Anti-Doping Rules in Sport
In all sport be it a team or individual competition there are sets of rules in place that provide an agreement of understanding for all those involved. Rules are enforced to govern everything from how to keep score to what can be worn and apply to all players, coaches, managers and officials. A major rule in modern sport which often gains attention is the Anti-Doping rules enforced to protect clean sport. Doping in sport is defined in the World Anti-Doping Code for athletes as breaking one or more of the anti-doping rule violations. Meaning players, coaches and teams can be punished for much more than just a positive test result. As of today (01/10/19) a new amended version of the UK Anti-Doping Rules will come into effect, you can find a highlighted comparison between the old and new rules produced by the UKAD here. Doping in sport has grabbed the headlines over the past few years and a number of scandals have been unearthed, most recently four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah’s former coach Alberto Salazar was handed a four-year ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency after a four-year investigation into Salazar, who runs the Nike Oregon Project. USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart was quick to praise several athletes for having the “courage to speak out and ultimately expose the truth". What are the Anti-Doping rule violations? There are 10 Anti-Doping rule violations which apply to athletes, six (Bold) of these same rules apply to athlete support personnel.
- Presence
- Use
- Evading, refusing.
- Whereabouts failures.
- Tampering or attempted tampering
- Possession
- Trafficking or attempted trafficking
- Administration, aiding, abetting
- Complicity
- Prohibited Association
What does that mean to athletes and coaches? All athletes and those involved in sport at any level should be aware of the rules which are in place as well as the consequences for breaching them. Look at your current sporting and life habits to protect yourself from inadvertently doping. Ensure you check the medication you take as any breach of the ADVRs can lead to a ban from sport. The 100% me Clean Sport App is available on both Android and Apple products and can help you check your medication and understand the risk of supplements.
