ALAD's new logo;
The Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency (Agence Luxembourgeoise Antidopage - ALAD) has taken stock of its doping controls for the year 2020.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, ALAD had to adapt in order to maintain its activities last year. With the entry into force of the lockdown measures in mid-March 2020, interpersonal contact and travel were limited to the strict minimum. The measures brought sports competitions to a halt and training was no longer possible for the vast majority of sports disciplines due to the closure of infrastructures.
Due to these measures, ALAD had to temporarily suspend its doping controls. From 15 May 2020, the agency followed the directives of Luxembourg's Directorate of Health and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and focussed its efforts on athletes of the target group likely to be tested at home, whilst respecting health and safety conditions.
Doping controls
Nevertheless, ALAD carried out 133 urine checks during the past year, including 110 checks carried out in Luxembourg and 23 carried out abroad on Luxembourg athletes, at the request of the agency. Three checks resulted in whereabouts failures since the athletes were not at the location they had indicated in the Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS). Athletes are penalised in the case of three whereabouts failures within twelve months, which was not the case here.
36 controls took place during competitions, nineteen of which were requested by federations.
For two of the controls, the management of the results fell to the international federation.
In addition, 97 checks took place out of competition on elite Luxembourgish athletes. Of these checks, 42 included both urine and blood samples. Sixteen of these blood tests were carried out as part of the athlete biological passport.
All 133 analyses came back negative, with no athlete licensed in Luxembourg having tested positive.
In partnership with ALAD, the national school for physical education and sport, ENEPS, held trainings last year on sport and ethics, as well as anti-doping courses for coaches of different levels. The ALAD also held presentations on the fight against doping at Sportlycée and Lunex University.
The ALAD adopted the new World Anti-Doping Code developed by WADA. The code entered into force on 1 January 2021 and is accompanied by eight international standards intended to promote consistency of practices between anti-doping organisations in technical fields. The new 2021 code includes a number of important changes to anti-doping policy and rules in Luxembourg, including the international standard for authorisation of therapeutic use.
In 2020, ALAD was once again able to obtain its ISO 9001: 2015 certification for the following areas: planning and carrying out controls, results management, prevention measures and education.
New logo
On 16 December 2020, the board of directors gave its approval for the rebranding of ALAD. In the course of 2021, the agency will present itself with a new logo, a new marketing campaign and a new website.
ALAD has now unveiled its brand new logo, which is part of the process of its modernisation, visualisation and identification, nationally and internationally. The logo gives a new face to the agency and coincides with the start of its presence on social networks. The logo is derived from the first one that has represented ALAD since 2005. It is made up of three distinctive elements: the choice of a sporty and upright police force, which represents the integrity of ALAD; the equals sign which stands for fairness and loyalty, as can also be seen in the WADA logo; and finally, the red, white and blue colours representive of the Luxembourg tricolour flag. The new ALAD website will be visible in the coming weeks.
