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World Aquatics Demonstrates Comprehensive and Rigorous Testing Programme Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

#Paris2024 | The programme was designed and implemented by the independent International Testing Agency 

World Aquatics today announced the successful implementation of the most comprehensive and rigorous testing programme in its history in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

This extensive initiative underscores World Aquatics’ commitment to ensuring clean sport and fair competition for all aquatics athletes. 

The testing programme, designed and implemented by the International Testing Agency (ITA), encompasses a wide range of tests conducted both in and out-of-competition. In total, 2,145 anti-doping tests have been conducted by World Aquatics on athletes participating in the Olympic Games in Paris since 1 January 2024.  

Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organisations, aquatics athletes competing in Paris have been tested an average of 3.4 times, with 4,774 taken in total. This is the most tests ever conducted by World Aquatics before an Olympic Games. 

Testing Statistics | Anti-Doping Testing Figures for Pre-Games Testing Period of the Paris 2024, Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Olympics

NOTE: The table above shows the number of tests conducted on all aquatics athletes, including those who didn’t participate in the Olympic Games. It was not possible to retrieve the tests done only on Olympic athletes for that edition of the Games.

Swimmers from China were the most tested athletes during this period. Since 1 January 2024, the 31 swimmers from China competing in Paris have each been tested at least 10 times by World Aquatics, with an average of 13 tests per swimmer. World Aquatics conducted a total of 418 tests through this programme. All Chinese swimmers have been tested out-of-competition at least eight times by World Aquatics, independently of any other anti-doping organisation and using a WADA-accredited laboratory based in Europe.  

Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organisations, Chinese swimmers have been tested on average 21 times since 1 January 2024. Australian swimmers have been tested an average of four times in the same period, and USA swimmers an average of six times. 

Testing Statistics | Eight largest National Olympic Committee (NOC) Swimming Delegations at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

"It is our top priority that our athletes compete in a clean and fair competition," said Husain Al-Musallam, President of World Aquatics. "Our rigorous testing programme reflects our dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity in aquatic sports and we are grateful for the ITA’s partnership in conducting it.”

The ITA will continue to operate an extensive in-competition anti-doping programme during Paris 2024 on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

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The International Testing Agency (ITA), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, selected RealResponse’s versatile technology platform to augment and expand the channels it uses to collect suspicious doping information securely and anonymously through REVEAL, its anti-doping reporting tool. With ITA’s focus on delivering comprehensive anti-doping programs and its obligations to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) International Standard for Testing and Investigations, implementing RealResponse’s secure, two-way anonymous platform to obtain anti-doping intelligence helps it achieve its stated mission.

The ITA’s new Proactive Reporting Policy – outlining how potential anti-doping rule violations are reported to and processed by the ITA – reinforces for athletes and athlete support personnel that they have the ability and confidence to come forward because of anonymous and confidential anti-doping reporting methods enabled by RealResponse.

ITA’s Nicholas Raudenski, Head of Intelligence & Investigations, comments, “The ITA’s core mission is to protect athletes and encourage a safe space for proactive reporting. Providing them with the best options to report any suspicions they could have in a confidential or anonymous manner supports this mission. RealResponse’s platform has the ability to reduce reporting barriers by providing multiple communications channels, including text and WhatsApp. And, the fact that we are able to engage in two-way, anonymous dialogue with a person reporting a doping concern supports efficient investigations and our clean sport mission in general.”

Through its secure and confidential reporting channels, RealResponse technology will play a crucial role in protecting athletes who disclose doping information and will help ITA achieve the objectives laid out in its new reporting policy.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) allows experts from both international organizations to collaborate and share information on issues where anti-doping and public health intersect.

It provides a framework to further goals on health promotion, the prevention of substance abuse and emerging drugs - and for encouraging clean and fair competition.