Richmond Oval to host world-class anti-doping program for 2010 Winter Games
July 16, 2008
INRS to manage anti-doping laboratory; first
anti-doping volunteers start training
VANCOUVER, BC – The Vancouver
Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games (VANOC) is significantly closer to its goal of hosting
doping-free Games in 2010 with two major announcements today on the
anti-doping program and laboratory for the 2010 Winter Games: the
anti-doping laboratory will be located at the Richmond Oval (home
to long track speed skating for the 2010 Games) and that
Montreal’s Institut national de la recherche
scientifique (INRS)-Institut Armand-Frappier, Canada’s
only World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory, will
operate the state-of-the art testing program for the Games.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to host doping-free Games in 2010 by operating the most sophisticated anti-doping program in a fully accredited laboratory that leaves a tangible legacy after the Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC executive vice president, sport and Games operations. “Much time and effort has been invested over the past year to ensure we secured the optimum location for the anti-doping laboratory and the very best team to operate this critical and highly technical facility. The Richmond Oval gives us an exceptional location for the anti-doping laboratory and, coupled with the expertise provided by Dr. Ayotte and her team from the INRS, we are guaranteed to have a world-class anti-doping program in place for the 2010 Winter Games.”
In its business planning, VANOC had budgeted $4.1 million for the facilitation of the anti-doping program and sought a partner to provide an existing or new facility to house the laboratory. Over the past year, VANOC pursued numerous options for the lab including using existing domestic and international accredited laboratories and potentially using local public or private laboratory facilities. After undertaking all due diligence, it was ultimately determined that a new facility at the Richmond Oval would ensure an anti-doping laboratory for the 2010 Games that would meet the highest international standards. The incremental net cost of building a new laboratory is estimated at $5 million and will be covered in economies within the overall VANOC operating budget.
The City of Richmond is supporting VANOC by providing 15,000 square feet of space to host the anti-doping laboratory. The Richmond Oval space meets the multitude of WADA-mandated technical and physical attributes necessary to ensure the laboratory’s integrity, including such elements as seismic requirements, geographic location and sufficient space. After the Games, the Oval will become an international centre of excellence for sport and wellness and its flexible design will allow it to be used for a variety of sport and community functions.
"In addition to being an outstanding venue that will warmly host spectators and showcase the world’s greatest athletes, we are delighted to know that the Richmond Oval will play a critical role in ensuring fair play during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
The INRS is renowned for its expertise of more than 30 years in the international testing of athlete samples from all sports. During the 2010 Winter Games, its staff will operate the anti-doping laboratory and manage the testing of up to 2,450 urine and blood samples. Setup for the anti-doping laboratory will take place between January 2009 and December 2009 and include the installation of state-of-the-art instruments, a transfer of methods and a validation of procedures. The process will be completed by a thorough audit of the laboratory’s operations by the Standard Council of Canada and WADA to ensure compliance with the highest international standards in time for the testing of samples collected during the Games.
”We are proud to be a part of the excellent anti-doping program underway for the 2010 Winter Games,” said Dr. Christiane Ayotte, director of the Doping Control Laboratory of the INRS. “Our team looks forward to contributing to ensure all athletes can compete on a level playing field.”
2010 Winter Games anti-doping program mandate and volunteer program:
Under the authority and direction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), VANOC’s 2010 Winter Games anti-doping program has two primary objectives: the implementation of a state-of-the-art testing program at Sport Events and the 2010 Winter Games to detect and deter doping behaviour, and the execution of an extensive education program for athletes and their support teams about their rights and responsibilities regarding anti-doping rules and procedures.
VANOC will recruit 500 volunteers to act as Doping Control Officers (DCOs), Blood Collection Officers (BCOs) and Chaperones for the implementation of the anti-doping program. To date, VANOC has interviewed 50 potential anti-doping volunteers, who will be specifically assigned to the anti-doping program.
“I was a first aid and anti-doping volunteer for trampoline and tumble gymnastics and it was exciting to be a part of such an important aspect of the event,” said Christopher Reedy, age 28, from Surrey, the first potential anti-doping volunteer to begin anti-doping training last weekend. “With the number of athletes and the size of the Games, it really made me want to contribute to keeping the competition clean,” he said.
The first training session for confirmed anti-doping volunteers will be hosted in Vancouver in September 2008. The session will take place in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) to ensure that DCOs and BCOs have the requisite training to fully participate in the Sport Events to be hosted in the Games region during the 2008-2009 competitive winter season.
Additional Background:
INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) :
The INRS is composed of four university research and formation centres. The scientists of the Doping Control Laboratory located in the Centre INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, have been involved for more than 30 years, since the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games, in the detection of doping agents prohibited in sport. Part of a network of 33 international laboratories recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency, it is the only one in Canada, and one of only three in North America. Each year, the INRS Laboratory analyzes around 15,000 samples from national and international sport organizations.
