Discussion: Doping control procedures and costs

USADA is funded by the US Congress and USOC. USADA is responsible for both in-competition and out-of-competition testing. My understanding is that there will be no cost if USOF were to ask USOC to authorize in-competition testing in reasonable amounts. USADA costs average to $650 per test.

The IOF is responsible for doping testing at IOF events (including WREs). The IOF bears the costs.
The IOF is funded by national federations.

WADA is responsible for out-of-competition testing of elite orienteers. WADA funding is really interesting. It appears to impose no taxes on the IGBs but is instead funded by the IOC and "the governments of the world" in equal proportion. The IOC, in turn, is funded by the NOCs and by private sponsors.

The US Team Administrator (sigh) is responsible for keeping WADA (through the IOF) informed of the athletes' out-of-competition whereabouts. So mind it, the Big Brother is watching.

Will we have all USA Champ medalists checked this year? :)

Doping control does not appear to be one of USOF's priorities. If you are not satisfied with the status quo, I suggest contacting your USOF Board Regional Representative with a written proposal. Written proposals also can be submitted directly to USOF Executive Director for consideration at a USOF Annual General Meeting no later than 4 months before the Meeting.

I would, however, suggest that before submitting any such proposal, the originator consult the current USOF Rules for Orienteering. Rule 35.8 says

"The use of drugs to obtain an advantage is forbidden. This does not prohibit the use of medically necessary drugs prescribed by a physician."

It would follow that if USOF were to start enforcing its own existing anti-doping Rules, members would be prohibited from taking any non-prescription medications that may aid in competition, such as, for example, caffeine and NSAIDs.

To enforce the rule you have to have a mechanism in place. However, USOF does not have a mechanism to verify the breach of the rule 35.8!

How big a problem is doping in o' in the US? Or do we have no idea? (I am totally ignorant of anyone trying to gain an advantage by using drugs, but then again perhaps I'm just naive.)

I gain an advantage by using drugs all the time. I take vitamins, mineral supplements, NSAIDs, and caffeine. I credit a proper supplementation routine to the fact that since the 2001 US Champs (crap weather), I only got a cold once, this summer. I also credit recovering quickly from the only injury I ever had, achilles tendonitis in 2002, in part to the use of NSAIDs. By virtue of being healthy more than 99% of the time, I am not hindered in my training or competition.

As far as I know, all of the stuff I take is legal according to the IOC/WADA list. I do not take prohibited substances. But I only do not do it because that would be cheating; I personally am not opposed to using chemicals for athletic performance enhancement. I am in a minority in this, but I have enough arguments to defend this point. If certain stuff is known to be harmful, it should be banned. If it is not normally harmful (anything can be harmful if misused... say water, salt, etc.), then it should be allowed. I dislike the puritannical attitude, a blanket disapproval, expressed in 35.8.

So, if USOF were to enforce 35.8 as it is written, catch me if you can.

I limit my drug intake to caffeine and alcohol. The coffee/cappucino machine at the youth hostel in Jona was awesome ... I could really use one like that at home! As for alcohol, based on the way I felt heading to the airport in Zurich, I really can't say that was performance-enhancing :-).

Seriously, I certainly don't think the USOF should spend any effort/expense dealing with drug testing. I can't imagine anyone on the US scene being doped. If some US orienteer suddenly makes it big on the international scene, the drug-testing will happen at higher levels, so why bother here.

I suppose the (or at least, an) argument in favour of testing is that offering prize money at the US Champs creates an incentive to cheat. Until the amounts become larger, I'm not about to worry. Maybe when I see another orienteer putting himself on an IV after the first day of an A meet so as to better recovered for the second day - relatively common practice in professional tennis and presumably perfectly legal by USOF and IOF rules providing none of the substances in the IV feed is prohibited. Whether setting it up at the meet site would cost less than $1000.....

Since I'm flying into Oakland for the US Champs, I'm definitely planning to drive across the bay to stock up, before heading up to Tahoe. I always like to drop some hallucinogens before I run -- it makes the contours look much more... interesting.

There's really no need to fight the Bay Bridge traffic, JJ. I'm sure that someone can hook you up right there in Oak-town, probably within a mile or two from the airport. One time in high school, I was with some friends and stopped for gas there. A guy came up to me and said "How's it going fellas? Ten dollars a rock, ten dollars a rock." I turned to my friends and said "I'm good, but how about you guys? Anyone want some crack today?" They also declined the generous offer.

Yeah, but nothing beats the ambiance of the Haight. Well worth the trip.