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Interview: Sylvia Schenk, international Anti-Doping Expert: talking about the Anti-Doping Project of Dresdner Kleinwort
von Dresdner Kleinwort, am 02.10.2008
What is the speciality of the Anti-Doping Project of Dresdner Kleinwort?
Sylvia Schenk: „Up to now sponsors did not at all engage themselves against Doping or – if they did, for example in cycling – they charged doctors by their own to develop and implement a program. Thus no independency of the doctors and the program was given; the internal controls of the athletes were more an alibi than a deterrence. Sometimes these kinds of programs even helped to veil doping.
In contrast to this in the Anti-Doping pilot project - although an initiative of Dresdner Kleinwort - neither the sponsor nor the management of the team have any influence. For the Dresdner Kleinwort Triathlon Team the fight against doping is from the very beginning an integral part of the sponsoring, the program is developed and carried out by competent and independent institutions. There is no doubt about zero-tolerance and clear orders – for example no dietary supplement is aloud. In addition prevention, i.e. information and advice for the athletes, is crucial. During a training camp a workshop with an anti-doping expert has been organized, another one will follow soon.
To be on the safe side even on the long hand blood profiles are registered and the samples of the athletes are frozen, in addition one part of the financial support for the athletes is kept back. Thus one can use new methods of analysis in the future and see whether the results are negative even three years later so that the detained money can be paid to the athletes. Only such an extensive program will really help against doping.”
How has the concept been developed?
Sylvia Schenk: „The independency of the controls, the analysis and the result management is the main issue. Therefore Dresdner Kleinwort asked the National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany(“NADA”) to develop the program together with the German Triathlon Union (“DTU”); contracts with both institutions secure the project. Dresdner Kleinwort pays the additional controls etc., but takes no influence whatsoever and has no information at all about who will be controlled when. The NADA decides on its own what to do. The aim is to make intelligent controls especially in times relevant for doping. It is all within the system established for independent out-of-competition testing in Germany. But the number of controls and the intensity of the analysis are distinctly increased. The NADA considers this concept explicitly as exemplary – just like that the controls should take place for all athletes in all sports in Germany to have an optimum. But up to now this cannot be financed.”
How and how often are the athletes tested?
Sylvia Schenk: „There is a minimum of 10 – 12 out-of competition urine testing per year and at least 4 - 6 blood samples are taken, always combined with urine. In addition there are 1 - 2 Pre- Competition-Tests as well as random tests after competition. Thus the number of tests is at least two to three times as high as the average for all other athletes. Many top level athletes even are tested just once or two times a year.
The analysis includes all known methods; lately insulin analysis has been added. Urine is always analysed for EPO which is not done usually as it is very expensive. To freeze the samples offers the opportunity for future testing methods, for example regarding growth hormone. The blood profile includes even results of the athletes from times before the start of the project. So any changes on the long term will be detected and hints will be given if manipulation occurs. Thus the athletes are screened as far as possible.”
What are the results of the Anti-Doping project so far?
Sylvia Schenk: „The success of such a project is not just proofed by having no positive samples. More important is the real commitment of the athletes. I experience that the team members are highly interested to get down to the problem. They ask many questions and look for further information. During the anti-doping workshop we realized that the athletes are motivated in doing their best to avoid any possible wrong doing or even reason for suspicion.
On the whole we have established a surrounding in which each team member is again and again confronted with zero tolerance against doping and has to commit himself. This psychological effect is – beside the deterrence – very important”.
Sylvia Schenk: „Up to now sponsors did not at all engage themselves against Doping or – if they did, for example in cycling – they charged doctors by their own to develop and implement a program. Thus no independency of the doctors and the program was given; the internal controls of the athletes were more an alibi than a deterrence. Sometimes these kinds of programs even helped to veil doping.
In contrast to this in the Anti-Doping pilot project - although an initiative of Dresdner Kleinwort - neither the sponsor nor the management of the team have any influence. For the Dresdner Kleinwort Triathlon Team the fight against doping is from the very beginning an integral part of the sponsoring, the program is developed and carried out by competent and independent institutions. There is no doubt about zero-tolerance and clear orders – for example no dietary supplement is aloud. In addition prevention, i.e. information and advice for the athletes, is crucial. During a training camp a workshop with an anti-doping expert has been organized, another one will follow soon.
To be on the safe side even on the long hand blood profiles are registered and the samples of the athletes are frozen, in addition one part of the financial support for the athletes is kept back. Thus one can use new methods of analysis in the future and see whether the results are negative even three years later so that the detained money can be paid to the athletes. Only such an extensive program will really help against doping.”
How has the concept been developed?
Sylvia Schenk: „The independency of the controls, the analysis and the result management is the main issue. Therefore Dresdner Kleinwort asked the National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany(“NADA”) to develop the program together with the German Triathlon Union (“DTU”); contracts with both institutions secure the project. Dresdner Kleinwort pays the additional controls etc., but takes no influence whatsoever and has no information at all about who will be controlled when. The NADA decides on its own what to do. The aim is to make intelligent controls especially in times relevant for doping. It is all within the system established for independent out-of-competition testing in Germany. But the number of controls and the intensity of the analysis are distinctly increased. The NADA considers this concept explicitly as exemplary – just like that the controls should take place for all athletes in all sports in Germany to have an optimum. But up to now this cannot be financed.”
How and how often are the athletes tested?
Sylvia Schenk: „There is a minimum of 10 – 12 out-of competition urine testing per year and at least 4 - 6 blood samples are taken, always combined with urine. In addition there are 1 - 2 Pre- Competition-Tests as well as random tests after competition. Thus the number of tests is at least two to three times as high as the average for all other athletes. Many top level athletes even are tested just once or two times a year.
The analysis includes all known methods; lately insulin analysis has been added. Urine is always analysed for EPO which is not done usually as it is very expensive. To freeze the samples offers the opportunity for future testing methods, for example regarding growth hormone. The blood profile includes even results of the athletes from times before the start of the project. So any changes on the long term will be detected and hints will be given if manipulation occurs. Thus the athletes are screened as far as possible.”
What are the results of the Anti-Doping project so far?
Sylvia Schenk: „The success of such a project is not just proofed by having no positive samples. More important is the real commitment of the athletes. I experience that the team members are highly interested to get down to the problem. They ask many questions and look for further information. During the anti-doping workshop we realized that the athletes are motivated in doing their best to avoid any possible wrong doing or even reason for suspicion.
On the whole we have established a surrounding in which each team member is again and again confronted with zero tolerance against doping and has to commit himself. This psychological effect is – beside the deterrence – very important”.
Results
Schedule
- 13.03.2010 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon
- 14.03.2010 Ironman China
