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31 October 2025
Pre-Games programs play a vital role in the build-up to major sporting events. They help ensure that stringent testing schemes are applied during the decisive preparation period, reducing the risk of gaps across countries and disciplines and protecting athletes’ right to a level playing field when the competition begins. The ITA’s pre-Games program complements the existing efforts of International Federations (IFs) and National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs/RADOs) by providing an additional layer of independent coordination and support to reinforce these worldwide anti-doping activities.
The pre-Games testing recommendations issued by the ITA aim to identify and address potential gaps in the strategic aspects of anti-doping programs. They are both quantitative and qualitative, relying on data analysis frameworks and risk factors developed by the ITA over successive editions of the Games, since 2018. All targeted recommendations issued to IFs and NADOs/RADOs are monitored by the ITA to encourage their implementation, with further recommendations possible closer to the Games as the list of likely participants becomes clearer. The test recommendations provided are not intended to replace existing testing programs of anti-doping organisations but to complement them. The pre-Games phase of the anti-doping program for Milano Cortina 2026 will conclude with the opening of the Olympic Villages in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo on 30 January 2026.
The ITA’s previous pre-Games efforts have proven highly effective in strengthening global anti-doping coordination. For the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, over 5,400 testing recommendations were issued by the ITA and implemented at a rate of 80%—a result that reflected strong collaboration among all concerned anti-doping organisations worldwide, despite the challenging context of the pandemic. These outcomes underline the tangible impact of the ITA’s pre-Games initiatives and the value of collective commitment to maintaining robust and transparent testing efforts ahead of major events.
For Milano Cortina 2026, the ITA has drawn on accumulated experience from previous editions of the Games to streamline the pre-Games process. Having successfully managed Expert Groups for past Summer and Winter Games that united the testing expertise of various anti-doping organisations, the ITA has now integrated this collaborative experience into its own operations. For Milano Cortina 2026, the ITA will lead the pre-Games program directly, applying the methodologies developed with its partners in previous editions to ensure an efficient and globally coordinated approach.
The ITA had begun issuing its pre-Games testing recommendations in the summer of 2025 and is continuously monitoring their implementation and progress in cooperation with the concerned anti-doping organisations, with a focus on athletes participating in high-risk sports. As was the case for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the detailed outcomes and testing numbers of the pre-Games program for Milano Cortina 2026 will be transparently communicated by the ITA once this phase concludes just before the opening of the Games.
Benjamin Cohen, the ITA Director General, commented:
“The pre-Games phase is one of the most decisive moments in the fight for clean sport for major events. It is in this period that deterrence and targeted testing can have the greatest impact. The ITA is proud to coordinate this global effort once again on behalf of the IOC, building on the expertise and collaboration of previous editions while continuing to evolve our approach. We are grateful for the commitment of all athletes, anti-doping organisations, and laboratories worldwide to uphold their role in ensuring that Milano Cortina 2026 will be remembered for fair competition and inspiring performances.”
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said: “The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games 2026 are fast approaching, and that means the anti-doping community is focused on ensuring that athletes who are preparing for the event receive the appropriate level of testing in advance of the Games. WADA is pleased to be cooperating with the International Olympic Committee and the International Testing Agency ahead of Milano-Cortina 2026. It is so important for the system as a whole that all stakeholders, including WADA, the ITA, the IOC, International Federations and National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs/RADOs) are collaborating during this crucial pre-Games period. We call upon the International Federations and NADOs/RADOs, as well as National Olympic Committees actings as NADOs, to conduct testing on their athletes that have qualified or are likely to participate in the Games so that all athletes competing can have full confidence in the global program. In addition, it is vital that Anti-Doping Organizations communicate with the relevant laboratories to prioritize the analysis of samples for athletes likely to attend the Games so that results can be managed appropriately and, where possible, prior to the athlete competing at the Games.”
The ITA also brings strong operational expertise in winter sports to Milano Cortina 2026 through its year-round programs for four of the eight participating IFs: the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF), the International Luge Federation (FIL), the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) and, most recently, the International Skating Union (ISU). For these federations, the ITA will implement the testing recommendations of the pre-Games phase directly.
