This is revealed in a number of letters and e-mails that news has gained access to. With this documentation, news can determine that the Norwegian Sports Confederation (NIF) knew about the doping crisis as early as May 2019. In a letter from NIF and Antidoping Norway to the Ministry of Culture, the senders asked for clarification regarding doping testing of people under 18, without parental consent. In other words, the same problem that can lead to serious consequences for Norwegian sport. The letter was signed by the then general secretary of the Norwegian Sports Confederation, Karen Kvalevåg, and general manager of Antidoping Norway (ADNO), Anders Solheim – and was already sent on 28 May 2019. On Tuesday, it emerged that sports president Berit Kjøll had not informed either the special confederations or the sports board about the anti-doping crisis before news first mentioned the case last week. Nevertheless, sports president Berit Kjøll stated that she had informed the sports board as soon as possible. – The premise of the question must be based on a misunderstanding. The consent issue has been going on for many years, and we have continuously been constructive in the dialogue with Antidoping Norway to find solutions within the framework of Norwegian legislation, Kjøll answers news’s question about why the special confederations and the sports board were not already informed in May 2019. The sports president admits that they only became aware of the consequences of the case in June 2022 – three years after they first became aware of the problem. – Antidoping Norway’s assessment of their compliance, and possible consequences, they made us aware of during the preparation of our joint letter with Antidoping Norway, to the Ministry of Culture, sent in June 2022, Kjøll states in an email. Antidoping Norway fears that they may become so-called non-compliant already at the turn of the coming year. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB Disputed interpretation of the law In the letter to the Ministry of Culture just over three years ago, it was stated, among other things, that the Swedish Sports Confederation and ADNO “refer to previous dialogue on access to doping tests of minors”. news has not been able to find this earlier dialogue, but the letter proves that the Swedish Sports Confederation knew about the anti-doping crisis at the latest in May 2019. However, news has gained access to a memo sent from Advokatfirmaet Hjort to Antidoping Norway in March 2018. The anti-doping body asked the lawyers for help with questions on testing of minor members of NIF. The main question was whether people between the ages of 15 and 18 can consent to doping controls without parental involvement. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Advokatfirmaet highlighted Section 32 of the Children’s Act as the most relevant to the issue, but stated that there is no room for exceptions in the regulations. They concluded: “This means that, in our view, parental consent is necessary for doping control of children and young people under the age of 18.” At the same time, the law firm believed that it was not necessary to obtain parental consent before each individual doping control. – A prior consent from the parents stating that they consent to their child being tested by ADNO will, in our opinion, be sufficient. In this case, this will not create challenges with regard to WADA’s requirements for unannounced controls, writes the law firm. – Not an acceptable solution But NIF and Antidoping Norway do not think this solution is sufficient. This has led to no one under legal age being tested unannounced in the last two years, and there has been limited unannounced testing of minors since March 2018. Anti-doping Norway is thus not fulfilling its obligations according to the international anti-doping code. That is why NIF and ADNO wrote in a letter to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Children and Families on 14 June this year. – A general prior consent from guardians of underage athletes is not an acceptable solution for effective anti-doping work, writes sports president Berit Kjøll and chairman of ADNO, Thorhild Widvey. Photo: Ole Gunnar Onsøien / NTB Kjøll and Widvey refer to situations where it is unclear who has parental responsibility, or where guardians oppose testing despite the minor consenting. – Then you are essentially asked to choose a solution that I would describe as plague or cholera. If it’s voluntary with consent, you can dope yourself as much as you want. If there is forced consent, where you must have the consent of your guardian to participate, you will risk not getting that consent, countered ADNO’s general manager, Anders Solheim. – You also risk that those who need to be in the sport will not get this consent. This can be solved quite simply: that you have a legal authority to test those over 15, he follows up with news. Considering the change in the law The Minister of Culture is of a different opinion. – There is nothing that prevents those under the age of 18 from participating in top sporting events and being subject to the doping regime today. It’s just that the sports association has to obtain consent from the parents and that is clearly stated in Wada’s regulations, says Trettebergstuen to news. Nevertheless, the minister wants to make the regulations simpler by giving people between the ages of 15 and 18 the right to their own consent in connection with doping controls. Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB – We have to see if it is possible to make changes within the current regulations, or we will consider a change in the law so that top athletes who are under 18 themselves get the right to consent, she says. – How long can it take to get such a change in the law? – Now we are looking at whether it is possible within the current regulations, and then it is easy to do something about it. If not, you have to have an ordinary legal process with hearings and that type of thing and then it takes a little longer, explains Trettebergstuen. The sports president writes that she understands that the authorities need time to find a good solution. – We hope that a good legal basis can be established as soon as possible so that Antidoping Norway can test minors without having to obtain consent from guardians, as is the case today, writes Kjøll in conclusion.
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The Swedish Sports Confederation has known about the anti-doping crisis for three years – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
