In this interview, Andreas reflects on how stepping into the shoes of a DCO offered him a new level of understanding—and renewed motivation—for his work in product development.
Working closely with products like sample collection kits, Andreas was particularly struck by seeing them in action “An interesting topic for me was the part where our products are directly used. For us, this is the mission. But for the DCO and the athlete, the whole thing is the mission. When they use our urine collection vessel, pour the urine into our kits, clos the kits – its interesting to see that when the kit is closed with our Berlinger-Blick, this is a very important moment for the DCOs. They can relax a little because the sample is sealed, and that’s a huge step in the process.”
Despite his familiarity with the products, the responsibilities of a DCO brought new challenges: “The handling of the product was something I was used to. I was way more nervous about getting the rights and responsibilities for the athletes correctly. A DCO has to have so many things in mind and be very precise – I was more nervous about that.”
Andreas praised the high standard of the course and its international atmosphere: “The whole level of the course starts with the coaches, wo are very professional, very experienced DCOs. They have so many good stories around the mission. People came from everywhere in the world, and it made a good impression on me.it gives hope that the level worldwide in testing standards will be high.”
A memorable moment for Andreas was how trainers used relatable metaphors to make procedures accessible: “The whole usability and the stories around our products – like “open the box like a pizza box”. (…) If you explain it that way, its done, because everyone has opened a pizza box.”
Overall, the experience gave Andreas not only a deeper appreciation of the role of DCOs but also reinforced his passion for product development: “It was very interesting to see what a DCO does. And, at the end, I’m a developer-I think am going to stick to my job.”
About ITA
The International Testing Agency (ITA) is an independent, non-profit organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, founded in 2018 on the initiative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It delivers clean sport programmes for International Federations, Major Event Organisers and other partners seeking to protect the integrity of sport and the health of athletes. With a commitment to transparency, expertise and independence, the ITA has been recognised by UNESCO as a leading authority in clean sport and is today the world’s largest provider of anti-doping programmes.