Anti-Doping
The
IPC, together with the International Federations and the National
Paralympic Committees, established the IPC
Anti-Doping Code to prevent in the spirit of fair play,
doping in sport for athletes with a disability and in conformity
with the general principles of the World
Anti-Doping Code (WADC). The IPC fully endorses the purposes
of the IPC Anti-Doping Code and the WADC.
•
To protect the athletes fundamental right to participate inj
doping free sport and thus promote health fairness and equality
for athletes world wide
•
To ensure harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping
programmes and the international and national level with regards
to detection, deterrence and prevention of doping.
New IPC Anti-Doping Code 2009
As WADA Stakeholder, IPC had to review its own Anti-Doping
Code to be WADC-compliant by 1 January 2009. The major
change will blend the result management process together with
the new WADC provisions. This includes the athlete's right
to promptly request the analysis of the B Sample, following
notification of the initial review process outcome. In failing
such a request however, the B Sample analysis may be deemed
waived. The revised IPC Anti-Doping code was approved by the
IPC Governing Board in September 2008. It is IPCs responsibility
to require as a condition of recognition by the IPC that NPCs
within the Paralympic Movement are in compliance with the
WADC and adopt and implement anti-doping policies and rules
for their events which conform with the IPC Anti-Doping Code.
Doping
is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the Anti-Doping
Rule Violations (ADRVs) set forth in the IPC
Anti-Doping Code and includes:
• the presence of a prohibited substance - as per WADA
Prohibited List - in an athlete’s bodily specimen;
• use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or
a prohibited method;
• refusing or failing to submit to sample collection
after notification;
• violation of the requirements regarding athlete availability
for out-of-competition testing;
• tampering with any part of doping control;
• possession of prohibited substances and methods;
• trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited
method;
• administration or attempted administration of a prohibited
substance or prohibited method to any athlete, or assisting,
encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type
of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any
attempted violation.
Anti-Doping
rules, like Competition rules, are sport rules governing the
conditions under which sport is played. All participants (athletes
and athlete support personnel) accept these rules as a condition
of participation and are presumed to have agreed to comply
with the IPC
Anti-Doping Code.
The
WADC
Prohibited List is reviewed and updated from time to time
by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Recognizing that there
may be cases where athletes should be allowed to use prohibited
substances on the list for therapeutic purposes. Exemptions
may be sought from the IPC Therapeutic Use Exemptions Committee,
provided that the medication is clinically appropriate and
does not offer the athlete an advantage. This process is sport-
and case-specific.
There
is as much need for doping control in sport for athletes with
a disability as there is in able-bodied sport. As the Paralympic
Games continue to grow and gain in prestige, the temptation
to enhance performance through the use of prohibited substances
may well increase. It is the objective of the IPC that national
testing of athletes with disabilities be integrated into national
programs. The IPC will continue to co-ordinate testing at
sanctioned events.
Major
Changes of Anti-Doping Rules Effective as of 1 January 2009
In light of the new IPC Anti-Doping Code that will come into
force on 1 January 2009, the IPC takes this opportunity to
highlight the major changes:
Analysis of the B-Sample
The IPC
harmonized its procedure for B-sample analysis with the WADC
provisions. The process of internal appeal is replaced by
the Athlete's right to promptly request the analysis of the
B-Sample following notification of the outcome of the initial
review process, or, failing such request, that the Bsample
analysis may be deemed waived.
Flexibility
in Sanctions
Overall,
revisions made in the new Code introduce a greater flexibility
in the application of sanctions. Reduced sanctions are possible
if the athlete can prove that the prohibited substance or
method found in his/her body was not intended to enhance performance.
On the other hand, the revised Code provides for an increase
of sanctions in doping cases involving aggravating circumstances.
While the former Code allowed for a four-year ban for a first
Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) only in cases of trafficking
or administration of a prohibited substance or a prohibited
method, the revised Code thus broadens the spectrum of ADRVs
that can lead to a four-year ban for a first serious doping
offence.
Specified
Substances
All
Prohibited Substances, except substances in the classes of
anabolic agents and hormones and those stimulants and hormone
antagonists and modulators so identified, shall be ‘Specified
Substances’ for the purpose of more flexible sanctions.
Atypical
Findings (ATFs)
Laboratories
are directed to report the presence of a prohibited substance,
which may also be produced endogenously, as an Atypical Finding
(ATF), which is now subject to further investigation. The
process of Initial Review will be initiated, and the athlete
will be notified whether or not the ATF will be brought forward
as an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF), and subsequently potential
Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
The strict
liability has been maintained in the revised Code. Strict
liability means that each athlete is strictly liable for the
substance found in his or her bodily specimen, and that an
anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a
prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found
in a bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally
or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent
or otherwise at fault.
An overview of all major changes can be found on the Q&A
Code Revisions.
Education
The education of athletes, coaches and medical professionals
is critical to the success of any anti-doping programme. Below
are a variety of resources to assist all in understanding
the processes of doping control and the implications of doping
in sport:
•
WADA Quiz - Test your knowledge of anti-doping
•
WADA Doping Control Flyer (English)
•
WADA Video "Levelling the Playing Field"
Should you have any question or need further clarification,
please do not hesitate to contact the IPC Anti-Doping Administration
Manager at antidoping@paralympic.org.
Related
Links:
•
ADAMS
•
Documents & Forms
•
Sanctioned Athletes
•
TUE
•
IPC Registered Testing Pool
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