The International Testing Agency (ITA) has lauded the International Canoe Federation for demonstrating “leadership” and says the organisation is “building a legacy of integrity”.
Valerie Fourneyron, Chair of the ITA Foundation Board, gave a presentation on the second day of the ICF Congress in Antalya, Turkiye on Friday.
The ICF entered a partnership with the ITA in January 2023 to enhance the independence and professionalism of the anti-doping programme for paddlers.
Since then, the ITA has been managing the ICF’s entire testing programme after an initial period of partial delegation in 2022.
Fourneyron said the ITA and ICF had made “remarkable progress” over the past two years to ensure a cleaner and fairer sport.
“By entrusting this crucial work to the ITA, the ICF has demonstrated leadership and foresight, providing canoe athletes worldwide with a robust, independent system dedicated to clean sport,” said Fourneyron.
“Our partnership is not merely operational, it’s transformational.
“Since the full delegation, the ITA has implemented an intelligence-based testing strategy, specifically tailored for canoeing.
“In 2024 alone, testing increased by 30 per cent, reinforcing our shared goal of deterring doping and ensuring a fair competition.
“Enhanced detection approaches, such as the use of the endocrine and blood steroid modules of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), alongside new data analysis tools, have elevated our anti-doping measures.
“These innovations ensure that our testing strategy remains precise and effective, safeguarding the sanctity of the sport for both current and future generations.”
Fourneyron highlighted the ITA’s long-term storage for samples collected from paddlers, allowing samples to be analysed up to 10 years after the collection date as new technologies emerge.
She also underlined the importance of intelligence and investigation activities and praised the ICF’s cooperation to education athletes.
The ITA has been working with the ICF to implement the 2023-2026 ICF Clean Sport Education Plan.
As part of this, the ITA delivered a series of five webinars in 2023 attended by almost 450 athletes, administrators, coaches and other members of the ICF community.
Fourneyron thanked the ICF for its investment in the anti-doping programme.
“By supporting clean sport, the ICF is building a legacy of integrity, ensuring that every medal won, every record broken, and every achievement celebrated is the result of hard work, dedication, and fair play,” added Fourneyron.
“As we look to the future, it is clear that this journey of clean sport is an ongoing commitment.
“These past two years of enhanced anti-doping efforts have set a new standard, and it is critical that we continue along this path while ensuring as well the financial sustainability of the programme.”
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