Entry into force of the new World Anti-Doping Code on January 1, 2021

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20.01.21 15:11 Comment (s)
2021 World Anti-Doping Code

On January 1, 2021, new measures to fight doping on a global scale came into force through the application of the World Anti-Doping Code 2021. Among the important additions we find in particular: the protection of whistleblowers, a new definition of the concept of " in competition Or the addition of aggravating circumstances.

The latest revision of the World Anti-Doping Code of November 7, 2019

Since its first adopted in 2003, the World Anti-Doping Code has been revised 3 times. Each modification is the subject of a long revision process of several years, necessary for the updating of this document which serves as a basis for the fight against doping. The last revision was initiated in 2017. After consulting its partners and integrating revision suggestions, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) presented the draft 2021 Code at the Fifth World Conference on Doping in Sport, le November 7, 2019 in Katowice. This project was adopted there by the Council and the Executive Committee of WADA together with the new versions of the International Standards.

DOPING
WADA

News from the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code

The main new products of the World Anti-Doping Code 2021 are as follows:

  • Creation of an article to protect whistleblowers (Art 2.11). Thus, any person who would prevent another from reporting an anti-doping rule violation to the competent body would be committing an anti-doping rule violation himself.
  • New definition of the term " in competition": " Period beginning at 23:59 p.m. the day before a competition in which the athlete is to participate and ending at the end of that competition and the Sample collection process associated with that competition (…). ".
  • New sub-category among prohibited substances: " substances of abuse”(Art 4.2.3). These substances, specifically identified as such in the " List of prohibitions ", Include prohibited substances which" often give rise to abuse in society outside the sporting context". In the event of a positive control for one of these substances, " if the athlete can establish that the ingestion or use occurred out of competition and unrelated to athletic performance, the period of ineligibility will be three (3) months ».
  • These substances are: cocaine, diamorphine (heroin), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA / " Ecstasy »), Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
  • Possibility of increasing the suspension up to 2 additional years in the event of aggravating circumstances (Art 10.4, and definition Annex 1).
  • Public health has been established as a basic principle of the Code.
  • Creation of new International Standards:
    • International standard for results management, the objective of which is international harmonization in the area of ​​results management and disciplinary procedures.
    • International standard for education, allowing harmonization on a global scale as well as an improvement of the didactic contents used in the fight against doping.

The Declaration of Anti-Doping Rights for Athletes

La Athletes' Anti-Doping Rights Act also entered into force on 1er January 2021. The purpose of this Declaration is to state the rights of all athletes to participate in doping-free sporting activities and to ensure that these rights are accessible and universally applicable.

The Declaration underlines the rights set out in the 2021 Code and the International Standards, particularly in relation to equal opportunities, testing programs, medical treatment, justice, accountability, education and data protection. It also contains recommendations on the rights of athletes to be part of a system free from corruption, to be represented in different bodies and to have access to legal aid.

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