The history of The Anti-Doping Database

The history of the Anti-Doping Database started in with a simple idea sparked by the act of translating doping-related news reports from English to Norwegian.

In 2005, a pivotal moment occurred that birthed the Anti-Doping Database. Trond Husø, a Norwegian sports journalist, was translating news about doping from English to Norwegian while working for the news agency ANB.

Amidst this task, a visionary idea came to mind: “What if I stored this information in a database. These reports I now translate could become better thanks to more data.”

Husø also believed the Anti-Doping Database could not only serve as a repository for the current stories but potentially the database could be a treasure chest of information for future articles.

An Evolutionary Voyage

Since its inception, the Anti-Doping Database has grown to be much more than what he thought it would ever be. Over the soon to be 20 years of existence, the database has documented over 12,000 athletes who has been banned due to doping infractions.

The Anti-Doping Database started out as a tool for sports journalists dissecting doping incidents. Over time, its horizon expanded to embrace an array of other professions.

Academics, sports lawyers, national anti-doping organizations, and even event organizers have become part of its devoted user base. This evolution underscores the database's transformation from a niche tool to a cornerstone of comprehensive insights.

Pioneering Use Cases

The resonance of the Anti-Doping Database extends beyond its creation, manifesting in meaningful use cases across domains:

Preserving Olympic Purity

We know that different Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has been using the Anti-Doping Database. They have harnessed the database's power to safeguard their marketing endeavors. By cross-referencing athlete histories, they deftly sidestepped inadvertently promoting athletes with doping pasts.

Illuminating Trends

We also know that the Intelligence Department at different National Anti-Doping Organisations have leveraged the database as a treasure trove of insights. By dissecting the aggregated data, trends in doping infractions emerged, enabling strategic responses to protect the integrity of the sporting arena.

Guardians of Integrity

Integrity units of International Sports Federations have also used added our database into their arsenal. By using the Anti-Doping Database they can help ensure sports remain untainted by the shadows of doping, safeguarding the essence of competition.

Navigating Legitimate Beginnings

Before he built the Anti-Doping Database, Husø undertook a diligent process. He sought the green light from the Norwegian Data Directorate, ensuring that crafting such a register aligned with legal and ethical guidelines. Given the database's focus on journalistic pursuits, it seamlessly fell within the bounds of legitimacy.

We have also made sure our data is in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Also, our users’ data is protected by this regulation.

Our goal: The most complete database of banned athletes

Since the beginning we have not restricted us to just one sport or just one country. No, we register information on banned sports persons from all sports and all countries. Which is why you can even find that there are doping cases in bowls, curling and bocchia.

We will continue to strive to reach this goal.