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Norwegian sport is in serious trouble and risks being thrown out of all international championships.
Now a quick panic solution has been found, but which is not at all convincing.
– This is proof of how badly this process has been managed in recent years, says Norwegian columnist Jan Petter Saltvedt.
Last year, Norwegian sports were fundamentally shaken after a most disturbing revelation by the Norwegian newspaper NRK. According to the newspaper’s information, Norway has found itself in serious trouble due to a doping crisis.
Norway’s crisis
The reason is that the organization Antidoping Norway, ADNO, has not at all doping tested young people from 15 years and up to 18 years in recent years. Because you are not allowed to doping test young athletes without parental permission, according to Norwegian legislation.
This could now lead to Norway being completely excluded from all major international championships from the beginning of next year. Mainly because Norwegian law violates the international anti-doping organization Wada’s strict regulations to combat doping.
Making decisions
After the most serious revelation, Antidoping Norway and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture have met in Oslo and decided on a short-term crisis solution to solve the problem. Which means that Norwegian sports youth aged 15-18 must be tested for doping if the parents approve.
– Getting this done before the 9th of September, which is the deadline we have been given by Wada, is not realistic. Some legal assessments have been made as to whether it is possible within the current legislation and we are looking at it once again. But getting it done by September 9th is not realistic. At the same time, we are looking at creating separate legislation, says Norway’s state secretary Gry Haugsbakke to the newspaper NRK.
But the panic move is not well received around sports Norway. In fact, it is sawn hard by the NRK columnist Jan Petter Saltvedt.
– Everyone says that this is the only solution in the short term. If we are to believe it, it is proof of how badly this process has been managed in the last three years, he says, elaborating on his criticism:
– The parental power of attorney is a possibility that has been there all along. And it unfortunately does nothing to change the fundamental problem or to correct the impression of a sporting nation without control and its own anti-doping legislation. Young athletes can still dope in theory without being tested. This is like plugging a hole with a strainer.
It remains to be seen how Wada reacts to Norway’s new solution to doping testing young athletes. If it is approved or if Norwegian sports are actually thrown out of all competitions, which would be a huge failure for the country’s sports investment.
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