The World Anti-Doping Agency has released an extensive 300-plus page report on its findings from 2016.
Overall, there were several notable facts:
- A 0.9 percent decrease in the overall number of samples analyzed: 303,369 in 2015 to 300,565 in 2016.
- A significant increase in the number of Adverse Analytical Findings (the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers, including elevated quantities of endogenous substances, or evidence of the use of a prohibited method in a doping control sample. Does not necessary connote a doping violation): 1.26 percent in 2015 (3,809 AAFs from 303,369 samples) to 1.60 percent in 2016 (4,822 AAFs from 300,565 samples). That’s an increased rate of 26.9%.
- 13 percent increase in the number of Athlete Biological Passport (an alternative detection method) samples analyzed: 25,012 in 2015 to 28,173 in 2016.
Click here to view the entire report.
In 4,199 blood and urine samples taken from volleyball and beach volleyball combined, 31 AAFs were found. Again, the presence of an AAF does not definitively indicate a doping violation. AAFs do not account for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), for example.
Zero AAFs were found in sitting volleyball, college volleyball and beach volleyball, and professional non-Olympic volleyball.
The report also details findings for alternative methods of testing.
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