What Is CPISRA and What Do We Do?
CPISRA is the leading international sports organisation governing and promoting sport and recreation for Cerebral Palsy (CP) and related neurological conditions. CPISRA aims to provide and promote opportunities for recreational sport and activity, the development of grassroots adaptive sport, and devise platforms for regional and international competitive and elite sport. CPISRA is a founding organisation of the Paralympics and one of only four International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSD) recognised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to represent impairment groups.
Our vision: All people who have Cerebral Palsy or related neurological conditions have the opportunity to benefit from and participate in sport and recreation throughout the World
Download the CPISRA Information Brochure
Introduction to Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA).
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Craig Carscadden, Chief Executive of CPISRA, is currently in São Paulo at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix where, excitingly, RaceRunning was included for the first time.
Yesterday, Craig gave a RaceRunning Awareness and Coaching presentation to coaches, team managers and athletes from Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, Colombia and Brazil.
Big thanks to the national member of CPISRA for Brazil ANDE - Associação Nacional de Desporto para Deficientes and the competition hosts Comitê Paralímpico Brasileiro - CPB for your warm welcome and for facilitating this presentation.
March is Cerebral Palsy awareness month, and CPISRA started the month by visiting India to spread awareness of Cerebral Palsy sport, and to research how the development of Cerebral Palsy sport and recreation can be supported.
Craig Carscadden, CPISRA's Chief Executive, and Lauren Milstead, Development Manager, spent 4 days visiting different organisations in Kolkata and Bangalore, as well as meeting the with CPSAI (the Cerebral Palsy Sports Association of India) and the SACPSF (The South Asian Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation).
Friday 1st March
On the first day of the trip, CPSAI had arranged for Craig and Lauren to visit the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy in Kolkata, a fantastic organisation providing educational, respite, therapy and vocational services to children and adults with Cerebral Palsy. Craig and Lauren discussed the benefits of introducing sport and recreation, answered questions from parents and therapists, and heard first hand from CPSAI volunteers about what support they need to deliver their programmes. The students and staff of IICP demonstrated a boccia game which they had introduced to help develop motor skills. They had made their own balls and ramps, and it was easy to see that the children loved it!
Saturday 2nd March
Craig and Lauren were invited to the Spastics Society of Karnataka in Bangalore. Parents and staff of the centre had a very meaningful discussion with Lauren, Craig and the CPSAI representatives about how to introduce and develop sport programmes in their centre. This meeting provided valuable insight in to what is required by both CPSAI and CPISRA to develop Cerebral Palsy sports and recreation in India.
Sunday 3rd March
Craig and Lauren were invited to join a SACPSF committee meeting, where they were able to hear first hand about the issues faced in all the countries included in the organisation. It was great to hear about the motivation and enthusiasm of all countries, and again learn how CPISRA can support the development of CP sport in this region.
Monday 4th March
The final meeting of the trip was held at the Association of People with Disabilities (APD) in Bangalore, another fantastic facility offering educational, vocational and therapy services to people with disabilities. Lauren presented a powerpoint on CPISRA's vision and programmes, and APD shared their expertise and desire to increase sport programmes in their centres. Many other sports organisations and NGOs were present, and a meaningful discussion was held.
This fact-finding trip was invaluable, and reinforced the need for CPISRA development work throughout the World. We have a lot of work to do following the trip, but it proved that the future of CP sport is very bright!
CPISRA are excited to announce the CPISRA Multi-Sports Development Games in Portimão, Portugal on the 8th-13th October 2019. Sports included will be Boccia U20s, RaceRunning and Wheelchair Slalom and is a fantastic opportunity for development athletes to learn, develop and improve while experiencing a multi-sports event.
Both team entries and individual entries are welcome and will be accepted. Families are welcome to join individual entries. Click below for an Information Pack and Intention to Compete Form
Please contact lauren.milstead@cpisra.org with any queries.
A joint project between USAID and the VNAH have been helping people with disabilities in Vietnam access early intervention and improved integration in their communities, including access to a RaceRunning frame!
