In December the World Anti-Doping Agency came out with it’s “Whereabouts” App for the i-Phone and WADA has just announced that the Android version of the app is now available for athletes to use.
The app is a way for athletes to submit the necessary information to national federation for their “Whereabouts” filings. Each athlete who is in their respective federation’s Whereabouts testing pool must notify the organization of where they will be for at least a 60 minute window every day. These 60 minutes must fall between 6 AM and 11 PM
“The app puts athletes’ interests first, by providing them with an easy, accessible way to report their whereabouts and ensure they observe all the relevant regulations,” said WADA President Sir Craig Reedie.
“Everyone benefits from this efficient solution, and we are pleased to offer the app to the athlete Android users.”
This is a vital part of the anti-doping mechanism, as it allows testers to show up unannounced for out-of-competition testing. Three failures to either file, or be at the filed location, within 18 months results in disciplinary action.
The app was originally launched in the Netherlands in 2012 by their own internal Anti-Doping Agency.
Detailed information on the athletes whereabouts program can be found here
Why did athletes ever consent to this? Seems awfully invasive.
When do athletes start getting tested? is it based on performance level or is there age requirements?