Only 153 days to go...
Thank
you to all National Federation (NFs) who have returned their NF Surveys
to ITU Headquarters. To date we have 21 NFs who have responded.
We cannot overstate the importance of returning this survey and the role
this data will play in re-shaping ITU for the next Olympiad.
The
final date for returning the survey is 31 March. Every NF that returns
the survey by this deadline will receive a free dvd of the ITU Kids Triathlon
Training video. Please
contact ituhdq@triathlon.org if you have any questions about the survey
or if you did not receive your copy.
2. Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE):
ITU President writes: To National Federations affiliated to ITU,
Greetings,
As you are doubtless aware, the World Anti-Doping Agnecy (WADA) are applying
strict rules and regulations concerning out of competition testing.
ITU has signed an agreement with WADA to cooperate fully with their requests
and I am confident that all National Federations agree fully with this
important agreement.Of major importance is the necessity for athletes
to show that they have the right to use prescribed medications to control
asthma induced by exercise or other causes.
The official WADA form for "Therapeutic Use Exemption" (TUE)
has been posted on the ITU Website at URL: http://www.triathlon.org/itu/index.htm
on the ITU website.
Thank you to the many athletes who suffer from this debilitating disease
and have already completed the new forms and filed them with ITU Headquarters.However,
the previous conditin for exclusion from any penalty was a letter froma
physician testifying that the athlete did in fact suffer from asthma induced
by exercise.
WADA has deduced that this is not sufficient. Please find attached the
formal WADA document that you need to get to all of your athletes who
have this health problem. WADA testing may occur prior to the ITU World
Cup event in Ishigaki, 11 April 2004. I would therefore respectfully request
that you send the TUE forms for each of your affected to ITU Headquarters
on or before 6 April 2004, in order to comply with the ITU / WADA rules.Please
note that failure to do so could result in a 2 year penalty for the athlete,
and the inability to compete during that period.
Thank you for your patience and attention to this important item. You
and I both know that our athletes are clean from the scourge of doping,
and view with dismay the dreadful reports of drugs in sport.
I would be grateful if you could address this item immediately.
I look forward to your response. Les McDonald, President
3.
World Cup Events:
The start list for the Ishigaki ITU World Cup has been posted - a wonderful
field of the world's best athletes will go head-to-head competing for
valuable spots in the 2004 Madeira ITU World Championships and the Athens
Olympic Games.
Entries to the Mazatlan ITU World Cup and 2004 Madeira World Championships
are now being accepted. Remember that all elite, U/23 and Junior entries
for the World Championships entries must go through ITU Headquarters.
© www.triathlon.org 2004