Surveillance and control in sport: a sociologist looks at the WADA whereabouts system

Abstract

This paper draws upon the sociology of Norbert Elias to examine some central aspects of the whereabouts system introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as part of its anti-doping policies. More specifically, the paper aims to: (1) locate the whereabouts system within the context of broader social processes, including changing practices and ideas concerning surveillance and control, personal liberty, privacy and democracy; (2) examine the impact of the introduction of the whereabouts system on the relationship between elite athletes andWADA; and (3) examine some of the difficulties in developing and implementing anti-doping policy. In relation to the latter, it is suggested that the introduction of the whereabouts policy has had a number of unplanned consequences which, from WADA’s perspective, will almost certainly be seen as unwelcome: the alienation of large numbers of athletes, whose cooperation is essential if the system is to operate smoothly and efficiently; the deteriorating relationship with other key organizations such as the EU; the emergence of a challenge, led by the European Elite Athletes Association, to the legitimacy of decision-making processes withinWADA; and finally, the uneven application of the whereabouts requirements which has led to the creation of what many athletes see as a new form of unfairness. Keywords: anti-doping policy; performance-enhancing drugs; WADA