THE ATHLETE S COMMITMENT by DR. PAL SCHMITT IOC Member / EP Member. Allow me to say a few words about the responsibility of the athletes now:

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HEARING ON DOPING 29/11/2004 THE ATHLETE S COMMITMENT by DR. PAL SCHMITT IOC Member / EP Member A few weeks ago we celebrated because Sport had been incorporated into a European Union treaty for the first time, into the new Constitution for Europe, and now I am sad that we have to talk about its dark side. I think that it is more important to highlight the essential role that sport plays in the healthy lifestyle or in the education of the youth. Allow me to say a few words about the responsibility of the athletes now: I have always had a clear position of rejecting the use of doping in sport both as a former athlete and as a sport leader. Doping is one of the worst evils in the practice of sport nowadays. As the social importance of sport grows, along with its increasing consumption as a form of mass media entertainment, so too, it seems, doping is on the increase. I believe that two essential requirements should be observed in sports competition: Competition must be honest and fair. The athletes' health must not be endangered. When athletes use forbidden substances they are cheating so as to achieve a competitive advantage, which is false. Moreover, the negative effects of many of these substances for the athlete's health, both psychological and physical, have been proved. I also believe that there are some characteristics that make it, if not impossible, at least very difficult to eradicate doping from sport: The increase in the number of competitions to an extent, which is beyond the endurance capacity of the human organism. The emphasis has continuously been on breaking the records. Not enough random, unannounced out-of-competition controls. No negative consequences for those who encourage or supply the athlete with doping substances. The general opinion, both in the world of sport and among the public, that doping does not have negative consequences, or at least they are minimal as compared to the benefits derived from it. The Athlete s Commitment 1/7

2 The following are needed to accomplish: A general commitment from all countries and athletes along with the mass media to favour values such as competition and individual improvement rather than records at any price. More random and unannounced out-of-competition doping tests and these tests should be made obligatory for all athletes. Exemplary sanctions for those who encourage or provide athletes with doping substances should be sentenced. Information campaigns on the negative consequences of doping are necessary. Similarly, funding must be provided for parallel research to uncover currently hidden information. Moreover, sanctions arising from every detected case, must be sufficiently tough to do away with the consistent belief that "doping pays." Wide information must be provided on the ethical and health aspects of doping at all levels, both to the world of sport and to the general public. This information must be especially clear and available to young people undergoing sports training. From the very beginning of sports training, there must be clear education in ethical concepts with regard to doping. There must be help to all countries in the area of improved training and resources so as to balance the spread of training expertise and knowledge and thus mitigate this need for... The United States Anti-Doping Agency makes it compulsory for every potential Olympian to sign the following declaration below. It is as follows: ATHLETE S PLEDGE for Clean Sport & Fair Competition 1 Preamble This Pledge for Clean Sport & Fair Competition expresses my hopes, is a commitment of my values, and is my declaration to support doping-free sport. This pledge affirms my commitment for: Respecting Competition and the True Spirit of Sport This Athlete s Pledge for Clean Sport & Fair Competition expands the current Athlete s Olympic Oath used at the Olympic Games as follows: In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams. Olympic Charter Ch.5 Section 1.12 I will specifically honor this Athletes Pledge and promise to: (athlete s name) 1 U.S. Anti-Doping Agency The Athlete s Commitment 2/7

3 Respect my sport I honor the letter and the spirit of the rules of my sport. I value well-played games and competitions. I strive for excellence, within the rules of my sport. Respect competition I value fair competition where each competitor competes within the rules of the game. I value competition where each competitor plays at his or her best. I strive to win fairly. Respect my opponents I recognize that each competitor is striving to do his or her best within the rules. I honor my opponent as co-competitor as we strive for excellent sport. Respect myself My integrity is found in competing fairly. Having good health is important to me. I compete drug-free. I believe that the only Good Sport is Fair Sport, Sport that is Clean, and I Agree: To respect the ideals of fair play and the Olympic Movement. With the values of doping-free sport. To abide by any and all anti-doping rules that relate to me and to my sport. To be a role model for other athletes, and people younger than me. Outside of competition, I am willing to take a stand, and to show my commitment for doping-free sport by: Talking with other athletes, coaches, and my family about doping-free sport. Thinking about fairness, and ethical issues with all choices I make. To mentor other athletes, who may follow in my footsteps. Athletes themselves need to take a more active role in keeping their sports "clean." The Athlete Passport introduced by WADA at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City was a good initiative. The passport confirms each athlete's commitment to doping-free sport, to make his or her whereabouts known at all times, to submit to out-of-competition tests and to make a record of test results available for examination at any time. 2 Richard W. Pound, Chairman of the World Anti-doping Agency says in the world Olympians Association Booklet titled What an Olympian Should Know that 2 PUBLIC WANTS DRUG-FREE OLYMPIC SPORT by Richard W. Pound WADA Chairman The Athlete s Commitment 3/7

