A critical examination of the involvement of Canadian high-performance athletes in the development of anti-doping policy

The use of certain perfonnance enhancing substances and methods has been defined as a major ethical breach by parties involved in the governance of highperfonnance sport. As a result, elite athletes worldwide are subject to rules and regulations set out in international and national anti-doping policies. Existing literature on the development of policies such as the World Anti-Doping Code and The Canadian antiDoping Program suggests a sport system in which athletes are rarely meaningfully involved in policy development (Houlihan, 2004a). Additionally, it is suggested that this lack of involvement is reflective of a similar lack of involvement in other areas of governance concerning athletes' lives. The purpose ofthis thesis is to examine the history and current state of athletes' involvement in the anti-doping policy process in Canada's high-perfonnance sport system. It includes discussion and analysis of recently conducted interviews with those involved in the policy process as well as an analysis of relevant documents, including anti-doping policies. The findings demonstrate that Canadian athletes have not been significantly involved in the creation of recently developed antidoping policies and that a re-evaluation of current policies is necessary to more fully recognize the reality of athletes' lives in Canada's high-perfonnance sport system and their rights within that system.

Gas chromatographic electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometric (GC/ECNI/MS) determination of unique fluorinated compounds in the sediments of Lake Ontario and the effect of high-boiling alcohols (as injection solvents) on chromatographic behaviour of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in gas chromatography

Part I - Fluorinated Compounds A method has been developed for the extraction, concentration, and determination of two unique fluorinated compounds from the sediments of Lake Ontario. These compounds originated from a common industrial landfill, and have been carried to Lake Ontario by the Niagara River. Sediment samples from the Mississauga basin of Lake Ontario have been evaluated for these compounds and a depositional trend was established. The sediments were extracted by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and then underwent clean-up, fractionation, solvent exchange, and were concentrated by reduction under nitrogen gas. The concentrated extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography - electron capture negative ionization - mass spectrometry. The depositional profile determined here is reflective of the operation of the landfill and shows that these compounds are still found at concentrations well above background levels. These increased levels have been attributed to physical disturbances of previously deposited contaminated sediments, and probable continued leaching from the dumpsite. Part II - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is the most common method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from various matrices. Mass discrimination of high-boiling compounds in gas chromatographic methods is well known. The use of high-boiling injection solvents shows substantial increase in the response of late-eluting peaks. These solvents have an increased efficiently in the transfer of solutes from the injector to the analytical column. The effect of I-butanol, I-pentanol, cyclopentanol, I-hexanol, toluene and n-octane, as injection solvents, was studied. Higher-boiling solvents yield increased response for all PAHs. I -Hexanol is the best solvent, in terms of P AH response, but in this solvent P AHs were more susceptible to chromatographic problems such as peak splitting and tailing. Toluene was found to be the most forgiving solvent in terms of peak symmetry and response. It offered the smallest discrepancies in response, and symmetry over a wide range of initial column temperatures.