May 16, 2007 (Ottawa, Ont.) — The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) conducted 3,481 doping control tests over the fiscal year from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007, our highest ever annual total. The majority were carried out under the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (2,728 tests), which is funded by Sport Canada. See the attached table for a breakdown by sport on tests conducted on Canadian athletes.

Within the domestic program, 21 anti-doping rule violations were reported. Nine athletes in the sports of athletics, bobsleigh (2), CIS football and hockey, duathlon, junior football (2), and racquetball were given sanctions ranging from one year ineligibility to lifetime ineligibility for sport. The remaining 12 violations were for cannabis and resulted in a warning and reprimand with no period of ineligibility. A table summarizing the 21 violations is attached in the PDF document below, along with the current anti-doping violations registry.

The CCES also carried out doping control on a fee-for-service basis for various national and international sport organizations. A total of 494 tests were conducted at 53 international events held in Canada; highlights included the first ever World Outgames held in Montreal in August, the World Lacrosse Championships, the Women’s World Rugby Championships, and World Cups in luge, bobsleigh, speed skating, and paralympic cross-country. The CCES also did testing on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Agency (125 tests) and the Association of National Anti-Doping Organizations (23 tests). These tests were conducted on both Canadian and international athletes.

An additional 111 tests were provided for national organizations, including 68 tests under contract to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Quebec Midget AAA Development Hockey League. The agreement with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced in October focused on educating trainers and players during the 2006-2007 season. The CCES and the CHL will use the off-season as an opportunity to continue education and prepare all players and personnel for testing in the 2007-2008 season.

Education and Outreach: using technology to connect

The CCES maintains that education is a critical part of a comprehensive anti-doping program. During the last quarter of the period, the CCES made great strides in the areas of education and athlete outreach. In March, the CCES’ Online Education course was launched to the 800 athletes in our registered testing pool. “The e-learning effort is intended to provide all the information athletes need to make the right decisions,” said CCES President and CEO Paul Melia, “in a dynamic online format that minimizes disruption to athletes’ schedules and reduces the cost of providing education to a widely distributed audience.”

In an effort to reach another key audience, Canada’s up-and-coming development athletes, the CCES sent a mission to the Canada Games in Whitehorse in February to familiarize the 2,500 participants with the spirit of ethical sport and the rules of doping control. Over 125 athletes completed a new interactive doping quiz, and over 3,000 athletes and coaches went away with a lip balm stick that promotes the DID global (Drug Information Database) at www.didglobal.com .

Click here for the full report (PDF).