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Checking your medication – a guide for athletes

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MEDICATIONS THAT ATHLETES USE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE PURCHASED OVER THE COUNTER OR RECEIVED WITH A PRESCRIPTION FROM A DOCTOR, MAY CONTAIN SUBSTANCES THAT ARE PROHIBITED IN SPORT. THESE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES (AND METHODS) ARE LISTED OUT IN A DOCUMENT CALLED THE PROHIBITED LIST. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ATHLETES AND THEIR SUPPORT PERSONNEL UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT SUBSTANCES ARE PERMITTED, IN WHAT DOSAGE AND UNDER WHICH CONDITIONS. REMEMBER, THE PRINCIPLE OF STRICT LIABILITY MEANS THAT ATHLETES ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY INGEST. TO HELP ATHLETES AND ATHLETE SUPPORT PERSONNEL SAFELY NAVIGATE THIS PART OF THE ANTI-DOPING SYSTEM, WE HAVE PREPARED THIS ARTICLE WITH BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF KEY TERMS, USEFUL TIPS AND RESOURCES.

Anti-Doping notification: Russian athlete Vladimir Turbayevskiy

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World Triathlon hereby reports that Russian athlete Vladimir Turbayevskiy has been suspended of competition after the decision of the CAS Anti-Doping Division that finds him guilty of an ADRV pursuant to Article 2.2 of the Anti-Doping rules (ADR) in connection with abnormalities in the haematological module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) based on abnormalities detected in blood samples collected in June and July 2014 and in August 2020 all of which indicate blood manipulation.

World Athletics v Maria Guadalupe González Romero

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A decision in the case of World Athletics against Maria Guadalupe González Romero has been issued by the Disciplinary Tribunal

On 10 December 2018,  the AIU issued Ms González Romero with a Notice of Charge for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 and 2.2 of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) after testing positive for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance. Ms González Romero requested the matter be resolved before the Disciplinary Tribunal. A hearing was held on 17 April 2019 and a decision issued on 09 May 2019 (‘the First Decision’). The First Decision imposed a four (4) year period of Ineligibility upon the Athlete commencing on the date of the Award.

GLOBAL ATHLETE CALLS ON THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO IMMEDIATELY SUSPEND THE BELARUS NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

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2 August 2021: Global Athlete calls on the International Olympic Committee to immediately suspend the Belarus National Olympic Committee and allow all Belarusian athletes to compete as neutral athletes under the Olympic flag. The alleged kidnapping of Belarusian Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya by the Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC) is yet another example of the alarming athlete abuse occurring in Belarus.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc Division registers more new cases

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Tokyo, 2 August 2021 – The Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered the following new applications:

CAS OG 20/12 Nazar Kovalenko v. World Athletics (WA) & Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)

The Ukrainian racewalker Nazar Kovalenko filed an application on 1 August 2021 seeking to overturn the AIU’s decision to declare him ineligible to compete in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to an alleged failure to meet the requirements of Rule 15 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (missed out of competition doping tests), and an order that WA, AIU and/or the International Olympic Committee (IOC) take all reasonable measures to facilitate his participation in the 20km Race Walking event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, scheduled for 5 August 2021. The Panel of arbitrators appointed to decide this dispute will hold a hearing with the parties on 3 August 2021.

Salazar permanently banned from track and field due to misconduct

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Alberto Salazar, once the head coach of the Nike Oregon Project, was permanently barred from participating in track and field on Monday by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an independent non-profit organisation that provides sports with guidelines on how to provide safe environments for athletes and training for coaches and administrators, which cited Salazar for sexual and emotional misconduct.

ATHLETICS INTEGRITY UNIT DETAILS ITS COMPREHENSIVE AND ROBUST TESTING PROGRAMME AHEAD OF TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

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20 JULY 2021, MONACO: The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) today revealed details of its testing programme in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The AIU’s testing programme is highly targeted and intelligence-led and is aimed at the elite Registered Testing Pool that consists of 782 athletes from 77 countries including 315 athletes who are a part of an extended road running pool. The focus is on the quality of testing, developing individual testing plans for each athlete, while also maintaining the volume that is required for a comprehensive programme in a global sport like athletics.

Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) found guilty of an Anti-Doping Role Violation (whereabout failures) by CAS

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Lausanne, 30 June 2021 - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeals filed by World Athletics (WA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal on 14 October 2020 (the Challenged Decision) in which it was determined that Ms Salwa Eid Naser had not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) in relation to an alleged filing failure and missed tests between March 2019 and January 2020.

U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Athlete David Prince Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

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USADA announced today that David Prince, of Bradenton, Fla., an athlete in the sport of Paralympic track and field, has accepted a 12-month suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.

