April 01, 2014 (Ottawa, Ontario – March 31, 2014) – In its third quarter, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced how the more than $800,000 one-time contribution from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) would be used to help fight doping in sport.

“These funds will allow us to increase our focus on intelligence gathering and investigations to stay ahead of sophisticated doping strategies, as well as expand the Whereabouts and Athlete Biological Passport Programs,” said Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES. “With increased intelligence we can test the right athlete, at the right place and at the right time. This is a huge win for fair and clean sport.”

The additional funding allowed the CCES to implement a more comprehensive approach to anti-doping in Canada and focus on making sure all Olympic and Paralympic athletes were tested during the four months prior to the Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As part of the announcement, the CCES launched an anonymous Report Doping Hotline (1-800-710-CCES). The announcement was made at a news conference on November 3, 2013, in the presence of athletes and representatives from national sports organizations.

The Report Doping Hotline, a mechanism used by other national anti-doping organizations to receive information on doping activities, came in direct response to public opinion research commissioned by the CCES that indicates Canadians and athletes want clean sport.

“One of the most effective ways to obtain intelligence about doping is to gather information from athletes themselves,” said Melia. “We know that athletes need to feel confident and comfortable sharing sensitive information. That is why it was so important to be able to provide an anonymous hotline so that we can increase and improve the dialogue with athletes.”

Canadians celebrate RBC Sport Day and the True Sport Give-Back Challenge
RBC Sports Day in Canada, presented by ParticipACTION, CBC and True Sport, took place on Saturday, November 29. In the week leading up to Sports Day, thousands of local sporting events and activities, open houses and try-it days showcasing sport at all levels were hosted from coast to coast to coast. Sports Day received an impressive 93 million media impressions; helping to promote community sport, a healthy lifestyle and True Sport across Canada. 

In celebration of Sports Day, True Sport challenged its members to make a difference in their communities by participating in the fourth annual True Sport Give-Back Challenge. Inspiring and heartwarming submissions were received from across the country. During a CBC broadcast on Sports Day, École Secondaire La Découverte in St-Léonard-d’Aston, Quebec, was announced the winner of the Give-Back Challenge for its entry, “Polycourons Terry Fox.” They were awarded the top prize $3,000 to continue living the True Sport Principles. For more information about the Sports Day in Canada and the Give-Back Challenge, visit here.

The CCES Speaks at Two Major International Conferences

World Conference on Doping in Sport held in South Africa
From November 12-15, the CCES was in attendance at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg. During a plenary session, Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES, delivered a presentation. The speech was in endorsement of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code and outlined key actions that are crucial to clean sport. The full transcript can be read here.

International Conference on the Implementation of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code in the Netherlands
The CCES was in attendance at the International Conference on the Implementation of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code in the Netherlands. During the conference, Jeremy Luke, Director of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, gave a well-received presentation on educating key decision makers on the benefits of the new Code.

Doping control program statistics
The CCES conducts testing under the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and provides doping control services for various national and international clients. The following table summarizes our activity during this quarter. Numbers include tests that are planned, coordinated, and/or collected by the CCES. 

For details, see here.

Violations and sanctions
There were four anti-doping rule violations reported during the third quarter. Two-year periods of ineligibility were imposed for the presence of Tamoxifen and for refusing to submit to sample collection. An 11-month period of ineligibility was imposed for the presence of N-ethyl-l-phenyl-2-butanamine and 1-phenyl-2-butanamine, and a reprimand was issued for the presence of methylphenidate.   

Athlete Services statistics
The CCES supports athletes subject to doping control by providing education, processing medical exemptions, and responding to substance inquiries.  The following table summarizes our activity during this quarter.