Representatives of the four International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs) – the founders of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) – gathered in Bonn, Germany, recently to meet with IPC President Andrew Parsons and Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez.
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), the International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS), the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) all play a key role in the development of Para sports.
At a meeting on 22 January, Parsons and Gonzalez reaffirmed their strong support for the IOSD’s within the Paralympic movement and the significant work they do to support the athlete pathway.
"The IOSDs play a significant role in the development of the Paralympic Movement and work in close partnership with the IPC,” Parsons said. “We are athlete-centred organisations and together we aim to create more opportunities for athletes from all regions, especially those with high-support needs. We have also discussed how to provide new pathways from grassroots level to elite competition."
The IPC also made several presentations on classification, their strategic plan, the Agitos Foundation and other current topics.
The IOSDs highlighted their individual activities, including their respective multi-sport events for the different impairment groups and the role they play in helping Para athletes on their way to the Paralympics. They also talked about the wide range of opportunities for athletes beyond the Paralympic Games, such as in those sports not currently on the programme.
The part IOSDs have in bringing more athletes with high support needs through the system was another topic that led to a good discussion.
As well as joint meetings, individual meetings were held between the IOSDs and key IPC staff. The gathering is now expected to take place at least once a year.
Working alone and together, the IOSDs play a key role in the development of Para sports through competitions, training, education and advocacy for athletes and people within the Paralympic Movement and beyond.
IWAS will host its World Games 2019 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 12-16 February. INAS stages the Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October. Both events feature multiple sports, some of which are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and are expected to attract hundreds of athletes from around the world.
IBSA will host its General Assembly in July 2019 in Fort Wayne, USA, where it aims to bring together members to agree on a new five-year strategy. The centrepiece of this is for IBSA to become the world’s leading organisation for developing sports for people with visual impairments inside and outside the Paralympic Games.
CPISRA hosted its World Games in 2018 in Sant Cugat, Spain. It has also been instrumental in growing RaceRunning, which was added to the World Para Athletics programme at the European Championships in 2018. The sport will now also appear at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai, UAE.
Image credit David Guest / Ordnance Survey
Mel Nicholls, T34 Paralympic Athlete and Adventurer, told us why she loves to explore the outdoors.
For me, being in a busy shopping centre, or trying to navigate through crowds either on my crutches or in my wheelchair isn’t much fun. I get knocked off my balance, I feel anxious as I can’t process through the many voices, people rush around you and often into you or landing on you, without much consideration, and generally these places for someone with a neurological disability can be a struggle.
Outside, I am me. The wind might be howling around me, the rain lashing down, and I might be pulling myself up a rocky ledge. But out here I feel alive, I have all the space I need to find my balance and all the time to take a minute and process and work out my next move, my way.
I have always loved the great outdoors, and always had adventure in my soul. I love sport and I love racing, with such a passion. But for me it is about much more than winning. Getting to do a sport that keeps me outside is very important to me, and any chance I can, away from my day to day training, I take to my own adventures. Pushing myself, as I do in my sport, but also reaping the rewards that being outside, amongst nature, in the elements, and in such beauty of our wild world when we take a moment to stop and really notice. It is certainly cathartic. As well as the physical benefits to anyone getting active outside, as someone with a disability I know my time spent in the hills, with the trees in the woods, and climbing up rocks with my arms, continues to make both my body and mind stronger. Parts of my body don’t work and never will, but my belief in what is possible, and mindset grows with each challenge, every time I head out into the unknown. It is calming yet empowering, it helps me refocus, yet I dream up a million plans in an afternoon. It is the best medicine for some time out alone, and yet the greatest get-together for friends and families.
It is important to stretch our comfort zones, it is the only way we improve. If you’ve only ever pushed to the end of your road, you’ll never know just how far you can go. Equally, if you’ve never been camping with your friends and roasted marshmallows on a camp fire, you won’t know just what that kind of an experience can bring. The gain in confidence, independence, friendships, and sense of adventure. Getting mucky and being pushed through squelchy mud is so much fun, for everyone involved! Yes, you’re going to get filthy and mud up to your armpits, but it brings out the inner warrior in you and soon you’ll be using your muddy fingers to paint battle stripes on your face and everyone around you.
