December 12/05 7:18 am - Anti-doping Database, Klassen & Hughes Up for Award

Posted by Editor on 12/12/05
 

New Online Drug Database Helps Canadian Athletes Compete Doping-Free
Courtesy SIRC

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) launched a new online global Drug Information Database (DID) today. As Canada's world-recognized sport ethics and anti-doping agency, the CCES partnered with UK Sport, its counterpart in the United Kingdom, to provide athletes and their support personnel with easily accessible and accurate information about which drugs, medications, and other substances are prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Visitors can search the DID (www.didglobal.com) for sport-specific information on pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medication products sold in Canada and the UK. The site also contains information about the classes of prohibited substances, details on applying for therapeutic use exemptions, and traveling tips for athletes who train and compete abroad. Links to systems providing similar information about products sold in some other countries are also provided.

"This new service provides Canadian athletes and their support personnel with instant, accurate answers on which medications and substances are prohibited in sport," said Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES. "As an alternative to calling the CCES' toll-free Info-Line, athletes now have 24-hour access to this important information via the Internet."

The DID Global is built on UK Sport's successful Drug Information Database, which has proven itself popular with the British sport community since 2002. Recognizing the logic of a single source of information on how national brands compare to the internationally adopted Prohibited List, the two national anti-doping organizations partnered to extend the DID to the Canadian sport community.

"A long-term goal of this collaborative effort with UK Sport is to create a single online resource where athletes can obtain information on the sport status of medications and substances no matter where the product was purchased," said Mr. Melia. The CCES and UK Sport will continue to work together to actively promote the DID to other anti-doping organizations around the world, demonstrating its benefits for athletes and athlete support personnel.


Hughes and Klassen Finalists for Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year
Courtesy Speedskating Canada

Two previous winners have been nominated Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association's selection for Female Athlete of the Year for 2005. Two-time recipient Cindy Klassen (2002-2003) of speed skating fame, and her teammate and speed skating compatriot Clara Hughes (1996).