Team Denmark and the Danish Sports Federation have asked Anti Doping Denmark to look into a possible breach of WADA rules during the period when Paulus Wildeboer was the National Team Head Coach.
Wildeboer, who died in 2014 after battling prostate cancer, was head of the Danish national program from 2008-2013, having taken over for Mark Regan, who served from 2001-2008.
Team Denmark published the news on its website, citing an investigation done on the program by the Chamber Attorney dating back to 2001. This investigation, which was initiated based on the DR (Danish Radio) documentary “Swimming stars – Under the surface”, resulted in the resignation of longtime Danish Swimming Union director Pia Holmen. This came due to the release of information that Regan began a policy where athletes were weighed publicly at the national training center.
The report from the Chamber Attorney questions Wildeboer’s use and delivery of foreign medicine to swimmers, and it was found that some of this medication could lead to a positive drug test.
“This case needs to be investigated in-depth,” said Team Denmark president Frank Jensen in a report on their website. “That is why Team Denmark, together with the Danish Sports Federation, has approached Anti Doping Denmark. They are now in the process of assessing whether there is a basis for starting a closer examination of any breach of the WADA Code. It is shocking that no action was taken when that knowledge was passed to Team Denmark.”
“He provided unknown medication to the swimmers without the involvement of the doctors,” Jensen adds. “It is unacceptable for a coach to walk around with his own medicine cabinet in a bag without the athletes knowing what they have been given.”
The investigation reports that the Danish Swimming Union has been aware that Wildeboer distributed unknown medicine to the swimmers dating back to November 1, 2010.
The full investigation done by the Attorney General is available (in Danish) here.
I hope they find out what really happened. If breach is true, this is systematic doping even if it’s not as large of a scale as E Germany and Russia.
Will IOC do a reanalysis of 2012 samples this year before statute of limitations run out this year?
Uh oh!! They are in trouble… WADA needs to make a statement after failing to with Russia, and Denmark does not have the money, peepee tapes or influence that Russia has over them….
Why does it take 12 yrs to investigate? Obviously swept under the carpet while Denmark suddenly began winning medals