by Hilary Findlay. What can Canadian sport organizations learn from a recent decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)? As it turns out, a lot, at least from one of its most recent decisions rendered on October 4, 2011 (CAS 2011/0/2422 USOC v. IOC). First, a quick discussion of the decision, then a [...]
Archive | Doping RSS feed for this section
Perceptions of Fairness – the Case of the University of Waterloo Football Program
The actions of the University of Waterloo in suspending its 2010 football season provide an opportunity to think about issues of ‘fairness’. We can think of fairness as it relates to the use of performance enhancing substances and “fair play”. We can also think of fairness in a legal sense. In this case, two very [...]
A Little Knowledge Can Go A Long Way – Understanding The Principles Behind Doping Decisions
Arbitration decisions from the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) are always interesting to read – there is a compelling story in each one. Their importance, however, lies in the guidance they give. In this column we examine doping decisions that have been rendered since 2005, when doping matters first came under the jurisdiction [...]
New studies shed light on nandrolone
Nandrolone is a banned substance under the IOC Anti-Doping Code when it is found at levels exceeding 2 ng/ml in men and 5 ng/ml in women. Unlike most banned steroids, nandrolone occurs naturally in the human body. In a 1999 study, it was found that approximately half of the test subjects produced nandrolone metabolites at [...]
Playing Russian Roulette with Supplements: Coaches Need to Know
Getting that extra edge. Vitamin, mineral, herbal and other nutritional supplements are becoming an increasingly important part of the athlete’s quest to achieve peak athletic performance. Yet recently we have witnessed a rash of positive doping tests and in many cases nutritional supplements are being pinpointed as the culprit. Coaches have a vital role to [...]
Keeping Canadian Sport Drug-Free: Anti-Drug Programs in Canada are the Strictest to be Found Anywhere
First, an independent adjudicator decides to reinstate Eric Lamaze from a lifetime sports ban. Then the Canadian Olympic Association decides to deny him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team competing in Sydney. These two rulings have created a swirl of controversy. Unfortunately, they may have undermined what is, in reality, a complex but highly [...]
What The Johnson Decision Means to Canadian Sport
In a 60-page decision rendered on April 19, 1999, sprinter Ben Johnson was reinstated to sport eligibility in Canada. Independent adjudicator Graeme Mew concluded that the lifetime ban imposed on Johnson by Athletics Canada was excessive in the circumstances, a decision that has important ramifications for sport in Canada. In this article, the Centre for [...]
Coach Handed Lifetime Penalty
In the first case review under the Canadian Policy on Penalties for Doping in Sport, heard last November, the Doping Control Review Panel found that a doping-related infraction had occurred and imposed a life-time penalty on Cecil Russell, the coach involved. In all sports and in any role within a sport, doping-related infractions carry a [...]
Restraint of Trade: Breathing New Life Into an Old Legal Doctrine
Can a sport organization stop, or limit a coach or athlete from earning a living through sport? This is the essence of the legal doctrine known as “restraint of trade”. It is a doctrine that has been around for some time but has recently attracted new attention. In sport it has been used as the [...]
