Anti-Doping

Anti-Doping

The IBSF is committed to the eradication of doping from sport and to protecting clean athletes. Doping can be harmful to an athletes health, damages the integrity of sport, and is morally and ethically wrong. All athletes participating in IBSF competitions must abide by the current IBSF Anti-Doping Rules, which came into effect on 1 January 2021.

Since March 2020 the IBSF has delegated the implementation of certain aspects of the anti-doping programme to the International Testing Authority (ITA). Additionally, the IBSF cooperates with the CAS Anti-Doping Division.

What is doping?
Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the following anti-doping rule violations:
-Presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete’s sample
-Use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method
-Refusing to submit to sample collection after being notified
-Failure to file athlete whereabouts information & missed tests
-Tampering with any part of the doping control process
-Possession of a prohibited substance or method
-Trafficking a prohibited substance or method
-Administering or attempting to administer a prohibited substance or method to an athlete
-Complicity in an anti-doping rule violation
-Prohibited association with athlete support personnel who has engaged in doping

Why is doping in sport prohibited?

The use of doping substances or doping methods to enhance performance is fundamentally wrong and is detrimental to the overall spirit of sport. Drug misuse can be harmful to an athlete's health or to other athletes competing in the sport. It severely damages the integrity, image and value of sport, whether or not the motivation to use drugs is to improve performance. To achieve integrity and fairness in sport a commitment from athletes and all persons involved in sport is critical.

As an Athlete, what do I need to know about doping?
“Every athlete has the right to clean sport” - The purpose of the Athletes Anti Doping Rights Act is to ensure that the rights of all athletes worldwide to participate in doping-free sport are clearly set out, accessible, and universally applicable. The Act is based on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and its related International Standards.

Any athlete may be tested in -and out-of- competition at anytime, anywhere and with no advance notice.
Every athlete needs to be aware of the current List of Prohibited Substances and know his or her rights and responsibilities under the IBSF’s Anti-Doping Rules (in line with the World Anti-Doping Code). Athletes should know that, under the Code, they are strictly liable whenever a prohibited substance is found in their body. This means that a violation occurs whether or not the athlete used a prohibited substance intentionally, knowingly or unknowingly, was negligent or otherwise at fault.

What is WADA?
What is WADA? Video
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code – the document harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries. WADA’s vision: A world where all athletes can compete in a doping-free environment. For more information about WADA, consult the WADA website.

The World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) is the core document that provides the framework for harmonized anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities. It works in conjunction with the following eight International Standards that aim to foster consistency among anti-doping organizations in various areas, such asIt works in conjunction with five aimed at bringing harmonization among anti-doping organizations in various areas: Testing & Investigations (ISTI), Education (ISE), Code Compliance (ISCCS), Laboratories (ISL), Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE), Protection of Privacy and Personal information (ISPPPI), and the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. All eight International Standards Current List of Prohibited substances The IBSF Anti-Doping Rules 2021 are based on the Code and have been adapted to International Bobsleigh and Skeleton sports.

The aim of testing athletes is to detect and deter doping among athletes to protect the clean athletes. Any athlete under the testing jurisdiction of IBSF may be tested at any time, with no advance notice, in- or out-of-competition. Since 2020 the IBSF has delegated the Testing programme to the International Testing Authority (ITA). The IBSF/ITA takes into account a number of factors when deciding to test an athlete or group of athletes, and tests may be organized based on general ranking, ranking during a competition, pre-determined testing pools, information received, at random (e.g. by drawing positions or names) or other by other means.

The Doping Control process
If you want to find out more on the Doping Control process itself, we recommend the ITA webinar "The Doping Control Process: Urine & Blood Sample Collection".

What are testing pools and why are whereabouts important for clean sport?
IBSF has created testing pools as part of its out-of-competition testing programme. No advance notice, out-of-competition testing is at the core of effective doping control, and to support out-of-competition testing, certain athletes in the testing pools, such as those in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP), will be required to provide information on their whereabouts in ADAMS or SIMON. More general information on Whereabouts can be found here.

How do I know if I need to provide whereabouts?
If you need to provide whereabouts in ADAMS (or SIMON) as part of the IBSF Registered Testing Pool (RTP), you will be informed directly by the ITA (on behalf of the IBSF) of your inclusion in a testing pool as well as what information exactly is required of you, how to use ADAMS, deadlines to submit this information and any consequences if the information required is not submitted.

The current IBSF RTP Lists are available at Anti-Doping in our download section.

Should you have any query on how to submit whereabouts, please do not hesitate to contact the ITA at the contact information given below:


Gustavo Battaglia
Testing Officer
International Testing Agency
Avenue de Rhodanie 58, CH-1007 Lausanne
p : +41 21 612 12 33
e : ibsf@ita.sport

For more information about ADAMS, please consult the ADAMS section of WADA’s website.

