WADA and Interpol strengthen their cooperation

A formal cooperation between WADA and Interpol was announced at the WADA Executive Committee meeting in Montreal this weekend. The French government has appointed an officer to work as a liaison between the two organisations. 

A French officer is to be situated at the Interpol headquarter in Lyon, France to ease the work between WADA, its stakeholders and Interpol bureaus throughout the world.

John Fahey, President of WADA expressed hope that this liaison will enhance the effectiveness of WADA’s work.

“Law enforcement and government agencies possess investigative powers to attack source and supply of illegal substances which sport does not have. We need to ensure that cooperation between these two groups continues to strengthen in order to advance the fight against doping,” he said in a WADA press release.

This type of cooperation will give WADA access to more information on cases like Operation Puerto. The investigation led by the Spanish government has involved 50 cyclists but no criminal convictions have been made so far. WADA has appealed the Spanish court’s decision in September not to press any charges.

“We got very strong direction from the board that we must not let go of that,” said WADA Director General, David Howman according to online newspaper The Australian.

Last week, Christina Perez, wife of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, the central figure in the Operation Puerto investigation said that she could ruin Spanish sport if she revealed her knowledge on doping.

Another subject at the meeting was athlete passports. The passports, which will enable the monitoring of an athlete’s biological parameters to detect abnormalities that could imply the use of doping, are expected to be ready for introduction next year.

“WADA is constantly looking at innovative strategies to fight against doping in sport,” Howman says in the WADA press release. “We are encouraged by the development of the Athlete Passport and we are looking forward to its implementation by anti-doping organizations on a broader scale in the coming months and years. 

Related links:

• WADA press release
• Wife suggests dooping doctor stands behind Spanish Olympic success, Play the Game