Why can’t they change their plans? Seriously - isn’t it their job to watch people urinate? Why couldn’t they stay an extra day or two?
I might be concerned that whatever it is that they’re using will have cleared the urine by the second day. That could prove a problem.
Because not all of them do this full time. My ex was quite heavily involved in this world and on a few occasions did fly or drive to collect a sample domestically. We would make arrangements for child care based on her being gone 1 night. Adjusting that likely would not have been a huge deal. Others worked other jobs (several DCOs were/are nurses for example) and would have to make work arrangements that might be tougher to reschedule or someone else would have to come the next day and what if the athlete is leaving for a competition the next day then you are chasing them and that might not always be so easy to do.
I think that it should be an option though or even just test later in the day. Even with this system the athlete is skipping a test and 24 hours can make a huge difference in the metabolism of some drugs. There should still be a tracking of it otherwise the athletes knowing this will abuse the system (and drive up the cost). They can just not update whereabouts and then the doping control folks are going to places where there is little chance.
A person gets 3 of these in 18 months (IIRC) so one is not going to be a problem. More than that and something is going on.
I like this idea but at the same time there has to be some kind of limit to it. Otherwise people can decline the first test, then they KNOW the next day they will be tested, so then the test they take is with foreknowledge... which may lead to people being able to evade detection. Someone shouldn't be able to always pass test on 2nd or 3rd try etc.
You don't understand how the drug testing system works.
If someone missed the first test on purpose 3 times in 1 year, then they would be suspended. So your concern about athletes having "foreknowledge" is irrelevant. Athletes can't just keep on skipping the first test, because they would be suspended even if they didn't test positive.
I like this idea but at the same time there has to be some kind of limit to it. Otherwise people can decline the first test, then they KNOW the next day they will be tested, so then the test they take is with foreknowledge... which may lead to people being able to evade detection. Someone shouldn't be able to always pass test on 2nd or 3rd try etc. Maybe they will build something into the guidelines to prevent this. It's better than the current system though.
Agreed. Dick’s solution is a dumb one. If there was no punishment for missing a test unless you don’t make it the next day or day after that, everyone who dopes would miss the first test 100% of the time and wait 2 days to give themselves more time to get it flushed out of their system. What a bad idea. Why are we trying to make it easier for people to cheat?
You have no idea what you are talking about. Missing a test is still 1 strike towards a whereabouts violation, they just come back the next day and test again still
I think a big part of the problem is there are now very sophisticated devices that enable you to dispense someone else's pee as if it was your own.
You have no idea what you're talking about. The way drug testing is done on professional track and field athletes doesn't allow for "sophisticated devices" to be used to "dispense someone else's pee."
I think the initial whereabouts violation should be taken much more seriously. Yes, it could be an honest mistake, but it should trigger a serious investigation.
For example: to distinguish between the innocent mistake and evasion, the first violation should trigger immediate referral to a private investigator who makes every effort to locate the athlete immediately. If they are not located, the PI should investigate the excuse and retain the case for future testing to make it harder for future evasion to be successful. Athletes who have a single whereabouts violation should be compelled to submit to GPS location tracking for some period of time.
There's plenty more that could be done being the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
There's plenty more that could be done BEYOND the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
There's plenty more that could be done BEYOND the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
Indeed. Not coming out of the airport, claiming one didn't hear the doorbell or one went shopping by mistake should be treated as test evasion, not as an inadvertently missed test.
I think the initial whereabouts violation should be taken much more seriously. Yes, it could be an honest mistake, but it should trigger a serious investigation.
For example: to distinguish between the innocent mistake and evasion, the first violation should trigger immediate referral to a private investigator who makes every effort to locate the athlete immediately. If they are not located, the PI should investigate the excuse and retain the case for future testing to make it harder for future evasion to be successful. Athletes who have a single whereabouts violation should be compelled to submit to GPS location tracking for some period of time.
There's plenty more that could be done being the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
There's plenty more that could be done BEYOND the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
Indeed. Not coming out of the airport, claiming one didn't hear the doorbell or one went shopping by mistake should be treated as test evasion, not as an inadvertently missed test.
