Is WADA doing a good job?

[Meet Director]

So many questions about drugs in the sport makes me ask the question: Is WADA doing a good job?

For example, their new "Whereabouts rule" (requires a pool of elite athletes in each sport to say where they will be for an hour a day, 365 days a year. If they miss three tests in an 18-month period, they will be banned for at least a year) has drawn anger and questions from a lot of people. In Europe a union has said that it contravenes privacy laws.

For example, the IOC recently went back and retested some samples for CERA and Insulin. They were selective in testing, focusing on endurance events. Yet we know many others benefit from these drugs. Where was WADA and why did they not require all samples to be retested?

For example, Jamaica did not have an anti doping agency in place during the Olympic year and refused to take part in the Regional agency. How can WADA allow this to take place?

For example, USADA went with a pilot program of Blood Testing last year with a select group of athletes. Why is WADA not pushing for full implementation of the program at this time?

For example, knowing that we do have the ability to move from urinalysis to blood testing, why is WADA not insisting that this move take place globally?

The sport pays a lot of lip service to the idea of "'cleaning up the sport" yet its actions say otherwise. So I ask, is WADA doing a good job and if not what can, or should, be done about it?

[zoser]

WADA is doing a great job. The examples you roll off have little to do with WADA but the subsequent governing bodies of the various sports and countries.
The IOC retested, not WADA. And the IOC showed their true colors during the Jerome Young chronicles when the USOC tried to blame USATF for that cover up, when anyone paying attention could see it was known by the USOC, there is no way they could not know since USATF had cleared Young thus making it a matter of record going in.
WADA code demands all participants to be on board. The IAAF covered Jamaica by conducting their test themselves. And when pressed they let Herb do all the talking while they once again avoid any blame or responsibility for the things that happen under their watch. I do not know if Jamaica is up to anything, but the set up is questionable to say the least.
The IAAF has a test pool also. but as everything goes it is all selective. Even the random testing pools are selective.
The change in testing protocol is financial. How do we all afford it?

[sprint logic]

Your responses are exactly why WADA is NOT doing a good job! In each and every case they should have stepped in as THE GLOBAL BODY for testing and ensured that the RIGHT thing be done. And not once did they do that! They sat back each time and let others do as they pleased?

What good is a World Governing Body that doesn't step in and GOVERN? If they are going to let others call the shots, then why do they exist? Let alone the fact that they watched others make the wrong calls and did nothing to correct the situations.

[zoser]

They are toothless and not by design but by circumstance.
Wada is the standard bearer but they do not have the ability to govern internationally, no organization of WADA's nature does. They do not enforce or punish. They HAVE to depend on the governing bodies and GOVERNMENTS to enforce the rules set forth in the code.
It exist to ensure a fair and balanced set of rules that is not beholden to individual whims of the differing sports and governing bodies. Which is exactly why they are being challenged by these different entities? So it is pretty much doing exactly what it is designed to do. Now everyone is questioning their sports drug policies, and we are seeing drug bust all over the world, even in the one of the big three, MLB. We also see light shed on historically dirty sports such as cycling and swimming, who are the main people challenging the whereabouts.

[Seabiscuit]

Well I'm sure you all saw James Carters' interview at Nat'ls. He is in the thick of it for the past 10 years and HE is "tired of running against drugs." I liked this guy and feel very strongly that he is saying what a LOT of athletes want to say but cannot. They are fearful of the big wig(s) of the sport so they remain silent.

Big up for James Carter who had the guts to call it what it really is.

[sprint logic]

I wish, however, that athletes, coaches and others would speak up without waiting to do so out of anger or frustration. When they do that it taints what they say and doesn't help the situation.

I'm sure that Carter has reasons for saying what he said and I'm sure there is validity there. But if athletes and coaches don't speak up then they are being complicit and are then a part of the problem themselves.