July 03, (THEWILL) – The International Testing Agency (ITA), is set to deploy cutting-edge technology and refined strategies to combat doping at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the ITA, revealed in a recent interview that the agency is harnessing biological and performance passports, along with vast data sets, to identify potential cheats.
Established in 2018, the ITA oversees anti-doping programmes for major sporting events, including the Olympics and the Tour de France. Cohen emphasised the importance of streamlining “risk analysis” to effectively monitor athletes while conserving resources. With approximately 30,000 potential qualifiers for the Paris Games, the agency faces the challenge of narrowing its focus before the final list of 11,000 participants is confirmed.
The ITA’s approach involves analysing patterns across disciplines, examining national doping histories, and scrutinising individual athletes’ performance developments and biological passport profiles. Cohen highlighted the agency’s development of proprietary software to manage the “hundreds of thousands of pieces of data” involved in this process. Future plans include leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance risk analysis and prediction capabilities.
A key innovation in the ITA’s arsenal is the “performance passport”, designed to complement the established biological passport. This tool aims to predict results based on an athlete’s four-year performance history, flagging unusual outcomes that might indicate doping. Initially tested in swimming and weightlifting, the performance passport project is expected to expand to other sports.
The agency is also bolstering its investigative capabilities, establishing specialised units for various sports, with a particular focus on cycling. Cohen noted the increasing cooperation between the ITA and law enforcement agencies, citing recent successes in intercepting prohibited substances.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