I am an adventurer, I seek out wild places and tell untold stories, but adventure does not have to mean climbing mountains and sailing the high seas. Adventure is just as much a state of mind and can be accessible for all. It’s just about finding your way. With the right support you can abseil, raft down a river, take a pony trek through the moors, or spend the day with friends on a hill, with a hot flask of tea and a packet of biscuits. If it’s adventurous to you, it’s your adventure, and to me, there is nothing better.
I know I cannot climb Everest and I cannot mountain bike as I used to down the hills near my home. But through being brave enough to get out there and try, not caring what I look like or how slow I am, I have achieved far more than I ever thought possible and have found ways to do and to ‘can’, rather than to ‘can’t’. I have sat down (stand up) paddle boarded rivers and solo handcycled some of the wildest and most remote islands in the North Atlantic, carrying everything on my bike. I have taken tea (complete with teapot) with friends at sunset on top of a hill after they pushed me up there in my wheelchair to watch the sun go down on Midsummers day, and I have swum off the wild Pembrokeshire coast on a chilly November morning as the sun came up. Most recently I achieved something I have only ever dreamt of for the last ten years since my last stroke. Using specially adapted crutches and an incredible support team, I climbed a mountain.
Every one of those adventures meant so much to me. Many I never knew if or how much I could, and out of each of them I gained so much. Whether that’s learning and growth, or friendships and teamwork, so often moments stripped me back, to give me back me. Physically stronger and fitter and feeling like I could take on the world but at the same time feeling humbled by the world around me.
I have many more plans and more wild places to explore, my way, and I hope through my work and my adventures I continue to inspire others to find their way. I believe we are all Beyond Barriers and there is ALWAYS a way. Here’s to Getting Outside and Getting Active, Adventure Awaits...
CPISRA and Member News
CPISRA are thrilled to be a referral partner for the 2019 British Exploring Society Expedition from Scotland to Iceland, partnered with the Jubilee Sailing Trust.
This exciting opportunity is open to individuals aged 16-21 at the time of the expedition (August 2019) with and without disabilities. Participants must be able to self-manage their personal care and be self-mobile.
The expedition will include a 2 week sailing trip from Scotland to Iceland, plus a 2 week remote expedition in Iceland. The expedition team will be comprised of both disabled and non-disabled young people, supported by a team of highly experienced and qualified and adult leaders from the British Exploring Society and the Jubilee Sailing Trust.
Are you enthusiastic, have a desire to learn and ready for a life-changing experience? Email lauren.milstead@cpisra.org for more information. Please share this with anyone you feel might be interested in this exciting opportunity.
Registrations for the Inaugural International Outdoor Recreation Camp is now open! The camp will be held on Monday 23rd September 2019 - Friday 27th September 2019 at the Calvert Trust Lakes District, in England. The camp will include 4 nights and 3 full days of activities and include a mix of individual, group and social activities. The emphasis will be on team activities, making new friends, building self-confidence, challenging what you think is possible and breaking boundaries through outdoor adventure. This inaugural camp is for adults (18+) with cerebral palsy and related conditions and you will be challenged to activities such as rock climbing, orienteering, canoeing, an assault course and much more. All activities and accommodation are fully accessible. Please contact lauren.milstead@cpisra.org for more information and to register your interest.
Cost is £480 per person and is inclusive of all activities, food and accommodation
View the camp flyer here
RaceRunning Animations
The University of Edinburgh has produced two informative RaceRunning animations as part of their project to research suitability of animation in communicating research findings. The aim of the animations is to expand the potential audience reach and impact of such research and to more effectively convey and engage people beyond the research community.
The research currently being carried out by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with CPISRA has produced two animations, the first describing What Is RaceRunning and the second detailing RaceRunning Physiology Research currently being carried out.
Access the videos on the RaceRunning section of the CPISRA website or on the links below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y94t8HqISyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-tjxVzGWbU&t=3s
We hope you enjoy the videos!
