Olympic Games 2024: Senate allows generalization of genetic tests in the context of anti-doping

Genetic tests in the context of the fight against doping will be carried out on an ongoing basis in France, not just experimentally for some of them before, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP). Senators on Tuesday, January 24, passed the article of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) bill that deals with these tests, with amendments in this direction.

Initially, the government’s text planned to transpose the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code into French law, in order to organize the Olympic Games, by giving the French Anti-Doping Laboratory (LADF) the power to carry out analysis that it had not practiced before: the examination of genetic characteristics or the comparison of athletes’ genetic fingerprints in order to “Demonstrating the presence and use of prohibited substances or methods.” These tests were to be allowed during a limited period around the Games.

Senators on the committee initially wanted to separate two categories of genetic tests: on the one hand, tests aimed at comparing athletes’ genetic fingerprints to detect sample replacements or blood transfusions, providing advance information as a guarantee. the athlete and the subsidiary nature of this technique; On the other hand, the introduction of more intrusive techniques for the investigation of genetic characteristics aimed at detecting natural genetic mutations or the use of genetic doping techniques.

In the first instance, the tests for senators were intended to be permanent, beyond just the JOP. In the second case, they wanted the experiment to be carried out by June 2025, accompanied by an evaluation report in Parliament.

Finally, with an amendment submitted by Agnes Canayer, the rapporteur of the Law Commission bill, the senators abolished this distinction, removing the experiment stage for the most intrusive genetic tests. “The issue is to complete the process initiated by the commission to bring French law into line with the World Anti-Doping Code.”Mrs. Kanayer justified.