IPC’s Milano Cortina 2026 Anti-Doping programme described as “outstanding” by WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Independent Observer team report for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games has described the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) anti-doping programme for the event as “outstanding”.

During the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the IPC collected 844 samples (urine, blood and dried blood spot) from 473 doping controls both in-competition and out-of-competition - the most ever for a Paralympic Winter Games. In total, 334 athletes from 39 of the 55 competing delegations were tested at least once during the Games across six competition venues. The testing led to four Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) which were related to the use of eye drops by athletes with a vision impairment.  All cases were resolved, with no further action taken, after the IPC established the administration of the prohibited substance in each case was through a permitted (ophthalmic) route.

WADA’s Independent Observer programme is an important element of its monitoring of Major Event Organisations' compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, with Independent Observer teams providing an independent review of all aspects of the anti-doping programs as delivered at international events monitored around the globe.

In addition to publishing this written report after the event, the IO team was also able to provide real-time feedback during the Games in a collaborative way. The report also provides recommendations for possible improvements to the program for future games. 

In its report, the Independent Observer team included six commendations and 22 recommendations to the IPC, WADA, future local organising committees, and National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) to consider to further strengthen the anti-doping system at future Games.

The report states that: “The IPC Anti-Doping Team delivered an outstanding anti-doping programme during the 2026 MiCo Games and set a strong benchmark for the management of anti-doping operations at a major international event. Their work demonstrated a high level of professionalism, dedication, and a clear commitment to the protection of clean athletes.

“Managing anti-doping activities across multiple venues and sports requires exceptional organisation, flexibility, and constant coordination. The IPC Anti-Doping Team met these challenges with confidence and efficiency. Through strong planning, intelligent testing strategies, effective use of technology, and practical problem solving in a fast-paced environment, they ensured the programme was delivered to a very high standard.”

Jude Ellis, the IPC’s Head of Anti-Doping, said: “At the IPC we are committed to clean sport and helping to ensure a level playing field for the athletes competing, so to receive such a positive report from WADA’s Independent Observer team is testament to the hard work put in by all of our stakeholders over a long period of time.

“With the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games taking place across three competition clusters and a wide geographical area, the planning and delivery of our anti-doping programme was more complex than ever before. We couldn’t have done it without the outstanding support we received from the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, NADO Italia and Volontari Antidoping (Vol.A). We are also grateful for the support we receive from NADOs around the world.  We rely on their most experienced doping control officers to carry out testing during the Games and a small number of NADOs also provide expert staff, at no cost, to support our back-office operations. 

“Throughout the Games WADA’s Independent Observer team provided an extra pair of eyes on our anti-doping programme and we are grateful for their support both during the Games and in producing this report, with commendations and recommendations on areas where we can improve for future Games.”

Prof. Dr. Vukasinovic-Vesic, Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia, chaired the Independent Observer team. She said: “Chairing WADA’s Independent Observer team at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games was among the most rewarding experiences of my career. The comprehensive Independent Observer report highlights the anti-doping programs strengths and outlines a number of recommendations to consider for future Games. On behalf of the Independent Observer team, I would like to extend our gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the International Paralympic Committee, the Anti-Doping Department of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee and NADO-Italia for their commitment to ensuring the integrity of these Winter Games. Their contributions ensured that a robust and efficient anti-doping program was in place throughout the 2026 Winter Paralympics. We would also like to thank the staff and volunteers – their passion for clean sport shone through and their contributions were vital to the program’s success.” 

Team effort

The IPC’s anti-doping team was supported on the ground at the Games by five anti-doping experts who volunteered to oversee the delivery of the testing programme across the three competition clusters.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee provided essential logistical support and the Italian National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO Italia), together with anti-doping personnel seconded from NADOs worldwide worked behind the scenes to implement the IPC’s testing plans.

A team of very experienced and professional Doping Control Officers (DCOs) were recruited from within Italy and worldwide, as far afield as Australia, to carry out the doping controls, collecting urine and/or blood samples from athletes. The DCOs were supported by a small army of certified volunteer chaperones, trained and managed by Vol.A, a voluntary association that is a legacy of the Torino 2006 Games.

In addition, volunteer members of the Independent Anti-Doping Tribunal and the IPC’s Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Committee were also onsite to provide support.

Anti-doping education and engagement

Prior to the Games, the IPC encouraged National Paralympic Committees to make anti-doping education mandatory for all athletes and their support personnel, with support from their respective National Anti-Doping Organisation.

To complement this, the IPC once again collaborated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to launch an e-learning course, “ADEL for Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games”, which covers a range of essential topics and Games-specific anti-doping information.  Over 500 athletes and support personnel enrolled in the course, with approximately 350 completing the certification.

WADA’s athlete engagement team were also onsite in Cortina, to raise awareness about clean sport while engaging athletes and their support personnel to get involved.   The IPC also spent some time in Milan and Predazzo to help ensure athletes competing at those clusters had the opportunity to engage on anti-doping.

Paperless testing

The Independent Observer team report commended the IPC in six areas, in particular the use at a Paralympic Games of a paperless solution for test planning, doping control allocation, and completion of doping control forms. The use of a paperless solution was recommended in WADA Independent Observer team reports from previous Paralympic Games and its introduction improved planning and made for a more efficient athlete experience.

Working with Professional Worldwide Controls, the IPC welcomed the use of the MODOC paperless testing.  Paperless testing reduces the risk of errors during sample collection and eliminates the need for manual data entry, thereby reducing workload and paper.  Most importantly, it also provides a faster more professional sample collection process for athletes.

Anti-Doping Taskforce

For the second successive Paralympic Games, the IPC established and implemented a pre-Games Anti-Doping Taskforce to assist in assessing the doping risk of sports included in the Paralympic Winter Sports Programme, and identifying athletes to recommend for testing prior to the Games. The Taskforce issued 303 athlete test recommendations to National or Regional Anti-Doping Organisations and International Federations.

While WADA’s Independent Observer team commended the IPC for the Taskforce it did recommend that it be established at least 12 months before future editions of the Paralympic Games.

The IPC was also commended for its dried blood spot testing strategy which formed part of its Test Distribution Plan during the Games and using a target testing system which the WADA Independent Observer team noted other international events could benefit from.

The IPC team was also praised for providing access to, and informing athletes of the existence of, the Anti-Doping Ombuds, and offering the Medication Check tool (which links with the Global Drug Reference Online) to help athletes and support staff identify prohibited substances in medications.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games took place between 6-15 March and featured a record 611 athletes from 55 National Paralympic Committees.