RaceRunning makes a very successful debut at the World Para Athletics European Championships. 20 RaceRunning athletes from 7 countries competed at the Berlin WPA European Championships in August, 2018. With 14 athletes competing in the combined RR2/3 class and 7 athletes in the RR1 class.
RaceRunning makes a very successful debut at the World Para Athletics European Championships. 20 RaceRunning athletes from 7 countries competed at the Berlin WPA European Championships in August, 2018. With 14 athletes competing in the combined RR2/3 class and 7 athletes in the RR1 class.
Our congratulations to all athletes that competed and contributed to great debut.
Our congratulations to all athletes that competed and contributed to great debut.
Below are the entries and results.
The CPISRA World Games 2018 was a great success and fantastic experience for our athletes. CPISRA can thank enough the Local Organising Committee ( Catalan Sports Federation for Persons with Cerebral Palsy), Sant Cugat City Council and the Games partners. Also a huge thank you to all team personnel, officials, volunteers and spectators for without you there would be no Games.
Sant Gugat, Spain welcomed 600 participants from 30 countries around the World to the Games with a wonderful opening ceremony. The highlight being a high wire act with ninety percent of the performers being people with Cerebral Palsy. Mr Carlos Munoz; President of Catalan Sports Federation for people with Cerebral Palsy and Stephen Miller MBE Stephen; multiple Paralympic gold medallist and Chair of the CPISRA Athletes Committee, opened the Games.
In the 40 year history of the CPISRA World Games, this is only the 2nd time that they have been held outside of the United Kingdom, and is the first time that they have been held in Continental Europe. CPISRA’s mantra of Opportunity, Development and Participation was well and truly reflected in this year’s programme as it is the broadest offered to date. The week showcased world class competition in para-athletics, para-swimming and under-19 CP football. As well as this, the CPISRA World Games development sports programme provided a Camp and Competition format for boccia, wheelchair slalom and female CP football to help improve skills and introduce international competition. The Agitos Proud Paralympian programme , run alongside the games, providing leadership training as well as education workshops for all. And completing the multi-dimensional Games programme the CPISRA General Assembly was held; enabling delegates to be part of this exceptional Games programme.
The Games finished not with a Closing Ceremony but with a Games Celebration party. For in addition to performance and results, the Games was also about making friends, embracing new cultures and enjoying the experience. May many of the athletes have built friendships that will last a lifetime.
In successfully delivering the broadest programme ever, this Games has lifted the CPISRA World Games to new a new level. To which great credit and thanks is given to the LOC for having the courage and commitment to make it happen.
The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) and Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote and encourage CP sport in the Asian region.
The MoU was signed by Asian Paralympic Committee president Mr. Majid Rashed and CPISRA president Mr. Peter Drysdale during the CPISRA General Assembly in Sant Cugat, Barcelona, Spain. The General Assembly was held during the CPISRA World Games and it was with great pleasure and appreciation that CPISRA welcomed Mr. Rashed to the CPISRA World Games Opening Ceremony and the General Assembly.
According to the agreement, both the parties will collaborate to increase the community awareness. sport and competition opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy or other neurological conditions. To increase the awareness of the Paralympic Movement and Para Athletes in Asia; to educate and support the classification system for CP Athletes; to increase training and education opportunities for CP Athletes, Coaches, Technical Officials and Classifiers; and to develop CP sports in various methods in the Asian region.
The agreement, which is effective from the date of signing for a period of four years, is a follow up of Mr. Drysdale’s visit to APC headquarters in Dubai in early June when they discussed and sought APC’s co-operation in promoting the sport in Asia and holding possible events together in future.
Commenting on the association, APC president Mr. Rashed said:
"This is a big step towards promoting and developing CP sport in Asia. I hope that together with CPISRA, we can help grow the sport with our commitment, determination and encouragement. I am overwhelmed to see the enthusiasm and determination of the athletes here at the World Games and believe that through this agreement, we will be able to strengthen the platform for the athletes in Asia as well. I congratulate the entire CP fraternity for this day and wish good luck to the athletes for their events at the Games."