Prince, 37, tested positive for ostarine (enobosarm), as well as LGD-4033 (ligandrol) and its metabolite di-hydroxy-LGD-4033, as the result of samples collected out of competition on September 27, 2020, October 15, 2020, and November 11, 2020. Ostarine and LGD‐4033 are Non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents and are prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Paralympic Committee Anti-Doping Code, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

UKAD issues Ready for the Games travel guide for athletes

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With Major Games fast approaching, and athletes travelling overseas for events, some of us may be thinking about packing our suitcases and jetting off over the coming months (while following all the rules, of course!). For athletes, this can bring additional considerations with regards to medications and things to watch out for when travelling. UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has put together a five-step guide to help you continue to train and compete clean when overseas, avoiding an accidental ban from sport.

World Athletics v Luvo Manyonga

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A decision in the case of World Athletics against Luvo Manyonga has been issued by the Disciplinary Tribunal.

On 23 December 2020 the AIU issued Mr Manyonga with a Notice of Charge for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation relating to Whereabouts Failures, consisting of one Missed Test and two Filing Failures in a 12-month period.

Shelby Houlihan found guilty of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the arbitration procedure between the US track and field athlete Shelby Houlihan and World Athletics (WA):

  • Shelby Houlihan is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) pursuant to Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules. • Shelby Houlihan is subject to a period of ineligibility of four (4) years starting on 14 January 2021. 
  • All competitive results obtained by Shelby Houlihan from 15 December 2020 through to 14 January 2021 are disqualified, including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money obtained during this period.

CAS dismisses the 2nd appeal of Blake Leeper

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed on 1 May 2021 by US bilateral transtibial amputee sprinter Blake Leeper against the decision taken by the Mechanical Aids Review panel established by World Athletics (WA) dated 26 April 2021 in which the athlete’s 24 December 2020 application to run at WA-sanctioned events on Running Specific Prostheses (RSPs) that give him an overall standing height of 185.42 cm (6’1”) was denied. The WA panel did so on grounds that the height of the proposed RSPs conferred upon Mr Leeper an “overall competitive advantage over an athlete not using such aid” and were accordingly “not allowed” by Article R6.3.4 of WA’s Technical Rules. Accordingly, the decision rendered by the WA Mechanical Aids Review panel on 26 April 2021 is confirmed by CAS.

WADA publishes global testing figures showing return to normal levels despite COVID-19

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to note that the number of samples collected by Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) around the world is quickly returning to normal despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The latest testing figures, outlined in the tables below, reveal that in March 2021, 22,649 samples were collected by 145 ADOs, the highest number of samples recorded since the pandemic started in March 2020.

World Athletics v Fernanda Martins

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A decision in the case of World Athletics against Fernanda Martins has been issued by the Disciplinary Tribunal.

On 7 July 2021 the AIU issued Ms Martins with a Notice of Charge for committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation pursuant to Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the 2021 World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules after testing positive for the Prohibited Substance Enobosarm. 

The CAS Ad Hoc Division rejects the applications filed by the National Olympic Committees of Belgium and the Netherlands: 4 x 400m mixed relay final results unchanged

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Tokyo, 2 August 2021 – The Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the following matters:

CAS OG 20/10 National Olympic Committee of Belgium (NOC Belgium) v. World Athletics (WA) & United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) & National Olympic Committee of the Dominican Republic (NOC Dominican Republic)

The CCES Completes Testing of Team Canada Prior to Tokyo 2020 Olympics

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(Ottawa, Ontario – July 26, 2021) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has successfully completed its Olympic pre-Games testing program and would like to wish all members of Team Canada good luck at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that the Games are a safe and healthy experience for everyone.  

COMPETITION MANIPULATION IS A THREAT TO SPORT INTEGRITY: AIU IDENTIFIES MULTIPLE ILLEGITIMATE QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

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21 JULY 2021, MONACO: In the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has received 17 referrals for investigation of suspicious qualifying performances. The referrals were from 16 countries and included 31 athletes and five relay teams. As a result of the AIU’s investigations, eight qualifying performances for the Olympic Games were not recognised by World Athletics and the relevant athletes denied a place at the Games. A number of cases have been identified by the AIU for further investigation to determine if fraudulent conduct was involved.

WADA statement on German broadcaster ARD documentary

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) notes the contents of the 16 July 2021 documentary by German broadcaster, ARD, which makes a number of statements regarding the possibility of prohibited substances being passed through the skin of athletes via a process of sabotage.

UKAD testing programme modified to continue doping control process during the third national lockdown

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UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has released its quarterly testing report for January to March 2021. During this period, the UK once again stayed at home for its third national COVID-19 lockdown, with further closures impacting competitive sports and testing. Adhering to Government guidelines, UKAD continued to deliver a modified testing programme throughout, temporarily introducing a mobile doping control vehicle and remote sample collection.

Athlete receives sanction

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Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of Athletics Australia to sanction athlete Melanie Panayiotou for the presence and use of prohibited substances.

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