There's one Israeli at the Paris Olympics who hasn’t had a single positive test result – and that’s a good thing. Meet Kobi Barak, 43, a member of the Israeli Anti-Doping Agency (NADO ISR) and the only drug tester from Israel in Paris. If he had also caught the Afghan judoka Mohammad Samim using steroids, that would have been perfect.
How did you get involved with the Israeli Anti-Doping Agency?
"I got into this through my master's studies in biology at Tel Aviv University," says Barak. "I met a PhD student there who worked at the agency, and he brought me in. The training is done within the agency, and there are no specific entry requirements or degrees needed, although most testers have academic degrees. They were looking for someone with a background like mine – I founded animal welfare organizations, had managerial roles, and it suited them."
What does an Olympic workday look like?
"We are 350 testers and 700 volunteers from around the world. The volunteers are the ones who call the athletes for tests at every competition, and we conduct them. For example, I was at swimming, badminton, boxing, and climbing. There's also a large complex in the Olympic Village where we work, with longer shifts and many tests. The work varies a lot; it can range from four to eight hours a day. We explain the test to the athlete, they provide urine, and we transfer it to special large WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) jars for testing."
Barak, who also worked at the European Games in Poland last year, works almost full-time at the Israeli Anti-Doping Agency, focusing on education and providing training to associations and athletes. "The Israeli agency has developed and become professional to a global standard. At international events, I see how high our capabilities are. We underwent professional training, and today we are at the top of the field worldwide. From a few lectures, we reached over a hundred training sessions in Israel last year. We want to prevent unintentional doping by explaining the consequences."
Sometimes, Barak has time after the tests to catch a competition or two. He also managed to see Misha Zilberman up close at the badminton tournament. But the most unique experience he had wasn't in one of the halls or tracks.
Have you had any unique experiences at the Olympics?
"The athletes are very disciplined and don't cause problems, but there was one incident. The volunteers are ordinary people who receive training on their role at that moment, and the head of testing told me there was a problem with summoning a gymnast from North Korea for a test. I went to their building in the Olympic Village, and it turns out the Palestinian delegation was also staying there. I got into the elevator with two Palestinian athletes, a huge Palestinian flag, they were talking to each other in Arabic. Nothing on me indicated that I was from Israel, so they didn't know and said goodbye in English. I continued to the North Korean floor, solved the issue that arose, and their delegation member thanked me for the help and patience. He gave me a pin of their delegation and asked where I was from. I answered 'Israel,' and he laughed, made an M16 gesture, and started saying 'pew pew pew.' Later he somehow explained, he didn't speak much English, that politics didn’t interest him at all, only eating well."
Is it really possible to test positive after eating contaminated meat, a popular excuse for athletes?
"Definitely, but the likelihood is very low. Most doping in the world is intentional, but there are cases of unintentional doping. We know that in rare cases, doping occurs by mistake, so it's important to understand the rules and regulations."
But there's also very intentional doping, right?
"There's a constant arms race between professionals trying to refine methods to bypass the system and WADA trying to catch it. The goal is to improve detection methods."
Do you have any connection with the Israeli delegation?
"Officially no, but we're a small country, so I've already met some of the athletes in Israel during tests and training sessions, so they say hello. I followed their achievements."
Is there good money in this job?
"If being a millionaire is your thing, don't become a drug tester at the Olympics. The work isn't hard, but it's interesting and important. We get to see major competitions and the best athletes in the world. Without us, the number of drug users would be significantly higher. Just like a mall security guard's presence makes someone think twice about entering with a weapon, we prevent the use of banned substances. Without us, the Olympics would look entirely different."