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the dates for the CPISRA Multi-Sports Development Games in Portimao (Portugal) have changed and the event will now take place from the 2nd to the 6th October, 2019.
In light of this change, a decision has been made to extend the deadline for countries and individuals to register for this event so you can now register your Intention to Compete until the 20th April, 2019. Those who have previously entered are not required to re-apply. The entry fee has also been reduced to 580€ per person as the competition will be on for one less day.
Email info@cpisra.org with any questions
108 athletes and 250 total participants have registered for the 23rd International RaceRunning Development Camp & CPISRA International Cup. The Following countries will take part:
Australia, Denmark, England, Faroe Islands, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland Somaliland, Spain, Sweden and USA
The Camp and Cup will take place from the 7th-14th July in Frederiksberg, Denmark
It is an annual celebration where RaceRunners from around the world in Denmark for a week of great RaceRunning experiences.
RaceRunner’s International Cup - 3 days of intensive competition, open for all classes and age groups.
Quality Training – 3 days of training on the beautiful stadium, Frederiksberg Idrætspark, supervised by the experienced coaches from the Danish National Team.
Classification – get an evaluation by an official classification panel.
Social Activities – Come to Denmark, meet people from other countries and make new friends.
Coach Course – Theoretical and practical exercises designed by the Danish National Coaches.
March is Cerebral Palsy awareness month, and CPISRA started the month by visiting India to spread awareness of Cerebral Palsy sport, and to research how the development of Cerebral Palsy sport and recreation can be supported.
Craig Carscadden, CPISRA's Chief Executive, and Lauren Milstead, Development Manager, spent 4 days visiting different organisations in Kolkata and Bangalore, as well as meeting the with CPSAI (the Cerebral Palsy Sports Association of India) and the SACPSF (The South Asian Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation).
Friday 1st March
On the first day of the trip, CPSAI had arranged for Craig and Lauren to visit the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy in Kolkata, a fantastic organisation providing educational, respite, therapy and vocational services to children and adults with Cerebral Palsy. Craig and Lauren discussed the benefits of introducing sport and recreation, answered questions from parents and therapists, and heard first hand from CPSAI volunteers about what support they need to deliver their programmes. The students and staff of IICP demonstrated a boccia game which they had introduced to help develop motor skills. They had made their own balls and ramps, and it was easy to see that the children loved it!
Saturday 2nd March
Craig and Lauren were invited to the Spastics Society of Karnataka in Bangalore. Parents and staff of the centre had a very meaningful discussion with Lauren, Craig and the CPSAI representatives about how to introduce and develop sport programmes in their centre. This meeting provided valuable insight in to what is required by both CPSAI and CPISRA to develop Cerebral Palsy sports and recreation in India.
Sunday 3rd March
Craig and Lauren were invited to join a SACPSF committee meeting, where they were able to hear first hand about the issues faced in all the countries included in the organisation. It was great to hear about the motivation and enthusiasm of all countries, and again learn how CPISRA can support the development of CP sport in this region.
Monday 4th March
The final meeting of the trip was held at the Association of People with Disabilities (APD) in Bangalore, another fantastic facility offering educational, vocational and therapy services to people with disabilities. Lauren presented a powerpoint on CPISRA's vision and programmes, and APD shared their expertise and desire to increase sport programmes in their centres. Many other sports organisations and NGOs were present, and a meaningful discussion was held.
This fact-finding trip was invaluable, and reinforced the need for CPISRA development work throughout the World. We have a lot of work to do following the trip, but it proved that the future of CP sport is very bright!
Sam told us about how she feels about her recent win
"I have just attended the 8th World Para Taekwondo Championships in Antalya, Turkey and became a double world champion in the P33 Para-Poomsae category. I retained my World Title from London in 2017 and I feel totally elated. This has been possible due to my constant determination and perseverance to train hard to achieve to the best of my ability and encouragement and feedback from my coaches. This obviously pays off with me winning the world title for the 2nd time.
