We launched a new initiative just over a year ago called Perspectives on Doping and Anti-Doping. The idea was to keep the discussion going between conferences by offering the opportunity for individuals to present accounts from their specific perspective. While there is no intention to become lobbyists, we are raising the more critical issues which often get lost in the headline stories of scandals or complexities of legal cases. As anti-doping testing increasingly widens to include amateur and masters athletes, there are many more cases where athletes are disproportionately affected by policies designed for elite athletes who have the support of nutritionists, doctors and anti-doping educators.

We started with the story of Jake Mak, who was banned for 2 years in controversial circumstances. Other athletes who have told us of their experiences of being sanctioned are triathlete Beth McKenzie and runner Baoying Lim. The full implications of a sanction are rarely discussed in public, but these stories show that emotional impacts and ripple effects are sometimes just as significant as the ban from competition. Two of our contributors are campaigning for changes to the policies and system to be more aware of athletes' rights and issues: the Paralympic powerlifter Ali Jawad who gave a recorded presentation at last year's INDR conference; and Rob Koehler, Director General of Global Athlete. Support for athletes is also addressed in the interviews with long distance runner, Robbie Britton, and sports scientist, Krista Austin. Legal issues are discussed in detail by the renowned American sports lawyer, Howard Jacobs, and by two expert Colombian lawyers, César Giraldo and Carlos Buitrago. Problems with the EPO test and its consequence for five athletes are explained by Erik Boye. Lastly, we have an interview with former cyclist and team manager, Johan Bruyneel, who explains the inconsistencies in his treatment in the aftermath of the USADA Reasoned Decision.

We are extremely grateful for those individuals who have given their time and expertise to help develop this project. We are hoping to present two more accounts in the near future. If anyone would like to participate, or knows of someone relevant who could contribute, please get in touch with us. We hope that you find these perspectives a useful resource for research and teaching, and would welcome any feedback or suggestions.