Dear WADA Director General Mr. Howman,
I have been following the IOC (International Olympic Committee) request carefully… that WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) assume the responsibility for world-wide testing and removing that responsibility from the various International Federations.
I realize the financing of this task is monumental, and a big hurdle to overcome. I am certain that I can assure you of near-unanimous support from the swimming coaching community in all nations. The FINA program completely lacks credibility or the faith of the coaches or the tested athletes.
Swimming Coaches will support any proposal that includes using state of the art science (which we believe to be a version of high throughput testing and the “search in the haystack”, in concert with the existing science to determine if a substance in blood and urine is a PED. Our opinion clearly is that current methodology lags far behind the cheaters, but an honest organization such as WADA can adopt high throughput testing and put an end to the “needle in a haystack” aspects of testing.
If WADA can move in the direction of assuming the role of world-wide tester with state of the art science, swimming coaches as one part of the global stakeholders, will support it. World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA) in conjunction with my own ASCA (American Swim Coaches Association), can reach 17,500 coaches daily in every swimming nation on earth. If we can be of assistance, please call on us.
All The Best,
John Leonard, Executive Director ASCA/WSCA
American Swim Coaches Association
World Swim Coaches Association
To learn more about “Throughput Testing” click here