Retirement and return to competition
All IBSF RTP athletes who decide to retire from competition must inform the IBSF (antidoping@ibsf.org) using the Retirement Notification Form. As soon as the retirement is confirmed by IBSF, the athlete will be withdrawn from the IBSF RTP testpool with immediate effect. The athlete may then not resume competing until he/she has given the IBSF written notice of his/her intent to resume competing by using the Return to Competition Form and has made him/herself available for Testing for a period of six months. Please consult Article 5.6 of the IBSF Anti-Doping Rules.

If you are an International-Level Athlete (see definition below) and have an illness or condition that requires a medication containing a substance that is on the Prohibited List, you must apply to the IBSF (through the International Testing Agency) for a Therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) using the current ITA TUE form on ita.sport/tue.

You are advised not to take any prohibited substance without a valid TUE.
If the TUE is granted, you will be permitted to use the medication without committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) during the period of validity of the TUE.

Before applying you should make sure with your doctor, if there are any suitable permitted alternative treatments. If that is note the case, the Doctor will then have to complete the application. Such applications must contain proper and detailed medical information. All TUE applications must be sent to: ibsf@ita.sport

If you already have a TUE granted by your National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) pursuant to Article 4.4 of the Code for the substance or method in question and provided that such TUE has been reported in accordance with Article 5.5 of the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions, IBSF will automatically recognize it for purposes of international-level Competition.

You can find additional information on the TUE in general on ita.sport/tue. Furthermore WADA also TUE Checklists for a number of diseases.

International-Level Athletes Definition: According to the IBSF Anti-Doping Rules (see Introduction) International Level Athletes are all Athletes: a. participating in any Event organized by the IBSF or where the IBSF is the ruling body for the Event. b. and/or who are part of the IBSF Registered Testing Pool or IBSF Testing Pool.

All other athletes seeking TUEs need to contact their National Anti Doping Organisation.

Medication
For information about the status of the substance(s) you are taking, please consult the current List of Prohibited Substances with your doctor.
You may also refer to one of the following online country-specific drug reference databases.
Global Drug Reference Online (Canada, UK, US, SUI, JPN,AUS,NZL)
German NADA

Nutritional Supplements For more information on nutritional supplements, please consult the Q&A on WADA’s website.

The long-term solution to reduce doping is through effective prevention and clean sport values-based education programs to create a strong doping-free culture. Education is an essential component of any programme focused on the development of athletes or those who support them.

The following education resources and tools are recommended by the IBSF. There are tools intended for Athletes, Athlete Support Personnell (Coaches, Medical Staff, National Federations, Parents, Managers etc.) or any other person who wishes to know more about anti-doping.

WADA's ADEL

ADEL is the global Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform. ADEL welcomes anyone who wants to learn about clean sport. ADEL has a range of interactive courses and resources (ADEL Academy) as well as opportunities to connect with others involved in anti-doping. WADA‘s aim is to help people get educated and to find the technical anti-doping help when they need to. If you prefer to learn on the go, you can also download their Mobile App ‘ADEL by WADA’ which you can find from the iTunes or GooglePlay stores.

On ADEL you can find:
- eLearning
- Resources for athletes
- Resources for athlete support personnel
- Quizzes, Videos, Webinars and more!

ADEL Website for more information and signing up

ITA Webinars
In 2020 our Partner, the International Testing Agency (ITA), started to run a series of online learning sessions that cover important topics in anti-doping. The Webinars are available on Youtube and cover topics such as: Understanding the Anti-Doping Landscape and the Athlete Perspective; Doping Control Process: Urine and Blood Sample Collection; Principles and Values, Rights and Responsibilities; Medications, Supplements, TUEs and the Prohibited List, The Registered Testing Pool, Whereabouts and use of ADAMS (Athlete Central) and more.

Concrete tips about suspected doping offences are one of the most effective ways to keep sport clean. The courage of whistleblowers has shed light on many serious misconducts endangering fairness in competitions and the health of athletes in the past years.

In order to protect clean athletes, the World Anti-Doping-Agency (WADA) encourages anyone who becomes aware of, or suspects, any breach of the WADA World Anti-Doping Code, to report such doping violation concerns in confidence via “SPEAK UP!” – A secure digital online platform.

In addition, our Partner, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has launched its own doping reporting platform called ‘Reveal’ in 2021 in order to offer additional opportunities to report doping offences. Reveal is an additional opportunity for informants to speak out next to already existing whistleblowing channels offered by WADA (‘Speak Up’) and several National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs).

Testing Statistics:
IBSF Testing Statistics 2015/2016
IBSF Testing Statistics 2016/2017
IBSF Testing Statistics 2017/2018
IBSF Testing Statistics 2018/2019
IBSF Testing Statistics 2019/2020


WADA Anti-Doping Testing Figures for all Sports (Current & Archive)

Decisions by the IBSF or CAS - only published for individuals currently suspended: Jonathan Francis - August 24th 2017 - Bobsleigh - 48 month ineligibility