Doping control officers participate in Winter Olympics

THE GLOBAL Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), in collaboration with the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG), managed the doping control and results management during the Winter Olympic Games. This was done on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to ensure an independent overview of the anti-doping programme.

In total, 3,149 anti-doping tests were conducted during PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, making it the most robust anti-doping programme in history. Of these tests, 1,393 were in competition, and 1,756 were out of competition.

The PyeonChang 2018 Winter Olympics saw 95 countries participating , with over 65,000 athletes and support personnel participating in seven different sports and 17 events overall.

THE OVERALL DOPING CONTROL PLAN

Doping Control for the Winter Olympic Games consisted of: n Twenty-one venues n Two Doping Control Command Centers – (Main one in PyeongChang mountain cluster; sub in GangNeung – coastal cluster) n Twelve Doping Control Stations at Competition venues n Two Doping Control Stations at non-competition venues

n Two Wada Outreach Booths (PyeongChang, GangNeung)

n One Laboratory in Seoul

There were 71 Doping Control Officers (DCOs), of which 47 were International Doping Control Officers with the remaining number from the Korean Anti-Doping Agency. Included in the group were blood collection officers and over 700 volunteers which included:n Interpreters n Chaperones n Drivers n Transport security

THE JAMAICAN DOPING CONTROL OFFICER EXPERIENCE

Two doping control officers were selected by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission to participate in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG). Their applications were submitted to the PyeongChang Organising Committee. After a rigorous application process, the two officers namely, Maxine Gayle Savage and Angela Rose Lee were selected to participate in the XXIII staging of the winter Olympics as part of the International Doping Control Offer (IDCO) team.

Jamaica’s representatives were among two of the five Doping Control officers representing the Americas, (one USA, two Canada and two Jamaica). They were described as the “belles” of the ball.

Prior to the departure of the selected Doping Control Officers for the Winter Olympic Games, they participated in two webinar training sessions (October and December 2017) organised by PyeongChang Organising Committee for the International Doping Control Offer Teams.

JAMAICAN DOPING CONTROL OFFICERS AT THE INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT , SOUTH KOREA.

• Learning Experience

One of our Doping Control Officers was placed in charge of processing sample collection (blood and urine). As a result of their work and expertise, the Doping Control Station Managers were quite impressed by the effective and efficient way in which they conducted themselves.

The experience in PyeongChang revealed that the Doping Control Processes and standards observed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission were in accordance with international standards. The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission was very proud of this achievement.

The two Doping Control Officers on their return to Jamaica were requested to make presentations to the other members of the team. The experience and knowledge gained were passed on to the other team members and are now being used in the Train the Trainer Programme.