4 Olympians Should Be Heroes Not Just Winners. Mr. Pound declares that there is no constituency in the world that should be more concerned with doping in sport than Olympians themselves. Doping is antithetical to everything for which we should stand. It cheapens everything we have done and cheats athletes who have trained and competed fairly. It de-humanizes an experience that should be glorious. It forces what should be a personal triumph to become clandestine, to be hidden from view, lest the personal rot (not to mention the danger to health) become exposed to public view and the athlete become the subject of disgrace. Until recently, the fight against doping was at best uneven. Different rules applied in different sports and in different countries. Tolerance was all too easy and many sport organizations were unwilling or unable to enforce the rules. Athletes had no confidence that the sports authorities could protect them against cheaters and took their own lowest common denominator approach that said, in effect, if someone else is cheating and no one will do anything about it, then the only thing I can do to level the playing field is to do the same thing. Even more frightening was the fact that governments instituted doping programmes of their own in some tragically misguided pursuit of national sports glory. Athletes became mere pawns in a campaign that was well beyond their ability to control. The First World Conference The IOC had led the fight against doping in sport from the 1960s, but, having only one event every four years, it had little leverage to apply to the daily practice of sport during the intervening period. International sports federations (IFs) asserted their autonomy and for their own reasons, did not want to be seen to accede to requests from the IOC in matters of doping. Nor, for the most part, were they able to enforce even their own rules. They did not have the financial or personnel resources to implement sufficient controls in all the places where their sports were practised. In 1998, during the Tour de France, French authorities arrested several athletes and members of cycling teams for possession of banned drugs. The spectacle of athletes in the custody of police for doping violations and the prospect that sport might be in danger of becoming subject to criminal proceedings, galvanized the Olympic Movement into action. After all, if this could happen to one of the most popular sports in Europe, it might well happen to others as well. Steps were taken by the IOC to convert the IOC Medical Code into the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code and a World Conference on Doping in Sport was organized to be held in Lausanne in February, At that Conference, it was agreed that an independent anti-doping agency should be created, with a governance structure that would have the Olympic Movement control 50% of the voting power and the governments of the world holding the remaining 50%. The Athlete s Commitment 4/7

5 Participants at the Conference recognized that neither the Olympic Movement nor governments, when acting alone, could solve all of the problems of doping in sport, but that, when acting together, all aspects of the phenomenon could be addressed in a comprehensive and harmonized manner. IOC President Jacques Rogge pictured supporting WADA s campaign the independent agency, to be designated as the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA), was established in November, 1999 as a private foundation under Swiss law and was recognized as an international organization shortly thereafter by the Swiss government. A Foundation Board was established and activities commenced in early Athletes are equal partners in the Olympic Movement portion of the organization, along with the IOC, the IFs and the NOCs. The initial objectives were to begin a programme of unannounced out-of-competition (OOC) tests and to provide the services of an Independent Observer (IO) team at the Sydney Olympic Games later that year. In order to obtain the authority to conduct tests, it was necessary to negotiate separate agreements with each of the IFs, in order to permit WADA to act on their behalf. Many of the IFs had to amend their rules to permit OOC testing! Despite the delays occasioned by the need to obtain the consent of the IFs, WADA conducted some 2,000 tests prior to the Games. The IO mission was very successful and, for the first time in several years, there were no rumours that there were any irregularities in the testing procedures and follow-up during the Games. Testing and IO missions have been continued. In addition, WADA has funded scientific research designed to lead to better tests for drugs that are suspected of being in use for performance-enhancing purposes. Efforts were commenced to establish uniform standards of testing, laboratory analysis, sanctions and procedures, checks, sanctions and education. The solution to doping in sport cannot come solely from testing and sanctions, but will require education at all levels within sport. Such education, that will reinforce the ethical values inherent in sport, as well as the physical and moral dangers that result from cheating, must be directed not only toward athletes, but also to coaches, trainers, doctors and scientists, as well as to the public-at-large. WADA s Ethics and Education Committee is designing programmes designed to foster a drug-free environment for sport. WADA has commenced an e-learning programme with the valuable assistance of the European Community. Olympic athletes proposed an initiative that we have designated as the Athlete Passport. They wanted to show that real Olympians believe in drug-free sport, and therefore conceived the idea of a voluntary programme that would show they believed in what they said and, more, importantly, that they were willing to demonstrate their commitment by offering to be tested, anywhere, at any time, and by being willing to show the results of their tests in the form of a passport in which those results would be demonstrable. The programme was launched at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, The Athlete s Commitment 5/7

