Caribbean anti-doping chief lauds Cayman

By Cayman Sports Buzz
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Updated: 28 October 2016

Dr Adrian Lorde addresses a Caribbean RADO board meeting in Cayman.

The chairman of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) has praised the work done by the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee (CIOC) and its Medical and Anti-Doping Commission.

No Caymanian athlete has ever failed a doping test in or out of competition, which the Medical and Anti-Doping Commission attributes, in part, to its extensive work with athletes, starting in schools.

“We in the Caribbean RADO and, by extension, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), are very happy with the work that Cayman Islands have been doing,” said Dr Adrian Lorde, while he was on island to attend a board meeting of his organisation.

Dr Lorde’s comments came in an interview with CaymanSportsBuzz.com Editor Ben Meade on The Saturday Sports Show on Star 92.7FM on 22 October. Joining him was the chairman of the local Medical and Anti-Doping Commission James Myles.

Mr Myles explained that local sporting bodies have been very receptive to the work of the commission, even ensuring they invite his group to conduct testing, especially in instances where athletes are threatening national records or qualifying for international competition.

“Because the Medical and Anti-Doping Commission is a sub-committee of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, the participation of Olympic sports – in particular – has been great,” he said. “They rely on the input and governance of the Olympic Committee in getting athletes to high-level competitions. So, they respond to whatever the Olympic Committee says needs to happen.”

He credited this to the education done year-round by the commission. “We do a lot of education in the schools in physical education classes [and] at club level. So, Cayman Islands is very much compliant.”

Donald McLean CIOC President and Caribbean RADO representative for Cayman, Dr. Verley Campbell, Dr. Ruthlyn Pomares Doping Control Officer (DCO), James Myles MADC Chairman and DCO, Merta Day DCO, Joel Francis Ministry of Sports MADC representative.

Mr Myles said his commission has trained doping control officers and is also looking to have more trained to international standards. That’s an important step, as WADA is stepping up the intensity of its scrutiny of national organisations on the heels of evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russia ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year. As a result, Russia has faced international sanctions and all but one of its athletes were banned from competing in track and field in Rio.

Dr Lorde said the threat of blacklisting is real for national organisations. “WADA has now contracted an independent organisation to look at each country to see that they are doing what they are supposed to do in the right way,” he said, adding that everything appeared above board with Russia until a whistle-blower spilled the beans.

“In the past, WADA has been checking compliance but they would send a questionnaire and you would tick out yes or no…it will be more definitive and more invasive – the compliance in the future,” the Caribbean anti-doping chief explained.

“If Cayman Islands was not doing testing and education of the athletes; if the Cayman Islands did not have trained doping control officers, then things of that nature would go against Cayman. It’s not only to be trained but also to be re-trained.”

Dr Lorde also pointed out that from the beginning more than a decade ago, Cayman has been an integral part of the set-up. “When we formed this organisation, Cayman Islands knocked at the door and said ‘we want to get involved’. The president of your national Olympic committee, Donald McLean, has attended all of our board meetings and made tremendous input,” he said.