By its very nature competitive sport is all about gaining an advantage over an opponent. From the earliest recorded history of sport athletes have sought ways to overcome an opposition in the pursuit of victory and success.
In the 1960s sport officials became concerned following multiple sport deaths related to excessive use of stimulants, particularly in endurance cycling events. This led to the introduction in 1968 of drug testing for amphetamines and other stimulant agents by the IOC.
As sport has become more sophisticated, so have the performance enhancing strategies employed by athletes and this sophistication applies equally to the use of drugs and doping practices.
This presentation will review the history of drug use in sport and summarise the evolution of the WADA drug code and drug testing. It will also address the challenges facing current sport administrators in controlling the ever expanding options for drug cheats in the 21st century and beyond.