Out-of-Competition Testing part 2

The IO Team noted that in the first two days of OOCT a total of 8 doping controls were

conducted cyclists (road race) - 4 requiring EPO analysis and 4 not requiring EPO. The

IO Team requested to know what selection criteria was used for such a decision, but

never received an explanation from the PASO MC.

The ability to ensure that unannounced, no advance notice testing occurred at the

Village was at times difficult, as was the case in the previous edition of the Games. The

doping control personnel were not always permitted to enter the athlete residence and

knock on the specific athlete’s door. Therefore, they had to talk to the National Olympic

Committee (NOC) staff to determine which athletes were present. In these cases, the

athletes were often not present and therefore the tests may have turned into an

advance notice test.

One particular incident happened with the Brazilian Chef de Mission when the DCO

requested the list with the room assignments in order to test a Brazilian athlete. The

Chef de Mission denied the request due to privacy protection issues. This was

unacceptable given that he was challenging the authority to formalize such a request

and the right of anti-doping authorities to request such information. The IO Team

Member present at the notification intervened to protect the integrity of the DCO and

reinsured the Chef de Mission that the DCO was following the instructions received from

the PASO MC. A tense verbal altercation occurred between people present and the IO

Team requested that the PASO MC Chair intervene to resolve the issue. A meeting with

all parties was planned to sort out this situation but never occurred. After this incident at

least two others occurred with the same delegation, always refusing to provide the list

with the room assignments and therefore not receiving the room number to find a

particular athlete for testing.