PR 75 - FINA statement on its Doping Control Review Board (DCRB)

FINA was surprised to receive the letter of resignation from three officials from its Doping Control Review Board (DCRB), including the Chairman Dr. Andrew Pipe.While FINA obviously regrets this decision, our International Federation expresses its deep appreciation and recognition for their supportive action in our successful anti-doping policies over the recent years.

Concerning the claims expressed in their resignation letter, FINA would like to clarify that the Olympic Games are an IOC event. For Rio 2016, the decision on the participation of the Russian athletes has been made by the CAS and the IOC. FINA fully respected and implemented their decisions.

In this very complex process, FINA did express the DCRB position but our International Federation was not the body ultimately deciding the outcome on this matter.

With regard to the FINA DCRB technical recommendations, FINA would like to confirm that these have always been implemented, thus leading to a fruitful anti-doping strategy.

In his letter to the three former members of the DCRB following their resignation, the FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione stated: "I am sure you agree that FINA is in the forefront of the fight against doping with an important financial investment in doping control activities. FINA always coordinates with all stakeholders in the sport movement to assure that transparency and zero tolerance in the fight against doping is in place, thus protecting the clean athletes”.

In his letter, Dr. Maglione concluded: "Please rest assured that we will continue the same policy in fighting against doping without any limitation, equally applying the doping control rules to all athletes and all FINA Member Federations.”

As an advisory body, the FINA Doping Control Review Board (DCRB) is composed by eight persons appointed by the Bureau. A majority of the members of the DCRB shall be either physicians licensed in internal medicine, endocrinology, clinical pharmacology or sports medicine, with experience in anti-doping practices or analytical chemists with experience in WADA accredited laboratories or their equivalent.

The DCRB may review and make recommendations to the Bureau regarding FINA’s doping control programme and may make proposals for additions or amendments to the Doping Control Rules for consideration by the Congress. The DCRB should also approve the Therapeutic Use Exemptions on behalf of FINA in accordance with the FINA Doping Control Rules and WADA Code.