President's report: IFBB winning the battle against drugs
Flex, March, 2003 by Dean Brierly
FLEX magazine is proud to reprint in its entirety the annual President's Report, which was delivered by Ben Weider at the IFBB International Congress in Cairo, Egypt, on October 27, 2002.
In last year's report, I delivered a loud and clear message:
Cheating, by using steroids and other drugs, is unacceptable in the IFBB and will not be tolerated. I am proud to report that we continue to make groundbreaking strides in that area. In response to recent policy changes by the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency, we have thoroughly updated the IFBB Doping Control Policy and Anti-Doping Program. This move to match the IOC's aggressive position will help ensure a level playing field for
the vast majority of our bodybuilding athletes who practice sportsmanship and would never consider using drugs to gain an advantage.
And when I say a vast majority of the athletes competing under the IFBB umbrella are drug-free, that is not a notion, that is fact. Over the past five years [1996-2001], the number of positive test results at IFBB drug-tested contests has decreased 86%. That incredible decrease is testimony to the unwavering vigilance of the national federations and the commitments of our leaders, who
strictly enforce our zero-tolerance policy against doping.
Continue reading at
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_1_21/ai_98542724/(Emphasis added)
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Dear Bob,
The fans want to know: is the IFBB still winning the battle against drugs? Are the vast majority of the athletes competing under the IFBB umbrella still drug-free?
As athletes' rep, we hope you can set our mind at ease on this important matter.
