An amnesty for riders who confess to cycle sport doping would be 'uncharted territory', according to the World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman.
The suggestion was put forward last week by UCI President Pat McQuaid following a spate of doping cases, most notably Lance Armstrong's.
“You can talk a lot, but you’ve got to wait to see the decision, and see what might happen then,” Howman told the Associated Press.
“We would have to be potentially involved in any of those sorts of things. Let’s wait until such time that it moves from words into action.”
"You're entering into uncharted territory, but we wouldn't have found the world if we didn't bother going into uncharted territory," he said.
"In general, I don't have any qualms about looking at anything. That's what we ought to be doing."
In an interview with the AP last Friday, McQuaid said he will propose an amnesty at UCI's next management committee meeting next week.
It is thought that an amnesty could help to draw a line under an era that was tarnished by doping.
"Once you do it, you've got to remember the 'W' (in WADA) stands for world, and there are lot more sports around than cycling," Howman said.
"You've got to be fair and harmonious in all the things you do. Let's just see what the concept is without going any further."
Like the UCI, WADA is still waiting to receive the evidence that led the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to conclude that Armstrong used banned substances.
Howman said WADA also wants to see the file, which he expects will arrive in the next week or two.
"Once that comes to hand, UCI have a right of appeal and we have a right of appeal after theirs expires," he said. "There is more water to go under the bridge before we can talk openly. We've got to just be patient and be quiet until the decision comes to hand."
7 thoughts on “WADA takes a cautious approach to ‘amnesty’ for dopers following Lance case”
Surely it is the way forward.
Surely it is the way forward. What’s been done has been done. Time to concentrate on the present and future.
Or to put it another way: Pat
Or to put it another way: Pat McQuaid knows USADA have him bang to rights, and is frantically “putting out feelers” to save his own rotten neck and the UCI, which if not actually complicit in doping, has demonstrated such incompetence as to be unfit for purpose.
Exactly right Rumpo. Not fit
Exactly right Rumpo. Not fit for purpose and utterly complicit in the LA doping scandal and, by induction, they must have known about many many more.
Nice idea, but if they do go
Nice idea, but if they do go down this route, the punishment from then on needs to be severe, need to do something to prevent our sport from getting in to such a state again!!
Life time ban anyone?
BEEN calling for WADA to act
BEEN calling for WADA to act with the IOC and institute “An ALL SPORTS AMNESTY” through my blogs and letters to John Fahey & Jacques Rogge !
Too bad they move so slowly ! Would have been better had Jacques Rogge announced ” An AMNESTY ” at the Olympic Opening Ceremony , instead of a request not to DOPE ! Remember he said so little about Doping , almost as if it was an after thought rather than the SCOURGE to Sport that it has become !
Certainly IOC is more concerned for the Revenue Stream than ” Joe Public ” but ACTION needs to be taken before 2016 where we will be invited to the ” CHEMICAL AIDED Olympic Games “!
LIFE TIME Bans for Athletes and their Support Staff if they past the ” Amnesty Deadline ” without admitting to their past wrongdoing !
A two stage Amnesty is required :
first stage , gives ALL an opportunity to present their case to a “Tribunal ” that will register their names on a Website and brief details of their admissions .
second stage will come some months later , when Staff working with an Athlete that did not register can ” Own up ” so as to save themselves from Life Time Bans , when those ” Non Registering Athletes get found out ! Keeping quiet , when they see their principle refuse to own up , is to be treated as Conspiracy !
Those engaged in the distribution of PED and running ” Doping Facilities ” need not apply , these are Criminal Activities and thus they will need to fear for their future !
Finally parents will be able to send their offspring for training , without fear of their being introduced to ” Short Cuts ” , in their Athletic Activities !
skippy wrote:
Those engaged
Many PED’s are not illegal per se. Your suggestion would require coherent and coordinated Government legislation worldwide. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, just that it’s unlikely to come to pass.
In my blogs , i have
In my blogs , i have suggested that because of the actions of WADA/IOC ,most governments would suspend ” Legal Actions ” to allow those ” Doping ” to come forward !
Have written to the President of Austria , suggesting this action , since they only in recent years , made ” Doping ” a Criminal Offence . Note the lack of Medals at the Olympic , but i do not suggest that previous Olympic Games Medals only came through ” Short Cuts ” rather than hard work and merit !