The World Anti Doping Agency has today issued a statement in relation to recent speculation that it might be poised to set an allowable threshold for the banned substance Clenbuterol.
It has stressed that no plans are in place to change the rules at this point in time, and that while the issue will be discussed at a meeting of WADA laboratory experts, that no decision would be taken until the WADA Executive Committee meeting in September.
The statement is as follows:
Following current media interest in relation to clenbuterol, WADA wishes to clarify the following:
1. Clenbuterol is a prohibited substance and there is no threshold under which this substance is not prohibited.
2. At present there is no plan to introduce a threshold level for clenbuterol.
3. It is possible that under certain circumstances the presence of a low level of clenbuterol in an athlete sample can be the result of food contamination. However, each case is different and all elements need to be taken into account.
4. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, result management of cases foresees the opportunity for an athlete to explain how a prohibited substance entered his/her body.
5. Next week, WADA laboratory experts will meet, as they do regularly, and amongst others issues will discuss the situation with regards to clenbuterol. No decision will be taken at this meeting and any recommendation will then be reviewed and discussed at the WADA Health, Medical and Research Committee in view of the preparation of the 2012 List.
6. The power to take a decision and to adopt the 2012 List is vested to the WADA Executive Committee, composed equally of the Sport Movement and Governments, that will meet in September.
WADA will refrain from making any further comment regarding clenbuterol until the review process has been completed.
The speculation of a change to the rules arose after a number of positive tests this year in China and Mexico, with five footballers from the latter country recently testing positive. Mexico’s soccer federation has blamed the results on meat eaten on a training camp ahead of the Gold Cup tournament being hosted by the United States.
It then increased further when WADA’s science director Dr Olivier Rabin said yesterday that officials might allow more flexibility in relation to Clenbuterol cases. It would mean that an automatic two year ban would not necessarily have to be imposed, depending on the circumstances.
“There are very few cases of clenbuterol so it's not impossible to handle on a case-by-case basis,” Rabin said, according to Reuters.
"We could make recommendations to the WADA executive committee to say over some level it's definitely doping, and at another level it could be further consideration in a context of previous results or future results of the athlete.”
He said that the fact that there is a risk of meat contamination in certain countries meant that the situation is more complex than previously thought.
“We have to take into account the context. We are reviewing the data and will make recommendations to the executive committee, who could make an adjustment to the rules, if needed, or they could say we want it to remain at the same level.”
Today’s press release would appear to seek to downplay suggestions of any immediate change. However it does accept that food contamination can occur in certain circumstances, and suggests a potential modification to the strict liability rules in place.
The situation is relevant to cycling due to the positive test for Clenbuterol of last year’s Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador.
He was cleared by the Spanish federation RFEC in February and while this sanction-free verdict has been appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by both WADA and the UCI, the hearing has been delayed until August.
That means that Contador will be allowed to compete in this year’s Tour, even though he could ultimately be banned and lose his results from both the 2010 and 2011 races.
He denies doping and said that food contamination is the source of the Clenbuterol that was in his system.
Even if WADA does decide modify the strict liability rules from its Code, it remains to be seen if this would pertain to the Alberto Contador situation. The positive tests this year have occurred in Asia or South America; Europe has strict rules in place and it is thought that there is a very low rate of contamination there.
The Spaniard’s hearing will take place between August 1st and 3rd.