World Skate extends its partnership with the ITA until 2025

The ITA had already supported World Skate with its anti-doping activities in the areas of out-of-competition testing, test distribution planning, Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) administration and whereabouts failures since January 2019. With the new extended partnership, the majority of the federation’s anti-doping program will be henceforth managed by the ITA’s experts with an aim to safeguard the integrity of skating sports and the health of skating athletes.

Next to implementing all doping controls during and outside of competitions based on a comprehensive risk assessment, the ITA will also manage World Skate’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and the whereabouts of athletes in the RTP. Applications for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) will now be administered by the ITA and coordinated with its International TUE Committee (ITUEC).

The extended delegation also aims to strengthen doping prevention for skating athletes and their support personnel through the creation and realisation of an education plan by the ITA in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) International Standard for Education (ISE). To this end, the ITA will carry out a webinar series specifically developed for World Skate athletes and event-based education at selected skating sports events.

Results management of potential anti-doping rule violations and whereabouts failures will also henceforth be handled by the ITA on behalf of World Skate. Through the renewed and extended partnership, World Skate will now provide its athletes, national member federations and stakeholders access to ITA’s confidential reporting platform REVEAL allowing anyone involved in the sport to report anonymously or confidentially any suspicion of doping or anti-doping rule violation. The ITA will manage any intelligence or investigation resulting thereof. The ITA will furthermore develop and implement a long-term sample storage and re-analysis strategy for the federation.

ITA’s Regulatory Compliance Unit will finally ensure that all elements of the World Skate anti-doping program are fully in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and its connected standards and support its partner with all the support and consultation needed to address any kind of audit and potential corrective actions.

“It is an exciting time for skating sports as they have evolved in recent years from lifestyle to more professional and even Olympic disciplines, as was the case with skateboarding, which was introduced during the Tokyo 2020 Games,” says ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen. “We thank our partner World Skate for their trust to continue supporting skating athletes with a fully independent anti-doping program led by the ITA. The delegation of World Skate’s clean sport activities to the ITA means that our experts can optimise all areas of its anti-doping program and protect clean skaters throughout the year and during major events, such as the upcoming World Games 2022 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”

“Our main goal is our athletes’ health and we are confident that the partnership with ITA will guarantee the best possible standard at all levels. We would like to thank everyone involved in the development of this adventure” says Sabatino Aracu, World Skate President.