UKAD Doping Control Officers selected to join Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games doping control team

Five UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Doping Control Officers (DCOs) will be travelling to PyeongChang in February, having been selected by the PyeongChang Organising Committee (POCOG) as part of their official doping control team for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The selection represents endorsement from the highest level of the global anti-doping community and  recognises the high standards which UKAD sets for its staff, training and processes. Four DCOs who have been trained and accredited by UKAD, will be part of a 45-strong testing team during the Winter Olympics, while another UKAD Doping Control Officer will be one of 25 DCOs at the Winter Paralympics.

UKAD Head of Testing, Hamish Coffey, said: “It’s fantastic to have such a strong presence of UKAD DCOs at the upcoming Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is testament to the high regard in which UKAD DCOs are held, due to our excellent training and assessment process which ensures our DCOs maintain the most professional standards.“

UKAD requires its Doping Control Personnel to undertake assessments at least every two years to ensure all processes are being correctly followed, and to update DCOs on any changes to the sample collection process.

In the past 12 months, UKAD has also helped train DCOs for the National Anti-Doping Organisations in Cyprus, Israel and Malta, as well as DCOs in Sri Lanka and Russia since 2015.