The New York Times carries the story that 5 Olympic sports do not meet WADA approval for out-of competition anti-doping tests.
The Olympic sports gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball, handball and modern pentathlon were cited by the World Anti-Doping Agency for failing to have consistent out-of-competition testing programs. The findings were submitted in a report to the agency’s executive committee and foundation board last weekend in Montreal. The report has been published on the agency’s Web site: wada-ama.org
Although sports that fail to apply the agency’s antidoping code risk being banned from the Olympics, WADA has extended the deadline for six months to give federations and national antidoping agencies more time to comply. WADA has no power to punish noncompliant groups, leaving that to the International Olympic Committee. Under I.O.C. rules, sports that do not apply the doping code face expulsion from the Olympics.
The International Volleyball Federation issued a statement Friday saying that it had met WADA’s demands to improve out-of-competition testing and had been removed from the noncompliance list. Modern pentathlon’s governing body said it also had met WADA’s requests.
As noted by the Times, WADA cannot effect punishment, however the agency does carry tremendous influence over the IOC, the committee that controls the Olympics.
In the past baseball was given trouble because that sport's out-of-season doping (and some might say in-season) does not meet WADA standards. As you may note baseball is no longer an Olympic sport in 2012.
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