The International Testing Agency (ITA) is set to run an independent anti-doping programme for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
A group of experts from the ITA will issue up to 25,000 recommendations to anti-doping organizations leading into the Games to ensure effective testing is conducted globally.
ITA will also work with the IOC during the Games too.
This has led to the formation of the ITA Tokyo 2020 Pre-Games Expert Group, a task force of specialists from International Federations representing both team and individual sports, as well as national and regional anti-doping organizations from five world continents.
The ITA organizes the group's meetings and activities.
These experts will be responsible for reviewing anti-doping information on athletes who are likely to compete at the Games.
It performs a risk assessment and shares testing recommendations with other anti-doping organizations.
Prior to the postponement of Tokyo 2020 in March due to COVID-19, the group had already started its work and in the past six months, it has re-calibrated its efforts in order to start issuing recommendations based on new qualification lists and updated risk assessments.
There will be up to 25,000 recommendations made from the group in 33 countries.
This week, the ITA Pre-Games Expert Group issues recommendations targeting around 6,000 individual athletes and 124 teams.
The launch was accompanied by a webinar explaining the guidelines and follow-up actions to almost 200 members of International Federations and anti-doping organizations.
The ITA will also be handling the anti-doping programme on-site from the opening of the Olympic Village to the end of the competition, with the ITA looking to collect around 6,000 samples before and during the Games.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 23rd to August 8th, 2021.
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