The ITA publishes educational resources to support National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in preparation for Milano Cortina 2026

It is essential that athletes and their entourage are equipped with the knowledge necessary to protect themselves against doping. The ITA NOC Clean Sport Education Guide: A resource for Major Events, along with the ITA NOC Clean Sport Education Guide for Milano Cortina 2026, have been developed by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and with the support of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). These guides aim to enhance NOC’s education programs for athletes and Athlete Support Personnel (ASP) in preparation for Major Events and facilitate specific education activities ahead of Milano Cortina 2026.

The WADA International Standard for Education emphasises that an athlete’s first experience with anti-doping should be through education rather than doping control. In alignment with this principle, NOCs have a specific responsibility to educate athletes and ASP, in cooperation with their respective National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) before a Major Event.

Ongoing and relevant clean sport education is essential throughout an athlete’s career. The ITA’s NOC Clean Sport Education Guide serves as a valuable resource for Major Events, while the specific guide for Milano Cortina 2026 further supports this mission in the lead-up to the upcoming Olympic Games, aiming to educate and protect athletes.

Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, highlights the ITA commitment: “As the organisation responsible for implementing an independent anti-doping program for Milano Cortina 2026 on behalf of the IOC, it is crucial for us to maintain the integrity of the event, not only through testing but in all aspects of clean sport. Providing educational resources and activities prior to the Games is important to ensure the well-being of all athletes, raise awareness of Games-specific procedures, and to establish a strong foundation for fair play. We extend our gratitude to the IOC and WADA for their invaluable support with this initiative and trust that NOCs will find these resources beneficial in their preparation efforts.”

Although the guide is designed specifically for NOCs, it is available to all organisations involved in clean sport education.

Collaboration and cooperation are vital for clean sport and the ITA would like to thank Anti-Doping Denmark (ADD), the Azerbaijan National Antidoping Agency (AMADA), the Doping Authority Netherlands (Dopingautoriteit), Sport Integrity Commission New Zealand, the Pan American Regional AntiDoping Organization (PAN RADO), the Slovenia Anti-Doping Organisation (SLOADO), the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), NADA Germany, the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) and the Southeast Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SEARADO) for their contributions.

The ITA has also collaborated with WADA and the IOC to prepare a dedicated online education course for athletes and coaches aiming to attend the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The course, available on WADA’s Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL), was launched in May 2025.

The ITA also continues to offer all athletes, ASP, coaches and anyone interested freely accessible monthly webinars on various clean sport topics. A dedicated edition on the Milano Cortina Anti-Doping Program will be held on 10 December 2025, the registration is already open and available here. The archive of previous editions of the webinars can be found here.

For any questions related to the educational resources or clean sport education, please contact our education team – [email protected]

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE NOC CLEAN SPORT EDUCATION GUIDE: A RESOURCE FOR MAJOR EVENTS