IAAF To Begin Using Biological Passport

The IAAF hopes this new program will further improve drug screening.

Beginning this month, the IAAF is taking a new step to combat the use of banned substances by track and field athletes. The federation is now using the “Athlete Biological Passport” (ABP) program. The IAAF notes the ABP is comprised of three modules: haematological, steroid profile, and endocrine.

According a statement released by the IAAF, the ABP complements existing blood testing screening. “Along with large-scale blood testing programmes still conducted at IAAF and EA competitions, a limited number of international-level athletes competing in middle and long distance events are subject to regular blood tests and are closely monitored through the haematological module,” it wrote.

In addition to the haematological module, the IAAF notes that the endocrine module “could prove to be even more effective in the fight against doping.”

The IAAF announced it is planning to use this “ambitious and unprecedented  blood testing program” at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

This past year, the IAAF conducted a total of 1325 drug tests across 126 competitions.

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