a negative result.

During the out-of-competition period, alcohol is allowed in any quantity. Drinking is prohibited during competition in motorsports, aeronautics, powerboating and archery.

But there is such a thing as metabolism. Metabolism is purely individual, and athletes are told the average time frame for removing drugs from the body. For some they may be more than the average, for others less. This is where they usually “burn out”, incorrectly calculating the timing of withdrawal. They consider themselves clean, but it turns out that there is still something left there. Only because their body has such a feature - the drug is eliminated longer.

The ADAMS system, into which an athlete must enter data about his location, is called by some almost slave-owning. Is this really true?
. Let those who think so read it. Maybe their opinion will change.

Where and for how long are samples stored?
Blood samples have a very limited shelf life, but urine can be stored for a long time. All this is stored in certain laboratories with high standards. It is necessary to observe certain temperatures, special conditions and other storage parameters. According to the new WADA code, samples can be rechecked for 10 years - so they are stored for a maximum of this period.

But not all samples are stored for 10 years. According to the standard, they are supposed to be stored for three months. And then, unless there is a special instruction from the testing organization, the laboratory destroys them. Only those for whom appropriate instructions have been received remain. Samples from major competitions – the Olympic Games and World Championships – are usually stored for a long time.

Why are there situations when a sample is tested for a very long time - conventionally in November, and the result is announced, say, in March?
For six months, samples are checked very rarely. Most often this is several days, in special cases one or two weeks. It’s hard to even name an example where samples were tested for so long.

?
So it was a double check. For example, we tested an athlete using one method, the sample turned out to be clean - that’s it, no questions. Then, after a certain time, it is rechecked with new, more advanced methods and can give a “plus”.

Who decides that a particular athlete needs to be retested?
The organization that orders the testing is WADA or the international sports federation. Here was the 2005 World Athletics Championships - they tested everyone using the same method, and caught one or two athletes. Three to five years later, new methods for detecting the same substance appear. And the testing organization (that is, the laboratory) announces: we have received a new method for detecting oralturinabol or stanozolol. If you still have samples from previous competitions, you can order them to be retested. Then WADA or the international federation decides whether to recheck the old samples or not.

Why are these rechecks needed after so many years?
If we adhere to the concept that clean athletes should win, then what difference does it make when a prohibited substance is found in his sample? There is only one goal - to punish those who want to win dishonestly. This can be compared to the statute of limitations for crimes. For example, a criminal offense has been committed and there is no evidence of guilt. And then, a few years later, new methods for determining DNA or witnesses who were not interviewed at the time appeared, and the crime was solved. The same thing happens in the area of anti-doping.

How many times can samples be retested?
Theoretically, an infinite number of times. But you need to understand that the urine in the sample taken is not liters. And in reality, it can be checked no more than twice, then there simply won’t be enough “material”. And you have no right to pour from sample B, because it must be opened only in the presence of a specialist.

How is sample A different from sample B?
Nothing. This is the same sample. The athlete receives a container, does his job and gives the sample to the doping officer. In front of him is a set of cones - one of them is A, the other is B. One half of the sample is poured into one, the second into the other, after which they are sealed.

Is sample collection free for the athlete?
Samples A - yes. If an athlete wants to open sample B (this happens, as you understand, if sample A gives a positive result for doping), then this costs money. The specific cost depends on the laboratory where the autopsy and analysis takes place. The order of the amounts is 800-1000 dollars.

What happens if an athlete intentionally destroys a sample during autopsy?
A violation of anti-doping rules is not only the use of prohibited substances, but also obstruction of the doping control procedure at any stage. If an athlete runs away from doping officers, uses physical force against them, offers them a bribe, or breaks a test tube, these are also considered violations. Which are followed by penalties that can be even more severe in duration than disqualification for doping.

Who determines that one substance is doping and another is not?
There is a special WADA committee that every year approves the so-called prohibited list, which lists all prohibited substances. Accordingly, this committee determines whether a particular substance should be classified as prohibited or not. There are two criteria here. First: if the substance can improve athletic performance. Second: its use for non-medical purposes harms the body. If these two criteria are present, then the substance is included in the list of prohibited drugs. There is also a third criterion – compliance with ethical principles. But there are not many such drugs - for example, alcohol in some sports or marijuana.

Is alcohol prohibited in sports?
During the out-of-competition period - no, as much as you like. Drinking is prohibited during competition in motorsports, aeronautics, powerboating and archery. For a long time, alcohol was prohibited in motorsports, but since 2016 this is no longer relevant.

How does the process of discussing and recognizing a substance as doping go?
Some substances are not immediately included in the prohibited list, but are monitored. Monitoring has been ongoing for some time. Then the WADA committee meets, discusses, studies the reports of scientists, scientific arguments and, on the basis of this, makes a decision on including drugs among the prohibited drugs.

For some substances, debate has been going on for several years - whether to include or not to include. Some end up not being turned on.

Is there liability for laboratories for errors?
The case when sample A gives a positive result, and sample B is negative, is the basis for either suspension of accreditation or complete revocation of accreditation. Such cases are a very serious omission, an extremely serious mistake. ? The laboratory can defend itself; we are not talking about automatic deprivation of accreditation. The Cologne laboratory proved that it was not her fault that the doping test was not confirmed.

Why are some substances that athletes have been quietly taking suddenly declared prohibited?
This never happens. Substances are never declared prohibited suddenly, retroactively. In fact, the list of prohibited substances is updated annually - on January 1 of each year. At the same time, no later than October, WADA publishes a new list for the next year on its website. That is, a conscientious athlete who follows updates knows at least a couple of months in advance which substances have been removed from the list and which have been added there.

And the last question. Why are asthmatics allowed into sports to gain illegal benefits?
Sports asthma EIB is called "asthma" only for simplicity. It has little to do with ordinary bronchial asthma, which affects about 5 percent of the world's population. The often promoted image of an asthmatic athlete who chokes, turns blue and chokes, and then, having legally received a life-giving dose of doping, bypasses his healthy competitors at the turn, is extremely far from reality.

Sports asthma occurs in those who engage in physical activity outdoors. It cannot be faked in order to take drugs. Moreover, according to numerous studies, treating asthma does not provide any advantages over competitors; more often, the opposite is true. The drugs simply enable sick athletes to compete on equal terms with healthy ones. However, after the end of a career, indicators often return to normal. So we recommend that you forget all these stories about Norwegian or other asthmatics who benefit thanks to miraculous inhalations.