Changing the philosophy to protect athletes: The ITA celebrates 5 years of Keeping Sport Real

After a series of actual and perceived conflicts of interest in regard to the fight against doping in sport, culminating in the uncovering of several large-scale doping schemes, the idea of a novel and independent clean sport approach started to take shape in the mid-2010s. Driven by the two founding bodies of the ITA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an independent solution to implementing clean sport programs started to be explored. In August 2016, the IOC Session in Rio unanimously supported this new philosophy to protect athletes, and in May 2017 the WADA Foundation Board approved the recommendations of the ITA Policy Steering Group concerning the establishment of the ITA. In October of the same year, Dr. Valérie Fourneyron, former French Sports Minister and sports physician, was unanimously appointed as the Chair of the ITA Foundation Board. Following this, the ITA was officially launched in July 2018 under the operational leadership of Director General Benjamin Cohen.

From concept to reality: a novel clean sport approach makes its debut to help protect athletes worldwide and support global anti-doping efforts

With the team of the Doping-Free Sports Unit (DFSU) of the Global Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF) as the operational nucleus of the ITA, the new agency started its operations as a Swiss-based non-profit foundation. The IOC delegated the entire Olympic anti-doping program to the ITA, many Olympic and non-Olympic sports followed suit. The ITA enforced its independence not only with respect to its anti-doping programs, but also in its governance model, ensuring that all operational aspects of its work are fully independent from its Foundation Board, the IOC, WADA or any other stakeholder. A year after its launch, the ITA was recognised by UNESCO as a leading international organisation for the delivery of anti-doping programs.

During the first five years of its existence, the ITA went through a rapid process of growth and consolidation. Next to ensuring that its International Federation partners and their athletes benefited from the best possible clean sport activities every day of the year, it delivered the anti-doping programs for global sports events such as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the World Games and, more recently, the 2023 European Games. In parallel to this fast internal and external scale-up, the ITA also focused on establishing meaningful collaborations with the sports and anti-doping communities, resulting in cooperation agreements with over 30 National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations, and numerous partnerships with academic institutions, public authorities, private organisations and other relevant partners. Close and constant collaboration with the global anti-doping regulator WADA also remains very important for the joint goal of protecting athletes worldwide in the best way possible.

“Today, I and my fellow Foundation Board Members present on this special occasion take pride in the fact that more than 60 International Federations and Major Event Organisers have entrusted us with their anti-doping programs,” said Dr. Valérie Fourneyron during the commemoration of the ITA’s five-year anniversary on 29 June 2023. “This trust is a testament to the strong bond we have forged with our partners. We have now successfully concluded our first Olympic cycle, and we embark on our new strategic plan with the same enthusiasm and dedication. As Seneca once wrote, ‘The wind is favourable for those who know where they are going.’ We know where we are going. Together, we will write the next chapter of the ITA. We will continue to protect Sport, its athletes and the fundamental values of integrity we all stand by.”

IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach said: “When we took the decision five years ago to make the anti-doping management independent from the IOC, and in the mid-term and longer term from all sports organisations, we were indeed breaking a new ground. It was not an easy decision. But we saw the necessity to set an example for the wider Olympic movement and the sports movement, and leading by example, after only five years of your existence, we can see that the system of independence is very much the norm today. Yes, there are still different approaches to this but overall, the direction is clear. You have won the trust of the federations, you have won the trust of the athletes, you have won the trust of the public. And because of this, today the ITA is recognised as a leading force in the fight against doping and an important player in the WADA-led clean sport efforts. To safeguard this credibility of sport, we need to build on this momentum.”

“The ITA has been a welcome addition to the world of clean sport,” said WADA President Witold Bańka. “It has been five years of very good collaboration, five years of excellence, five years of partnership, and ultimately, it has been five years of progress for the global anti-doping system. In the ITA, WADA found an ally It could rely on. We’ve seen concrete improvements since 2018 across a range of International Federations and Major Event Organizations, both large and small. We see this through our Independent Observer teams at major events, but also as a part of our day-to-day World Anti-Doping Code-compliance monitoring efforts. The added value in terms of quality and confidence that the ITA brings to this space is clear. In the coming years, we must focus our efforts on building anti-doping capacity in all corners of the world. We must promote new partnerships and always work together for a stronger system. The ITA is proving itself to be an excellent clean sport partner for WADA.”

The achievement of this five-year milestone and its importance for the further establishment of the ITA within the global sports and anti-doping system is a crucial landmark for the future of the organisation. This and the support to and from all involved partners for the common goal of constant and improved protection of fair play and the health of athletes are important factors in tackling doping in the long term. As the ITA enters a new strategic cycle, continues its dedication to a level playing field for athletes and readies to deliver anti-doping programs for the Asian Games Hangzhou 2023, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and many more events, the ITA stands poised to continue its dedicated journey towards safeguarding clean sport and shaping a future free from doping.

For more photos of the ITA 5-year anniversary celebration, please click here.