Science Symposium

Since 2002, USADA has hosted the Annual USADA Symposium on Anti-Doping Science, aimed at bringing together anti-doping experts from around the world, including guests from more than 30 countries, to inform and shape meaningful anti-doping research programs for the future.

The attendees consist of WADA-accredited laboratories, anti-doping organizations, International Federations of the Olympic Movement, and scientific experts in the field of interest for each particular Symposium. A limited number of attendees are invited to attend the Symposium in order to provide a forum for exchanging scientific information.

The Symposium enables our attendees to stay up-to-date with the latest research and scientific developments in anti-doping and provides a unique opportunity to meet with peers and colleagues in their field.

Every year, the Symposium focuses on a key topic relevant to anti-doping science at that time. Read below for information regarding each Symposium.

The Elite Athlete: Differentiating Extraordinarily Normal from Abnormally Extraordinary

21st Annual USADA Symposium on Anti-Doping Science
September 30-October 3 , 2022 in Colorado Springs, CO

Joined by the world’s top experts, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) hosted the 21st Annual USADA Symposium on Anti-Doping Science to explore how we can better differentiate between truly extraordinary achievements and those aided by doping.

Over the course of the Symposium, experts from a wide range of backgrounds discussed key topics within the theme “The Elite Athlete: Differentiating Extraordinarily Normal from Abnormally Extraordinary.” Elite athletes have long been celebrated for their extraordinary ability to push the boundaries of human performance, both physically and mentally, in training and competition and often in extreme and challenging environments. The sub-four-minute mile, the Mt. Everest ascent without oxygen, the sub-10 second 100m, the marathon champion tennis matches – the examples of extraordinary human athletic feats in sport are endless. But in today’s sport world, it is easy for some to be conflicted about whether to celebrate or question such feats.