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WADA Statement on Alex Schwazer Case

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In light of questions that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continues to receive from the media and other stakeholders concerning the case of Italian race walker, Alex Schwazer, WADA wishes to share the following statement, which re-confirms its position on this matter (including its 18 February 2021 statement) and addresses some key questions of this case.

On 18 February, an investigating judge in Bolzano, Judge Walter Pelino, made a series of accusations against World Athletics, the anti-doping laboratory in Cologne, and WADA. These were not findings in a judgment rendered after a trial of those three bodies, in which they had been properly confronted with the accusations and given a full and fair opportunity to defend themselves. Instead, they were made in a pre-trial decree issued by the investigating judge in criminal proceedings relating to Alex Schwazer. Nor does WADA, World Athletics, or the Cologne laboratory have any right of appeal against these accusations.  

WADA launches ‘Speak Up!’ in Spanish and encourages confidential sources to report doping misconduct

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In another boost for athletes and others with information on doping misconduct in sport, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announces that its secure, digital whistleblower platform ‘Speak Up!’ is now available in Spanish, in addition to English and French. ‘Rompe el Silencio!’ is intended for potential Spanish-speaking informants and whistleblowers (confidential sources) to report possible Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) under the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), non-compliance violations under the Code, or any act or omission that could undermine the fight against doping in sport. ‘Rompe el silencio!’ – which includes a secure app for iPhone and Android devices – is now available on the App Store and Google Play.

IWF signs multi-year contract extension with ITA, responds to WADA I&I Report

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The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) today confirmed an extension of its partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) until the end of 2024 and provided an initial response to the report published by the Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) department of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

WADA Scientific Research: Driving anti-doping forward

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The importance of science to the protection of sport’s integrity cannot be overstated, which is why it is at the very heart of WADA’s mission for doping-free sport. To keep it there, it is vital that scientific knowledge continues to evolve and mature, which makes research the key to driving advances in anti-doping.

World Players responds to WADA’s new rules for substances of abuse: urgent action required

World Players Association

For too long the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA Code) has miscategorized substances of abuse as performance enhancing drugs. This has meant that players who have consumed these have been treated as if they were ‘drug cheats.’ However, in nearly all cases, players have consumed substances of abuse recreationally or suffer from underlying challenges with addiction.

WADA welcomes decision of French court in Diack case

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) welcomes the decision by the Correctional Tribunal in Paris, France, to convict six people, including the former President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF, today World Athletics), Lamine Diack, on charges of corruption linked to the Russian doping scandal.

WADA calls for unity to protect clean athletes

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Ahead of a meeting of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee on 14-15 September, several representatives of the Governments of the world contacted WADA to express their concerns relative to threats from the United States Government to withdraw funding from the Agency if WADA did not fulfill a number of conditions.

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