WADA RELEASES UPDATED GUIDELINES TO COMPLEMENT THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR TESTING AND INVESTIGATIONS

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Published on Wednesday, 10 February 2021 09:32

Montreal, 9 February 2021

Dear colleagues,

Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) publishes updated Guidelines to support Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) in their implementation of the 2021 International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI), which came into force on 1 January 2021.

The below guidelines are the first two in a set of four guidelines that will be published over the coming weeks:

1. Guidelines for Sample Collection Personnel; and
2. Guidelines for Sample Collection (previously titled, Urine Sample Collection Guidelines and Blood Sample Collection Guidelines).

The guidelines have been updated not only to be in line with the 2021 ISTI requirements but also to offer more practical examples for ADOs implementing a sample collection personnel program and/or sample collection procedures.

The guidelines can be found on WADA’s website and on its Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform (ADEL), as part of the Code Implementation Support Program (CISP). The guidelines are accompanied by a suite of operational templates which are also available on ADEL.

While the guidelines are initially being released in English, the official French versions will follow in the coming weeks along with the remaining two ISTI guidelines, namely:

1. Guidelines for Implementing an Effective Testing Program; and
2. Guidelines for Gathering Information and Sharing Intelligence.

WADA guidelines provide Code Signatories with recommended practices for several aspects of anti-doping programs. While they are not mandatory, they offer technical guidance to ADOs in the implementation of their anti-doping programs. As with all guidelines under the World Anti-Doping Program, these documents are subject to ongoing review.

Should you have any questions regarding the guidelines related to the 2021 ISTI, or wish to provide feedback, please contact WADA’s Standards and Harmonization Department at: 

Best regards,

World Anti-Doping Agency

WADA PUBLISHES GUIDANCE NOTE FOR ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE UNDER 2021 WORLD ANTI-DOPING CODE

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Published on Tuesday, 12 January 2021 12:10

Montreal, 11 January 2021

Dear colleagues,
 
Today, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) publishes a Guidance Note regarding Substances of Abuse under the revised 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), which entered into effect on 1 January 2021.
 
Pursuant to Article 4.2.3 of the Code, some substances on the 2021 List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods (2021 Prohibited List) have been identified as Substances of Abuse "because they are frequently abused in society outside the context of sport".
 
Under Article 10.2.4.1 of the Code, regarding these substances, "if the Athlete can establish that any ingestion or Use occurred Out-of-Competition and was unrelated to sport performance, then the period of Ineligibility shall be three months Ineligibility. In addition, the period of Ineligibility calculated under this Article 10.2.4.1 may be reduced to one month if the Athlete or other Person satisfactorily completes a Substance of Abuse treatment program approved by the Anti-Doping Organization with Results Management responsibility."
 
WADA's Prohibited List Expert Advisory Group (ListEG) has identified the following substances as Substances of Abuse in the 2021 Prohibited List.

• Cocaine (S.6a – Non-specified Stimulants);
• Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA / "ecstasy") (S.6b – Specified Stimulants);
• Diamorphine (Heroin) (S.7 – Narcotics); and
• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (S.8 – Cannabinoids).

The Guidance Note offers direction to Anti-Doping Organizations regarding application of Code Article 4.2.3.

Should you have any questions, or wish to provide feedback, please contact WADA's Science Department at: .
 
Best regards,
 
World Anti-Doping Agency

WADA REMINDS STAKEHOLDERS THAT THE 2021 WORLD ANTI-DOPING CODE, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND ATHLETES' ANTI-DOPING RIGHTS ACT ARE NOW IN FORCE

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Published on Monday, 04 January 2021 08:46

Montreal, 1 January 2021 – The World Anti-Doping Agency reminds stakeholders that, effective today, the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (Code); the following International Standards (Standards); and, the Athletes' Anti-Doping Rights Act (Act) have entered into force. The documents, which were subject to a two-year stakeholder consultation process, were approved on 7 November 2019 during the Agency's World Conference on Doping in Sport that was held in Katowice, Poland. 

1. International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS)
2. International Standard for Education (ISE) (New)
3. International Standard for Laboratories (ISL)
4. International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information (ISPPPI)
5. International Standard for Results Management (ISRM) (New)
6. International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI)
7. International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE)

As it relates to the International Standard for the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (Prohibited List), it is reviewed annually via a separate stakeholder consultation process; and, was published separately earlier today.
 
The 2021 Code, which follows on from previous versions that entered into effect in 2004, 2009 and 2015, includes a number of important changes to global anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) around the world. It works in conjunction with the eight Standards that foster consistency among ADOs in technical areas. The Athletes' Anti-Doping Rights Act, which was developed by WADA's Athlete Committee in consultation with thousands of athletes and stakeholders worldwide, is based on the 2021 Code and Standards and aims to ensure that athlete rights within anti-doping are clearly set out, accessible, and universally applicable.
 
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli said: "WADA is grateful to its stakeholders worldwide, which contributed significantly to this strengthened World Anti-Doping Program that takes effect today. Beyond harmonizing and coordinating anti-doping programs worldwide, its purpose is to protect athletes' fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and to promote health, fairness and equality for athletes worldwide. I am convinced that, by reinforcing our efforts as a united anti-doping community, this new Program will help us drive further progress for athletes and sport worldwide."
 
Code Implementation Support Program
 
WADA also wishes to draw your attention to the Agency's Code Implementation Support Program (CISP), which was launched on 4 May 2020 and provides resources to prepare Code Signatories and other stakeholders for implementation of the new Code and Standards. 
 
Obtaining printed copies of the Code
 
In keeping with WADA's sustainability efforts, in recent years the Agency has minimized print in favor of making its publications available digitally. However, given the importance of the Code, which will live for a number of years and be used on a daily basis by the Agency's stakeholders:

• At the end of November, WADA mailed a limited quantity of printed English or French copies to Code Signatories;
• The Agency has made English and French print-ready versions available on our website (as linked above) for stakeholders to print locally; and
• We are putting a mechanism in place for stakeholders and others that may wish to purchase printed copies in English and/or French; regarding which, we will provide more information on our website in the coming days.

Should you have questions or feedback regarding the Code, the Standards and/or the Act, please contact ; or, questions or feedback related to CISP, please contact .

WAKO KICKBOXING AT THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC GAMES, WAKO KICKBOXING IN THE EOC

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Published on Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:32

Istvan Kiraly

Acting President of WAKO Europe

Vice President of WAKO