There has been a noticeable increase in participation within all P30 classes since London and I feel this will only get bigger and better from now on. 2 out of the 3 P30 GB athletes competed in the Worlds in Turkey, Lewis Currie in P31 and myself as a P33. Francesca who is a P34 was unable to attend due to GCSE exams. My future goals within Para-Taekwondo is to achieve my 4th Dan black belt this year and win more medals at competitions and improve my score to the highest I can.
I am hoping in the future that we get enough competitors so the CP classes can be broken down into age categories so it is fairer for athletes to compete rather than children competing against adults as it is now. The icing on the cake for my trip was reading the athletes oath at the opening ceremony and being introduced to the World Taekwondo President Dr Chungwon Choue."
CPISRA are excited to announce the CPISRA Multi-Sports Development Games in Portimão, Portugal on the 8th-13th October 2019. Sports included will be Boccia U20s, RaceRunning and Wheelchair Slalom and is a fantastic opportunity for development athletes to learn, develop and improve while experiencing a multi-sports event.
Both team entries and individual entries are welcome and will be accepted. Families are welcome to join individual entries. Click below for an Information Pack and Intention to Compete Form
Please contact lauren.milstead@cpisra.org with any queries.
The CPISRA RaceRunning classification master list has been updated in accordance with World Para Athletics memo of 17th December. Any athlete appearing on the current master list will not require to be classified prior to the 2019 WPA World Championships in Dubai.
The masters list can be found here and on the RaceRunning page on cpisra.org
Other News
Dear Colleagues,
Further to our communication of 21 March, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to publish the official Conference Program including session descriptions, for the Agency’s Fifth World Conference on Doping in Sport that will take place from 5-7 November 2019 in Katowice, Poland. Registration for the event is already open.
Organized with the generous support of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland, the Conference is set to convene representatives from the sport movement, public authorities and anti-doping organizations, along with athletes, other anti-doping experts and members of the media to take stock of the evolution of Clean Sport and engage in high-level discussion and debate about the global anti-doping program.
This year’s World Conference will focus on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) review and will culminate with presentation and endorsement of the proposed Code and International Standards. The Conference will conclude with the election by WADA’s Foundation Board of the new WADA President and Vice President that will assume their new roles on 1 January 2020.
Should you wish to register for the World Conference, please do so on the Conference website no later than 30 August 2019. The website contains all relevant information regarding the event, including the Conference’s program; goals and objectives; intervention registration and submission; as well as, participation terms.
Should you have any questions regarding the event, please refer to the list of key contacts on the Conference website.
We look forward to welcoming you all in Katowice.
Best regards,
World Anti-Doping Agency
he World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to launch an updated version of the Athlete Learning Program about Health and Anti-Doping (ALPHA) course on its Anti-Doping e-Learning Platform (ADeL).
Initially launched in 2014 – and developed with the help of athletes, leading psychologists, behavioral scientists, education technologists, e-learning specialists and prevention specialists – ALPHA represents a holistic, values-based approach and offers a pragmatic and positive alternative to the traditional approach to the prevention of doping. The course has already been successfully completed by over 22,500 of ADeL’s 35,000 subscribers.
The new ALPHA 2.0 preserves the course’s original content but adopts a fresh new look and feel, along with improved interactive activities. The updated course also includes athlete testimonial videos, which provide a point of reference and are proven to be an effective means of peer learning. The course is initially being launched in English with the other 5 ALPHA languages (French, Croatian, Japanese, Spanish and Slovenian) to follow this year. ALPHA 1.0 remains available for everyone in all languages.
The updated ALPHA 2.0 has been broken down into eight digestible lessons, taking approximately 10 minutes to complete each one. The course aims to improve retention and meet the needs of the modern learner for bite-size courses. ALPHA 2.0 is also mobile-friendly so athletes will be able to easily access the course through their smart phones or tablets.
The course’s first six lessons address the World Anti-Doping Code’s requirement for athletes to be educated on the following:
Doping control
Whereabouts
Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs)
Results management processes
Medical reasons not to dope, and
Ethical reasons not to dope
Lessons seven and eight offer practical help on how to stay clean and how to resist the pressure to dope, which encourages athletes to develop positive and proactive plans to avoid doping in a way that is particularly meaningful for them.
