Anti-Doping

WADA was established in November 1999.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

The discovery of organised doping in the Festina team led to a world conference in Lausanne in 1999.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

WADA moved its headquarters to Montreal in 2002.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

Its budget is shared between the sport movement and public authorities.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

The first Code took effect in 2004, ahead of the Athens Olympics.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

World Triathlon is a Code signatory, and national anti-doping rules apply to its members.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

NADOs such as USADA or UKAD test, educate and prosecute cases nationally.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Only accredited labs may analyse samples for anti-doping purposes.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Major revisions took effect in 2009, 2015 and 2021.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

CAS, based in Lausanne, is the final appeal body for sport disputes.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

WADA publishes a revised list annually.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Performance enhancement, health risk and violating the spirit of sport: two out of three are needed.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Substances are assessed against these three criteria.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Substances such as anabolic agents and EPO are banned at all times.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Stimulants, narcotics, cannabinoids and glucocorticoids are banned in competition only.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Erythropoietin is in class S2, peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Diuretics dilute urine and can hide other drugs, so they are listed as masking agents.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Section M covers blood manipulation, chemical or physical tampering and gene doping.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Under strict liability athletes are responsible for any substance, so annual changes matter.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Inhaled salbutamol is permitted up to set daily and eight-hourly limits without a TUE.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Intent is not needed to establish the presence violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Articles 2.1 to 2.11 set out eleven violations.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection is a violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Tampering includes altering samples or giving false information to officials.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Athletes may not work professionally with sanctioned coaches, doctors or other support personnel.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Discouraging or retaliating against people who report doping became a violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Several violations, such as administration, complicity and trafficking, apply to support personnel.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Helping or concealing another person's violation is itself a violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Possessing banned substances without an acceptable reason, such as a TUE, is a violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Attempted administration by support staff is a violation even if the athlete declines.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · applied

Athletes in registered testing pools submit whereabouts so they can be tested without notice.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Athletes nominate one hour a day, between 5am and 11pm, at a specific location.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within 12 months is a violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Failures include not being at the declared 60-minute slot or filing inaccurate information.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

WADA's Anti-Doping Administration and Management System holds whereabouts and results.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Substances such as EPO and steroids are often used in training blocks and may clear before races.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

The slot guarantees availability; testers may still test at other times.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Keeping whereabouts current avoids filing failures and missed tests.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · applied

No-notice testing is the norm to prevent evasion.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

A third failure within 12 months is an anti-doping rule violation.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · applied

A TUE allows medically necessary use of an otherwise prohibited substance or method.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

The International Standard lists criteria including the absence of a reasonable alternative.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

The treatment must not be expected to give extra performance beyond restoring health.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

Most TUEs must be approved in advance, with retroactive TUEs only in specific cases.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

Emergencies and some lower-level athletes may qualify for retroactive approval.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

International-level athletes apply to their international federation.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

Applications need a clear diagnosis and medical records.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

Insufficient medical evidence is a common reason for refusal.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

National TUEs may need recognition by an international federation or event organiser.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · recall

Athletes remain responsible and should check and, if needed, apply before use.

Source: WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (2023) · applied

The 2015 and 2021 Codes set four years for intentional violations.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

A two-year period applies where intent is not established, subject to reductions.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Results, medals and prize money from the relevant period are generally forfeited.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Proving contamination and low fault can reduce the period of ineligibility.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Providing information that leads to other cases can suspend part of a sanction.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Banned athletes may return to team training for the last part of the ban, as the Code allows.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Athletes can be suspended pending the outcome after an adverse finding.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

CAS was established in 1984 and sits in Lausanne.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

WADA has appeal rights to ensure consistent application of the Code.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Strict liability still applies, but fault assessment can reduce the sanction.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · applied

It tracks markers such as haemoglobin to reveal the effects of doping.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

WADA issued the first ABP guidelines in 2009.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Abnormal changes in markers can indicate doping even when the substance is gone.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

The haematological module tracks haemoglobin, reticulocytes and related values.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

It tracks ratios such as testosterone to epitestosterone over time.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

An athlete's own blood is hard to detect directly, but changes in markers can show it.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Experts must agree that doping is highly likely before a case proceeds.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

The adaptive Bayesian model builds limits from each athlete's own history.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Athletes should record altitude stays, as they raise haemoglobin and reticulocytes.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Declaring altitude exposure lets experts interpret blood values correctly.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · applied

Of 634 supplements from 13 countries, about 15% contained undeclared steroids.

Source: Geyer et al., Int J Sports Med 2004 · recall

Athletes are responsible even if a banned substance came from a contaminated product.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Certified products are tested for prohibited substances, lowering but not removing risk.

Source: Informed Sport, About (informed-sport.com) · recall

Batch testing reduces risk, but no scheme can guarantee zero contamination.

Source: Informed Sport, About (informed-sport.com) · recall

Meldonium was prohibited from 1 January 2016.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Clenbuterol given illegally to cattle has caused positives, for example in Mexico and China.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Caffeine was removed from the list in 2004 and is monitored for patterns of misuse.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

WADA monitors certain substances to decide whether they should be prohibited.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Keeping batch numbers and receipts can support a contamination defence.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Unregulated products, especially stimulant blends, carry a high contamination risk.

Source: Geyer et al., Int J Sports Med 2004 · applied

EPO, produced mainly by the kidneys, drives red cell production and oxygen transport.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

A combined urine and blood approach was first used at Sydney 2000.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

Riders above 50% haematocrit were stood down for health reasons.

Source: UCI regulations history (uci.org) · recall

Small, frequent doses aim to evade detection windows.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Blood is removed, stored and re-infused to raise red cell mass before competition.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Raised haematocrit increases blood viscosity and cardiovascular risk.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator was a third-generation EPO that testers learned to detect.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall

Endurance performance depends heavily on oxygen transport.

Source: WADA Prohibited List (2025) · recall

Autologous blood is chemically the athlete's own, so indirect markers are needed.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · recall

Unexplained sharp changes trigger expert review for possible blood manipulation.

Source: WADA Athlete Biological Passport Operating Guidelines (2023) · applied

A chaperone keeps the athlete in sight until the sample is collected.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

The A sample is analysed first; the B sample is kept for confirmation.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

The athlete may request the B sample be analysed and attend or send a representative.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

The standard minimum volume is 90 millilitres.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

A sample that is too dilute may need to be followed by further samples.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Athletes may be accompanied by a representative, and minors must be.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Samples can be retested for up to ten years as detection methods improve.

Source: World Anti-Doping Code (2021) · recall

Declaring recent medicines and supplements helps interpret results.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · recall

Irregularities should be noted on the form; refusing can itself be a violation.

Source: WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations (2023) · applied

Testing programmes are funded by NADOs, federations and governments.

Source: WADA, Who we are (wada-ama.org) · recall