Olympic boss gets tough on doping
BAN: DRUG CHEATS WILL FACE FOUR-YEARS OUT OF ALL COMPETITION
Leaning his arm comfortably over the back of a chair in a Sandton hotel room, Thomas Bach does not display the stern exterior one might expect of one of the world’s most powerful sports administrators.
When he starts talking, however, his presence seems to dominate the room and his beaming smile vanishes as the conversation turns to doping.
Bach, the head of the German Olympic committee for seven years before he was elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) president in September, is a former fencer and approaches his administrative role by prioritising the needs of athletes.
The first IOC president to boast an Olympic medal – he won gold in team fencing at the 1976 Games in Montreal – Bach’s attitude towards doping indicates how firm he is with regards to fair play.
The 59-year-old German, also a former fencing world champion, fully supports the new world antidoping code, approved yesterday at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg, which will extend the ban to four years for serious drug cheats.
If he had his way, he would push for even sterner punishments. Though longer bans could infringe on the rights of athletes who make a living from professional sport, he believes the severity of the sanctions are moving in the right direction.
“From my time as an athlete I have made requests for a lifelong ban for a fi rst offence,” Bach told the Saturday
Citizen on the sidelines of this week’s conference – his first visit to Africa since being elected.
“But I have been told very clearly that, for legal reasons, this is not possible – and if you follow the discussions at this conference you also see there are even some concerns about the four-year ban.
“This is why, in the run-up to this conference, we involved human rights experts to make sure this four-year ban is legally feasible. We were told it is.
“But going further for a first infringement could lead to very serious problems in human rights courts.”
Bach, born in Wurzburg, Germany, speaks four languages – and after listening intently to the views of people from around the world, he is optimistic about overcoming the scourge of doping in sport.
The IOC partly funds the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and has representatives on its board. Bach is delighted that athletes are becoming actively involved in the battle against drug abuse. “What makes me really happy and confident in the fight against doping is the athletes.
From my time as an athlete I have made requests for a lifelong ban for a first offence Thomas Bach
“They have really raised their voice here (at the conference) and are taking part with a very clear message, supporting this fight.”
Bach hopes the new amendments to the Wada code, which come into effect in January 2015, will contribute significantly in their attempts to eradicate cheating.
“With this code and many of the contributions we have seen here, I am sure we will have more sophisticated testing programmes.
“In the future it will be targeted even more according to the profi les of each and every athlete.
“And with the four-year ban, rather than two years, you will have an additional deterrent factor.”
As the first African country to host the Wada conference, Bach believes South Africa is playing its part in the battle against doping. “I think they’re doing a good job,” he says.
“Obviously the national antidoping organisation (SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport) is working very well – and the commitment from Sascoc and the government is clear. This is what we like to see.”