What can we learn about the anti-doping system from one athlete's case?
OLYMPIC OBSERVERS | Student perspectives on the business, politics and culture of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Just days before she could make her Olympic debut on home soil, Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler was provisionally suspended by the Italian anti-doping agency. She tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition test on January 26. It looked like the dream of representing her nation at the home Olympics was over.
Before athletes arrive at the Olympic Village, most anti-doping management is handled outside of the International Olympic Committee’s control. National anti-doping agencies (NADOs) conduct year-round testing at national championships, World Cups and Olympic qualifying events.
These government-funded bodies must comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA sets the World Anti-Doping Code and publishes a list of prohibited substances. They also standardize testing procedures and monitor NADOs for compliance. When disputes arise, they are usually resolved through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Though it appears tightly controlled, enforcement is decentralized to national agencies with varying funding, independence and resources. These disparities make it difficult for WADA and the IOC to ensure fair competition at the Olympics.
Ahead of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, the International Testing Agency managed a pre-Games anti-doping program on behalf of the IOC. While the agency reported that 92 per cent of athletes were tested. However, 63 per cent were tested by their own national agencies.
Because each country has discretion over when out-of-competition doping tests occur, how frequently and predictably athletes are tested and which sports are prioritized, oversight is not uniform. Testing rates and methods differ by country, meaning athletes reach the Olympics after facing inconsistent levels of scrutiny.
These gaps are sometimes a matter of money, but sometimes other factors come into play. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency failed to sufficiently test 31 per cent of athletes in the year prior to the Tokyo Olympics. They collected fewer samples in 2023 than nations with one-third of the USADA’s budget. Meanwhile, other countries are simply unable to increase their testing rates without also increasing their budgets.
This funding gap can create political tension. Half of WADA’s annual budget comes from national governments, the other from the IOC. When national governments start to disagree with WADA, they can withhold funding. Recently, the U.S. withheld funding due to disagreements over how a Chinese anti-doping investigation was conducted and resolved.
Formal non-compliance is rare because a WADA ban prevents athletes from participating in international events such as the Olympics if their country isn’t compliant. However ,being “compliant” doesn’t always mean the system is effective.
“Some NADOs may choose to bypass or evade anti-doping devices in order to be considered compliant, therefore threatening the quality of the anti-doping system,” note Ekain Zubizarreta and Julie Demsley say in a 2021 paper, creating an uneven risk of detection, even if the WADA code is not being broken.
So what happened to Rebecca Passler? She challenged her provisional suspension, arguing that her positive test was due to contamination and appealed in hopes of being reinstated in time to compete at her home Olympics.
Her case went to the Court for Arbitration of Sport, but on Feb. 7, CAS found it lacked jurisdiction because the matter remained within Italy’s domestic process. The final decision rested with the Italian anti-doping agency, which upheld Passler’s appeal on Feb. 13 and reinstated her eligibility.
But the reinstatement came too late.
She had already missed the women’s individual event. She was also bypassed when Italy’s women’s relay team was put together. On February 18 the Italian team raced, placing 11th in a field of 20. Rebecca Passler didn’t get the chance to make her Olympic debut on home snow.
In the end, Passler’s reinstatement did not come from an international body; it came from a national one. In the final days before the Games, the athlete’s Olympic eligibility hinged on a domestic decision.
This article is part of a collaborative series produced by students in KPER 4110: The Olympics and the Global Sporting Event within the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba.
Throughout the Winter 2026 term, students are exploring the complex intersection of elite athletics, geopolitical influences and the socio-economic impact of the Olympic movement. By analyzing the Milano Cortina 2026 Games in real-time, this series provides a hands-on opportunity for students to connect classroom learning and the global sporting reality.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the student author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Manitoba or the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management.
At UM, we encourage life-long curiosity while providing tools – inside and outside the classroom – to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Empowering learners is one of the strategic themes you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.
The Bisons Integrated Support Team brings a holistic approach to supporting student-athletes
From advocating for Indigenous Peoples at the UN to becoming Chief of her First Nation, this law student remains unstoppable.
Student exhibit examines health and social issues
Indigenous Student Recruitment strives to deliver support in a ‘good way’.