6 when more than 500 Olympic winter athletes voluntarily signed up for the programme. At the Commonwealth Games, later that same year, more than 1,200 summer sport athletes joined. The current priority for WADA is the adoption of a World Anti- Doping Code that can be used within the Olympic Movement and by the public authorities. By reducing the confusion that results from the proliferation of different rules and standards and by demonstrating that the fight against doping in sport is a mutual and international effort, great progress can be made. The objective of all stakeholders is to have the Code in operation for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Given the complexities of international agreements, this is an ambitious timetable, but the importance of accelerating efforts to have drug-free sport has led all constituents within WADA to press for such early adoption. A World Conference, like that called for by the IOC in 1999, was held in Copenhagen in early March 2003, to obtain consensus on the new Code, leaving the balance of the year for stakeholders to adopt it within their organizations. If the effort is successful, by the beginning of 2004, a single, uniform Code will contain all of the basic rules that will apply to all participants and will be applied by the public authorities. Athletes will have a critical role in this undertaking and will be able to help persuade all concerned of the value of such a Code. Athletes all over the world will understand the need for there to be equality of standards and equality of treatment. Athletes can be the most effective communicators of ethical sport and the need for sport to be drug-free. The rules should be interpreted to protect the vast majority of athletes who compete fairly they should not be interpreted to help find every possible excuse to permit someone who has cheated to continue to do so. Athletes are the persons best placed to help the public understand the importance of fair play and that sport is not a circus, but an important part in the complete development of the personality of each of us. They can help the public understand that sport should produce heroes, not just winners. Becoming an Olympian is just the beginning of our responsibilities. The public expects that its Olympians will reflect the Olympic philosophy and that they will demonstrate their belief in the Olympic principles though their conduct, not just on the field of play as athletes, but also in their daily lives. There is no better way to do so than to make it clear that we stand for drugfree sport at all levels of the community. The encouragement of doping-free sport should be a priority for every Olympian and for the World Olympians Association. At every opportunity that we have to address the public, especially young athletes, we must stress that cheating is unacceptable and that it destroys the ethical values The Athlete s Commitment 6/7

7 of sport. We must make certain that coaches, trainers, doctors and educators everyone who has influence with young people understands that to encourage or condone the use of performance-enhancing drugs is unacceptable. We must make certain that the legislators of our countries and the public-at-large understand that it is insulting and degrading to athletes to permit, or worse, to encourage, doping in sport and that it does no honour to their countries if success is achieved by cheating. Olympians should be heroes, not just winners. They should be role models, not just chemical stockpiles. Their achievements should be triumphs of the human condition, not the test-tube results of some scientific experiment. We should be examples of freedom of spirit, not captives of some misguided manipulation of everything we set out to do when we began to practise our sports. We are the Olympic Movement. We must be the guardians of the Olympic spirit. There is no greater responsibility for us. We have already responded to the challenges on the field of play. Now we must protect and promote the achievements of every Olympian, past and future. 3 I believe that we should remain true to the code of ethics and make athletes inspired to be proud of their training. Occasionally, certain athletes should be asked to leave the practice if they do not agree with the ethics of sport. The rest is pure gold. Athletes who are proud to participate in sport practice and compete with passion will lead their energy go higher levels of performance and enjoyment. In addition, I believe participation in sport with the guidance of an ethical coach who teaches life-long lessons about character and role model. Be true to yourself. Be true to your sport is the message that must be delivered to every coach, athlete, teacher, family, and community member involved in sport. It is a message geared toward reminding sport participants about the necessity to engage in sport in an ethical manner, to respect the principles of fair play, honesty, and respect for diversity, and to compete doping-free. 4 3 Olympians Should Be Heroes Not Just Winners by Richard W. Pound in WOA Booklet The Value & Joy of Coaching Ethically by Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport 2002 The Athlete s Commitment 7/7