City of Richmond:
The City of Richmond is an official Venue City for the 2010 Winter Games. The 33,000-square-metre Richmond Oval is scheduled to open in fall of 2008 and will be home to speed skating competitions during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Richmond Oval will become an international centre of excellence for sports and wellness, special events and other activities post-Games. The Richmond Oval is being constructed by, and will be owned by, the City of Richmond.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to host doping-free Games in 2010 by operating the most sophisticated anti-doping program in a fully accredited laboratory that leaves a tangible legacy after the Games,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC executive vice president, sport and Games operations. “Much time and effort has been invested over the past year to ensure we secured the optimum location for the anti-doping laboratory and the very best team to operate this critical and highly technical facility. The Richmond Oval gives us an exceptional location for the anti-doping laboratory and, coupled with the expertise provided by Dr. Ayotte and her team from the INRS, we are guaranteed to have a world-class anti-doping program in place for the 2010 Winter Games.”
In its business planning, VANOC had budgeted $4.1 million for the facilitation of the anti-doping program and sought a partner to provide an existing or new facility to house the laboratory. Over the past year, VANOC pursued numerous options for the lab including using existing domestic and international accredited laboratories and potentially using local public or private laboratory facilities. After undertaking all due diligence, it was ultimately determined that a new facility at the Richmond Oval would ensure an anti-doping laboratory for the 2010 Games that would meet the highest international standards. The incremental net cost of building a new laboratory is estimated at $5 million and will be covered in economies within the overall VANOC operating budget.
The City of Richmond is supporting VANOC by providing 15,000 square feet of space to host the anti-doping laboratory. The Richmond Oval space meets the multitude of WADA-mandated technical and physical attributes necessary to ensure the laboratory’s integrity, including such elements as seismic requirements, geographic location and sufficient space. After the Games, the Oval will become an international centre of excellence for sport and wellness and its flexible design will allow it to be used for a variety of sport and community functions.
"In addition to being an outstanding venue that will warmly host spectators and showcase the world’s greatest athletes, we are delighted to know that the Richmond Oval will play a critical role in ensuring fair play during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.
The INRS is renowned for its expertise of more than 30 years in the international testing of athlete samples from all sports. During the 2010 Winter Games, its staff will operate the anti-doping laboratory and manage the testing of up to 2,450 urine and blood samples. Setup for the anti-doping laboratory will take place between January 2009 and December 2009 and include the installation of state-of-the-art instruments, a transfer of methods and a validation of procedures. The process will be completed by a thorough audit of the laboratory’s operations by the Standard Council of Canada and WADA to ensure compliance with the highest international standards in time for the testing of samples collected during the Games.
”We are proud to be a part of the excellent anti-doping program underway for the 2010 Winter Games,” said Dr. Christiane Ayotte, director of the Doping Control Laboratory of the INRS. “Our team looks forward to contributing to ensure all athletes can compete on a level playing field.”
2010 Winter Games anti-doping program mandate and volunteer program:
Under the authority and direction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), VANOC’s 2010 Winter Games anti-doping program has two primary objectives: the implementation of a state-of-the-art testing program at Sport Events and the 2010 Winter Games to detect and deter doping behaviour, and the execution of an extensive education program for athletes and their support teams about their rights and responsibilities regarding anti-doping rules and procedures.
VANOC will recruit 500 volunteers to act as Doping Control Officers (DCOs), Blood Collection Officers (BCOs) and Chaperones for the implementation of the anti-doping program. To date, VANOC has interviewed 50 potential anti-doping volunteers, who will be specifically assigned to the anti-doping program.
“I was a first aid and anti-doping volunteer for trampoline and tumble gymnastics and it was exciting to be a part of such an important aspect of the event,” said Christopher Reedy, age 28, from Surrey, the first potential anti-doping volunteer to begin anti-doping training last weekend. “With the number of athletes and the size of the Games, it really made me want to contribute to keeping the competition clean,” he said.
The first training session for confirmed anti-doping volunteers will be hosted in Vancouver in September 2008. The session will take place in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) to ensure that DCOs and BCOs have the requisite training to fully participate in the Sport Events to be hosted in the Games region during the 2008-2009 competitive winter season.
Additional Background:
INRS (Institut national de la recherche scientifique) :
The INRS is composed of four university research and formation centres. The scientists of the Doping Control Laboratory located in the Centre INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, have been involved for more than 30 years, since the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games, in the detection of doping agents prohibited in sport. Part of a network of 33 international laboratories recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency, it is the only one in Canada, and one of only three in North America. Each year, the INRS Laboratory analyzes around 15,000 samples from national and international sport organizations.
City of Richmond:
The City of Richmond is an official Venue City for the 2010 Winter Games. The 33,000-square-metre Richmond Oval is scheduled to open in fall of 2008 and will be home to speed skating competitions during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Richmond Oval will become an international centre of excellence for sports and wellness, special events and other activities post-Games. The Richmond Oval is being constructed by, and will be owned by, the City of Richmond.
An INRS employee tests samples in Montreal’s laboratory. (photo courtesy of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique).
Inside an INRS anti-doping lab. (photo courtesy of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique).
Inside an INRS anti-doping lab. (photo courtesy of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique).
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