The end of the course features The Play True Pledge, which allows athletes to demonstrate publicly their commitment to clean sport by sharing The Pledge on their social media accounts. There is also a post-course test to assess the knowledge of the athletes – a score of 80% or higher is required for certification.
To access the ALPHA 2.0 course, simply register on ADeL or log in to your existing account. If you register as an athlete, ALPHA 2.0 will be featured automatically on your home page. For other roles, you can find the course in the Library section. In order to help users navigate through the platform, WADA has also created an ADeL User Guide, which should help users fully benefit from the ADeL platform.
For any questions or to provide feedback on ALPHA 2.0 or other ADeL resources, please direct your emails to adel@wada-ama.org.
Best regards,
World Anti-Doping Agency
Montreal, 1 May 2019
Dear Colleagues,
Annually, there is an agreed process for reviewing content and structural changes to the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (Prohibited List), which is an International Standard under Article 4.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code).
As part of this process, stakeholder feedback is collected throughout the year; and then, in April of every year, WADA’s List Expert Group meets to discuss the feedback, evidence and proposed content and/or structural changes, and to formulate the draft Prohibited List.
On 11 and 12 April, the List Expert Group held a meeting that resulted in the following documents, which we are confidentially giving you access to today for Stakeholder Consultation, via WADAConnect, the Agency’s online stakeholder consultation platform:
Draft 2020 Prohibited List
Summary of Modifications, which is intended to facilitate your review
2020 Monitoring Program
As is customary, WADA kindly asks that someone within your organization, with the relevant professional experience and expertise in anti-doping, be given the opportunity to carefully review the draft 2020 Prohibited List and provide comments concerning the proposed content (additions, subtractions or other modifications) and/or structural changes. We would ask that, whenever possible, your comments be supported by relevant reference(s) to medical or scientific evidence; pharmacological effect; and/or, personal experience concerning the substances or methods in question.
Also, as was done last year, the WADAConnect platform will encourage you, separately, to propose further additions, subtractions or other modifications under ‘Comments for future consideration’; which will be evaluated and considered carefully over the course of the year but will not likely be incorporated within the 2020 Prohibited List.
To provide comments
Simply connect to WADAConnect. If you do not currently have access, please consult the short guide on how to create a user account that is available on the platform.
Once you have a user account, please inform violet.maziar@wada-ama.org and ask to be added to the private List Consultation Group. This is necessary in order to provide comments.
Please input your comments by 12 July 2019.
We believe that conducting this Stakeholder Consultation helps ensure that the Prohibited List evolves in step with the highest possible scientific standards; and, reflects the needs of the anti-doping community.
In keeping with the annual process, the 2020 Prohibited List will not be made public until 1 October 2019. Therefore, we would ask you to ensure that the draft is kept confidential in order to preserve the integrity of the Stakeholder Consultation process. As we know, earlier publication would compromise the process and lead to confusion in the minds of athletes and other stakeholders worldwide.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact violet.maziar@wada-ama.org.
Thank you in advance for your organization’s feedback.
Best regards,
World Anti-Doping Agency
Montreal, 30 April 2019 – Since January’s retrieval by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of the analytical data generated by the former Moscow Laboratory in Russia, WADA Intelligence and Investigations (I&I) has been working on a mission to extract all relevant samples still contained within the laboratory.
WADA can confirm that a five-person team has successfully retrieved 2,262 samples from the laboratory, which had been split into A and B samples and contained within 4,524 collection bottles. The samples have now been taken out of Moscow and are on their way to a WADA-accredited laboratory outside of Russia. Importantly, all samples targeted by I&I in advance of the mission were successfully located and extracted.
WADA Director of I&I Gunter Younger, who is leading the process, said: “WADA Intelligence and Investigations is pleased to be continuing to make progress in this complex and difficult case. Extracting the required samples from the laboratory is another step forward. These samples will be used to strengthen cases against those who may have cheated and may exonerate athletes who have not committed an anti-doping rule violation.”
