Overview
- David Howman told delegates that the global fight against doping has stalled, with intentional elite offenders slipping past current detection systems.
- The AIU’s recorded casework has grown — international cases rose from 62 in 2021 to 100 in 2024 and national cases from 185 to 305 — yet Howman said authorities are still not catching enough cheats.
- He urged a shift away from box‑ticking compliance toward ambitious anti‑doping programs, prioritising scientific research, closer alignment between WADA and leading ADOs, and regular scrutiny of WADA’s standards.
- Howman also called for greater transparency on anti‑doping data to rebuild credibility, saying the system’s ineffectiveness risks the clean‑sport message falling on deaf ears.
- Recent high‑profile actions include Ruth Chepngetich’s three‑year ban with her marathon record standing, Fred Kerley’s provisional suspension for whereabouts failures, and Marvin Bracy‑Williams’s 45‑month sanction, while the AIU has sanctioned 427 athletes since 2017.