The World Anti-Doping Agency has released an extensive 300-plus page report on its findings from 2016.
Overall, there were several notable facts:
- A 0.9 percent decrease in the overall number of samples analyzed: 303,369 in 2015 to 300,565 in 2016.
- A significant increase in the number of Adverse Analytical Findings (the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers, including elevated quantities of endogenous substances, or evidence of the use of a prohibited method in a doping control sample. Does not necessary connote a doping violation): 1.26 percent in 2015 (3,809 AAFs from 303,369 samples) to 1.60 percent in 2016 (4,822 AAFs from 300,565 samples).
- 13 percent increase in the number of Athlete Biological Passport (an alternative detection method) samples analyzed: 25,012 in 2015 to 28,173 in 2016.
Click here to view the entire report.
For aquatic sports in particular, 1 percent of samples returned an AAF, which again, do not definitively indicate a doping violation. AAFs do not account for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), for example.
The following show the 2016 findings from the most common forms of testing both in competition (IC) and out of competition (OOC), urine and blood sampling, in swimming at large, IPC swimming, and college swimming:
Also of note: out of all sports with national federations, swimming took the third most samples (cycling took the most).
The report also details findings for alternative methods of testing.
Definitely should watch the documentary Icarus.
It started off as one thing – that I was super interested in! – and turned into something else that was just as interesting but way more depressing. (People got killed over this stuff!)
Was that Russia month?