IOF at the WADA TUE Symposium

IOF at the WADA TUE Symposium

The WADA Therapeutic Use Exemption Symposium is currently taking place in Helsinki, Finland, 21-22 September.

Therapeutic Use Exemptions are a very sensitive issue in sport, and the symposium is an opportunity for representatives from National Anti-Doping Organizations, International  Federations and some international sports organizations to address key topics, with the objective of harmonizing the different approaches to the TUE process.

The 2-day programme includes topics such as contentious TUE case studies, cultural influences on the granting of TUEs, retroactive TUEs, medico-legal topics, as well as an interactive talk on the athlete’s perspective on TUEs.

Dr. Olli Heinonen, chair of the IOF Medical Commission and TUE Panel, is attending the Symposium on behalf of the IOF.

– Attending the symposium is extremely important for many reasons, he says. It gives an opportunity to be informed of challenging issues in the future, time to think in advance and build different options to avoid the problems and build systems to prevent the problems. It is also a chance to hear and discuss the problems on-hand and to hear how they are handled, with input from WADA and other International Federations. Meeting like this means we can share best practices, network with key bodies such as WADA, as well as build personal networks for the IOF. I feel confident that the IOF is very active and up-to-date in Anti-Doping issues, and our athletes in TUE issues are taken care of with the highest and latest expertise, he concludes.

-I am very happy that Dr. Heinonen was able to represent the IOF at the Symposium, as it was specifically tailored for clinicians, says IOF Anti-Doping Officer, Kirsty McIntyre. Our TUE process is something we take very seriously, and this is such an excellent opportunity to compare challenges with other organisations and learn from many experts in their respective fields.