Montreal, Apr 08: The International Triathlon Union and the Australian Olympic Committee are among the first sports organisations to adopt the world anti-doping code, the world anti-doping agency (WADA) announced. The International Association of Amateur Boxing and the International Chess Federation have formally adopted the code as well as the united states anti-doping agency and the Canadian centre for ethics in sports. "The speed with which these organisations have taken measures to adopt the code reflects the momentum that the recent world conference in Copenhagen has provided in the fight against doping in sport," said Dick Pound, president of WADA. "These steps will encourage others to follow suit at their Congresses and meetings in the coming year and will demonstrate the willingness of sports organisations to implement the code prior to the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004." The code is the first document to harmonise the rules and regulations concerning anti-doping across all countries and all sports.

It was approved by delegates at the world conference on doping in sport, which brought together 1,200 participants in Copenhagen in March.

Wada is hoping sports organisations formally adopt and implement the code according to their internal procedures prior to the Olympic Games in 2004.

Bureau Report