“For example, not all athletes participating in a senior national championship will be subject to doping testing with such a solution.” Antidoping Norway (ADNO) writes this even though it is a solution they are willing to agree to. This is revealed in a letter sent today. ADNO and the Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) want a regulation or a change in the law that allows young people between the ages of 15 and 18 to give their consent to testing. The only problem is that they are short on time. ADNO fears that they may become so-called non-compliant with WADA already at the turn of the coming year, which could result in Norwegian exclusion from organizing international championships and participation in the Olympics/Paralympics. On Monday, they sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture and the Norwegian Sports Confederation in which they assess the alternatives available to get Norwegian sports out of the anti-doping crisis if a regulation or change in the law takes too long. “An alternative could mean that Norwegian special federations and sports teams that take underage top athletes to sports activities must obtain consent for doping tests from the athletes’ guardians in advance,” says the letter from Antidoping Norway, which is signed by chairman Thorhild Widvey and general manager Anders Solheim. – Not sufficient for effective anti-doping work Nevertheless, they admit that such an alternative has major limitations. “We believe the alternative will ensure that the Norwegian anti-doping work meets WADA’s minimum requirements, but we point out that this solution is not sufficient for effective anti-doping work”, For example, not all athletes participating in a senior national championship will be covered by doping testing with such a solution. With such a solution, unless you are defined as a top athlete, you will still have the opportunity to compete without having to agree to be tested for doping. – A sleeping pad news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt has read the letter from Antidoping Norway. He is surprised that Antidoping Norway can agree to temporary solutions to satisfy the requirements from WADA, despite the fact that they themselves describe the shortcomings of these solutions. Sports commentator at news, Jan Petter Saltvedt. Photo: ALEM ZEBIZ – Anders Solheim and ADNO are obviously quite desperate to send positive signals to WADA before they meet in October. The work over three years to get the Norwegian rules changed has obviously not come close to getting the necessary traction, neither from NIF nor the government, says Saltvedt. – Now they have ended up in an acute time crunch and are willing to compromise with their own principles in order to save Norway’s international status temporarily, pending an adequate set of regulations. No one must believe that Solheim thinks this is in any way a good proposal. It is only the least bad right now, adds Saltvedt. – Does not meet expectations news has submitted to Antidoping Norway head Anders Solheim the criticism from Saltvedt. In an e-mail on Monday evening, he replies: – The news commentator is right that there are alternatives in this letter which ADNO believes do not satisfy the expectations of a health-promoting sport and equal conditions of competition. However, we want to take responsibility for finding alternatives that can ensure that we meet WADA’s regulations in the short term. ADNO cannot, in the short or long term, solve this on its own, and is therefore looking forward to a meeting with the ministry and the sports association later this week. In any case, Saltvedt does not have much left over for the solutions outlined in the letter from Antidoping Norway. – It provides a degree of apparent security in the anti-doping issue which is only suitable to further undermine the credibility of the young athletes and also does not ensure the fulfillment of our international obligations other than at best in the very short term. All athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 who are not defined as top athletes will be able to dope untested until they turn 18 and bring all the benefits from this illegal activity into the context of competition further on, he says. In the letter sent on Monday, Antidoping Norway emphasizes that it is essential that a solution is worked out where all 15-18-year-olds can themselves consent to doping testing without the consent of their guardians. – Alongside specific legal authority for such testing, this is so far the only solution that we believe will ensure a health-promoting sports culture and equal competition conditions for everyone, while also safeguarding WADA’s regulations, writes Antidoping Norway in the letter. The Norwegian anti-doping crisis In March 2018, a law firm at the request of Anti-Doping Norway assessed whether it was legal to test minors without parental consent. The conclusion was no. Antidoping Norway and the Norwegian Sports Confederation contacted the Norwegian authorities to get their assessment of the section in question. In October 2019, the Ministry of Culture issued its statement. They agreed with the law firm that there is no legal basis in Norwegian law for doping testing minors without consent. The conclusion has led to the fact that no underage athletes have been tested for several years. Anders Solheim, head of Anti-Doping Norway, believes the situation is unsustainable: – We do not want a sport where you can dope until you are 18 – without taking a test. It provides an opportunity to cheat and gain an unfair advantage, he says. Anti-doping Norway and the Norwegian Sports Confederation want a regulation or a change in the law that allows young people between the ages of 15 and 18 to give their consent to testing. news first wrote about the problem in April 2021, but the problem was still not solved. In August 2022, news revealed that the lack of testing is a breach of WADA’s rules, and that it could have major consequences for Norwegian sport in a relatively short time. Authorities have said they believe consent-based testing is valid, as WADA accepts solutions where nations obtain long-term consent from guardians. This is a solution Anti-doping Norway and NIF are fighting against: – If it is voluntary with consent, you can dope as much as you want. If there is forced consent, where you must have a parent’s consent to participate, you will risk not getting that consent. You also run the risk that those who need to be in the sport will not get this consent, explains Solheim. In the meantime, Norway is left without the opportunity to test minors in the third year, which means that talents can enter the top sport without having been tested for a long time. The Ministry of Culture writes in an e-mail to news that they are considering such a solution, but that it may take time. – It is a work in progress. If it is concluded that it is necessary to establish a new legal basis, it will take some time. Precisely to ensure that the Norwegian anti-doping work meets the WADA regulations, we assume that the Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) and Anti-Doping Norway (ADNO) find a quick solution in parallel with this work to ensure that doping controls are carried out for underage top athletes, the Ministry of Culture states. – Need every day On Thursday, Antidoping Norway, the Norwegian Sports Confederation and the Ministry of Culture will sit down together and discuss the situation. Ice hockey president Tage Pettersen has clear expectations for what will come out of that meeting. – What needs to come is a progress plan for how the process will be run to solve this, says Pettersen. – We really need every day we have until the turn of the year to get this in place, he adds. news commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt is excited about what will come out of the meeting between the parties on Thursday. – They should come up with a concrete plan for how to arrive at a solution as quickly as possible that fulfills Norway’s international obligations as a sporting nation as soon as possible and at the same time safeguards the rights of the young athletes in a responsible manner. It should be a sound process, but the path of compromises is only suitable to further slow down a process that has already stalled, he believes. Antidoping Norway writes in the letter that they look forward to discussing the advantages and disadvantages associated with the temporary alternatives.
ttn-69
Accepts “inadequate” solution to the anti-doping crisis – labeled as desperate – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
