USATF announces “Zero Tolerance” anti-doping
action plan
Developed by combining existing programs and USATF
priorities with ambitious new initiatives, “Zero Tolerance” focuses on three
goals: increasing efforts to catch and punish cheaters; expanding educational efforts
and focusing the message on the theme that cheating is wrong and cheaters will
be caught; and taking a more visible role on these issues.
With its emphasis on “significant, substantive action
steps,” the plan specifically addresses issues in the anti-doping movement that
have been writ large, particularly in recent weeks and months.
Among the initiatives being launched by USATF as part of
the plan are:
·
A substantially increased set of punishments and fines for
athletes who cheat and their coaches. This
could include lifetime bans for first steroid offenses and fines up to $100,000
for steroid convictions.
·
Implement a groundbreaking
effort to proactively root out cheaters.
This program will encourage whistle blowing and ask former cheaters to tell us
how they did it so we may share this information with testing authorities.
·
Create an elite athlete
outreach program focused on anti-doping messaging. Utilize Golden Spike Tour community outreach programs and
USATF youth events to introduce the “Zero Tolerance” program to other elite
athletes, young people and college athletes.
·
Call for an emergency drugs
in sports summit in Washington, D.C. USATF
has called for a summit of major U.S. sports leagues and proposed the meeting
be hosted by the Drug Czar’s office.
·
Engage the IAAF on the issue. Urge the IAAF to enforce its own rules requiring all IAAF
member countries to conduct out-of-competition testing.
Masback and Roe developed the plan in concert with the USATF Board
of Directors, which met October 18-19 in