I disagree. Sometimes things do fall between the cracks and errors occur.
A missed test should lead to testing on the next day, with the addition of blood and hair samples being collected and enhanced laboratory testing. The additional cost should be billed to the athlete, with non-payment within a month considered a further violation.
A missed test should lead to testing on the next day, with the addition of blood and hair samples being collected and enhanced laboratory testing. The additional cost should be billed to the athlete, with non-payment within a month considered a further violation.
The bolded is an awful idea. Many athletes are near the poverty line. It makes being poor an anti-doping violation.
The rest of this discussion makes a lot of sense—and the logistical hurdles can be cleared with appropriate resources.
"If, on Day 1, it is suspected that such conduct is deliberate, the official should be able to obtain permission to test on Day 2 and if that test is missed, to test on Day 3.
Any reasonable person would have thought of that obvious option immediately.
A missed test should lead to testing on the next day, with the addition of blood and hair samples being collected and enhanced laboratory testing. The additional cost should be billed to the athlete, with non-payment within a month considered a further violation.
The bolded is an awful idea.
I completely agree, and also the invasive blood testing being used as a punishment should be dropped.
NOPe. If they miss a test, like doorbell mo hiding in his closet, then a lifetime ban is immediately put in place, no appeals. Do not wait until another day to test. I am sure that nike has the time to clear calculated down to the minute. No more of this nonsense that has allowed doping cheaters to evade.
I think the initial whereabouts violation should be taken much more seriously. Yes, it could be an honest mistake, but it should trigger a serious investigation.
For example: to distinguish between the innocent mistake and evasion, the first violation should trigger immediate referral to a private investigator who makes every effort to locate the athlete immediately. If they are not located, the PI should investigate the excuse and retain the case for future testing to make it harder for future evasion to be successful. Athletes who have a single whereabouts violation should be compelled to submit to GPS location tracking for some period of time.
There's plenty more that could be done being the status quo of taking the athletes'excuses at face value and allowing roughly three evasions every year with no ramifications.
Sure, hire a PI. Couple issues with that though. Number one is cost - PI's are expensive and the AIU is already operating on a shoestring budget. They have $8.8mil a year. That's got to pay for their testing and all the legal fees of getting lawyers to prosecute cases. Shelby Houlihan says she racked up 300k legal fees fighting her case. If the AIU spent the same on the case in lawyers, testing, expert witnesses, that's nearly 5% of their 2021 budget to ban one athlete. Hiring a PI for every single strike would possibly double the annual budget.
That relates to problem two - the number of strikes that would need to be investigated and how so many would be banal and a waste of money I'd rather see used for more testing. I know two athletes who have talked about whereabouts strikes they got.
One of them had got two strikes over a 6 year period. Strike one they just straight up forgot to update once - they didn't miss a test, but the AIU found out only because the athlete actually raced and got tested at that race so the AIU noticed the whereabouts was for a different location far from the meet. They asked the athlete what the deal was and they admitted they forgot to update and so got a strike. Their second strike was a few years later - they were partying in their offseason, had a one night stand staying at someone else's place and forgot to update. Drug testing came to their house at 7am next morning and they weren't there. Strike. Hiring a PI to investigate either of those strikes would be thousands of dollars flushed down the toilet.
The other athlete came home from training camp early to surprise their wife for her birthday. They correctly updated their whereabouts and put their slot in the evening since they were flying the morning. Drug testing show up, wife answers not knowing her husband is hidden by friends in the back yard. Father-in-law is by the door too and knows athlete is there but doesn't say anything because he doesn't know how whereabouts or strikes work and he didn't want to ruin the surprise. The wife tells the drug testers that her husband is on another continent and not home and testers leave. Only strike of that athlete's 10 year career. Imagine paying a PI to investigate that athlete instead of using dollars to catch bigger fish.
NOPe. If they miss a test, like doorbell mo hiding in his closet, then a lifetime ban is immediately put in place, no appeals. Do not wait until another day to test. I am sure that nike has the time to clear calculated down to the minute. No more of this nonsense that has allowed doping cheaters to evade.
No excuses. Miss a test for any reason and you are out for life.
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