Independent Observer Report

Acknowledgements

The XVI Pan American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico, 14-29 October 2011 included

a doping control program that was the largest in the history of the Games. A large

number of urine samples were collected from the more than 6,000 athletes participating

in the Games and blood samples were collected for the first time at the Pan American

Games. For many of the athletes, this was their first experience with doping control,

especially with blood sample collection, and we commend the Pan American Sports

Organization (PASO) for conducting their doping control program with the

professionalism and effectiveness demonstrated throughout the Games.

In order to fulfill its mandate, the Independent Observer (IO) Team relied on the support

and assistance of many people during the Games. First and foremost, we would like to

thank the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) for their invitation to attend this

event and to the Chair of the PASO Medical Commission (MC), Prof. Eduardo De Rose,

for the support showed to the role of the IO Team.

We would also like to thank the individual members of the PASO MC for their cooperation

and open mindedness. The interaction between the PASO MC and the IO Team was

fruitful and appreciated. We would also like to thank the Doping Control Services of Pan

American Games for their hard work during the Games, even taking in consideration the

problems that occurred at the beginning of the anti-doping program due to the lack of

experience of some personnel. Most challenges seemed to be related to the Local

Organizing Committee, but the PASO MC took the right measures to solve the more

critical issues

. The doping control staff that we met at every level was committed to

doping free sport and the message of fair play.

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the athletes who participated cleanly in the XVI Pan

American Games. The way the athletes participated in WADA’s Outreach Program during

the Games represented the best example of their involvement to achieve the goal –

Play True

. We encourage these athletes to continue to demand that their anti-doping

organizations (International Federations and National Anti-Doping Organizations)

support doping free sport without conflicts of interest.

The Independent Observer Team

XVI Pan American Games

Guadalajara, Mexico

October 2011


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