By Sally Young
The World Anti-Drug Agency was pioneered in the exhaust of the 1998 Tour de France, which set the record for the most drug addled sport; team after performance-enhanced team dropping out, until the field dwindled to about half if its original 189 bicyclists. WADA became the global leader in anti-doping capacities the following year, projecting authority over almost every international sport, from chess to triathlons to the Olympics.
WADA publishes an annual list of prohibited substances, and athletes must be available for no-notice drug testing. While the system is good, it is not without controversy. In 2008, for example, cyclist Kevin van Impe was making funeral arrangements for his infant son, Jayden, when he was interrupted by a drug tester who demanded an out-of-competition urine sample.
In 2009, WADA amended its study in human chemistry, with explosions guaranteed. Under "Whereabouts," athletes must file their location 24/7/365, even in the off season, even if injured and not competing. An athlete can be specifically targeted, with no limit to the number of times.
Although it's true that sports have a special stature in the world, and stakeholders are heavily invested, the only other group in the US under this obligation is convicted felons.
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