Been there Done that wrote:
The testers at meets ate NCAA, USATF, IAAF people. They use high school kids, medicial students, athletic dept employees, volunteers to administer the tests and handle the samples. The NCAA, USATF, IAAF can deptutize any anonymous person or volunteer to chapparone athletes, take, handle and transport samples. The chain of custody is not secure. Any of these people might slip in or allow others to slip in phony samples. This is a clear conflict of interest ripe with corruption and fraud. That's how others we compete against get away have gotten away with doping.
I cannot comment on the NCAA, but IAAF/USATF use USADA.
A drug control officer (DCO) is assigned to an event (maybe more than one depending on the event size, athletes, etc). In addition, chaperones are chosen who are often locals. They are not supposed to have any vested interest in the event. For instance, the parents of a participant or an employee of the federation. So, if you work for USATF or hold an official position, you are not supposed to be involved. (Not saying it does not happen, but USADA is pretty strict. I have seen chaperones turned away for what I thought were borderline reasons).
The chaperone's job is to keep an eye on the athlete and note activities (like eating or drinking) between notification and arriving at the drug control room where the sample is provided. Now that the time frame issues have been tightened, there is far less time to report (60 minutes whereas in the past it was more liberal).
Once the athlete arrives in the doping control station, the athlete fills out some paperwork and selects the vials into which the urine will be deposited. The DCO does not handle the vial until the athlete has sealed it.
How do I know this?
1) My wife once worked for USADA in doping control and was later a DCO.
2) I have been involved as a "witness" for testing. When an athlete is chosen for testing, the athlete has the option to have someone accompany the athlete. I was involved in some junior events where athletes were subject to doping control and accompanied an athlete to make sure everything went properly.
3) I attend annual USADA procedures update as one small part of my job.
If you think something is amiss, please contact USADA so that it can straighten out the matter.
You can see a video on the USADA website discussing the protocol.