“In removing the bottles, as a precaution we decided to take any and all samples that corresponded to data in the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database that was even remotely anomalous, even where an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was not suspected. We can therefore proceed to the next phase and support the various International Federations (IFs) and other Anti-Doping Organizations to bring cases forward.”
In parallel, the authentication process of the Moscow data is close to completion. In early May, a progress report from that process will be sent to the independent Compliance Review Committee – which has received updates from WADA I&I every two weeks since the data was extracted in January – and an update will be presented at the next meetings of WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board on 15 and 16 May, respectively.
Meanwhile, the process continues as I&I investigators identify all available evidence for each case, including ordering further sample analysis, where appropriate. In due course, the relevant IFs will be presented with evidentiary packages, which they will assess with the view to taking the cases forward as ADRVs. In cases where IFs choose not to take action, WADA will review the facts, discuss with the relevant IF and reserves the right to bring them forward to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last week, WADA held a conference call with a number of IFs outlining the next steps and answering any questions they might have. Similar conference calls have also been held with athletes and with National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs).
Background: The successful data and sample retrieval came about as a result of the 20 September 2018 decision of WADA’s Executive Committee to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), under strict conditions, to the list of World Anti-Doping Code-compliant Signatories. Under the terms of that decision, the Russian authorities were required to provide the data while also agreeing that any samples required by WADA for re-analysis would be made available by 30 June 2019. The samples had been stored and sealed off as part of a federal investigation being carried out by Russian authorities.
Further information: WADA has produced a flowchart that summarizes the three phases of the RUSADA Compliance Process and has compiled a document that summarizes the ‘Progress of the Anti-Doping System in Light of the Russian Doping Crisis’.
Montreal, 29 April 2019
Dear Colleagues,
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to launch a series of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Checklists to provide guidance and support to athletes, their physicians and Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) during the TUE application process.
These new Checklists are based on the TUE Committee Guidelines (TUEC Guidelines) (Medical Information to Support the Decisions of TUECs documents); which were developed by WADA and external medical specialists primarily for TUECs. The Checklists – which cover the most commonly seen conditions – list the requirements for completing the TUE Application Form, including the medical evidence that must be submitted along with it.
Following a successful pilot project with a number of National Anti-Doping Organizations and International Federations over the last few months, we now invite all ADOs to use the Checklists in their interactions with athletes and applying physicians. We also invite stakeholders to adapt the official English versions by translating and customizing them as necessary – while ensuring that the key elements remain.
ADOs interested in making their translations available on WADA’s website are strongly encouraged to do so and to send their translations to medical@wada-ama.org by 17 May 2019. We will be posting all TUE checklists on the WADA website after this date.
We thank you in advance for your efforts and collaboration in adopting these Checklists. Should you have any questions or wish to provide feedback, please contact medical@wada-ama.org.
Montreal, 24 April 2019 – A newly developed method for detecting the use of prohibited substances in athletes has led to a significant and unprecedented 29 March 2019 decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in favour of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
CAS issued a final award confirming Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) in the cases of the Ukrainian track and field athletes, Olesia Povh and Olha Zemliak. Both athletes were convicted of using a prohibited substance based on the detection of non-physiological levels of testosterone in their blood serum samples following analysis in the WADA-accredited laboratories in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Seibersdorf, Austria.
The testing was initiated by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). This led to the subsequent investigation, which resulted in these important convictions. The measurement of testosterone levels in blood serum constitutes a further tool for Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) to detect and prosecute doping, even where urine samples might be reported as negative.
WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “WADA welcomes this decision by CAS, which could have a long-term positive impact on clean sport. I would also like to commend the AIU for their excellent work which led to this outcome. The decision sets an important precedent and this new method of detecting doping represents another way for ADOs to secure Anti-Doping Rule Violations against those who choose to cheat. It is a significant victory for clean sport and for athletes around the world.”
Significantly, CAS ruled that there could be no doubt on the evidence that the method used in measuring testosterone in blood serum was scientifically valid, paving the way for further examples of this method being used in the future.
Olesia Povh was sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility for intentional doping while Olha Zemliak received an eight-year period of ineligibility as it was her second violation.
