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Competition / Anti-doping Guidance

ANTI-DOPING GUIDANCE

We believe all athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. In pursuit of clean paddling, Canoe Wales works closely with British Canoeing (who work with UKAD and the ICF) to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.

The use of performance-enhancing drugs and other doping behaviour severely damages the legitimacy of sport and undermines the integrity of clean athletes.

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Anti-doping rules and policy

All athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. We believe in clean sport and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and International Rafting Federation (IRF) to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.

i-Doping Rules

Canoe Wales follow the same anti-doping rules as British Canoeing and that all athletes and athlete support personnel must abide by - British Canoeing Anti-Doping Rules. The anti-doping rules for British Canoeing are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), the core document that harmonises anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport globally.

The anti-doping rules of Canoe Wales are the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti-Doping (or its successor), as amended from time to time. Such rules shall take effect and be construed as rules of British Canoeing with the following amendments and supplemental provisions.

If you are a member of British Canoeing then the anti-doping rules apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at. You can find the UK Anti-Doping Rules here.

Top Tips for Clean Sport

An athlete is responsible for anything found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to cheat. All athletes and athlete support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful information for athletes can be found on the UKAD website.

The Prohibited List

All banned substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List. Substances and methods can be added to the Prohibited List at any time; however, it is updated as a minimum once a year, coming into effect on 1 January. The latest Prohibited List can be found on the WADA website. As this list is updated frequently, athletes and athlete support personnel should make sure they check it regularly for any changes. More information can be found on UKAD’s website here.

Checking Medications

Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any banned substances. Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO. It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country. For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website here.

Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and athlete support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them. For more information and what this means for those individuals, click here.

For information on individuals serving a ban from sport, visit UKAD’s sanction page on their website.

Applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)

If an athlete with a legitimate medical condition needs to use a prohibited substance or method, they will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). This is only accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used, and there is a strict, detailed process to determine this. Athletes can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website here and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.

What happens in a test?

Athletes should feel prepared and know their rights and responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer. Check out this video below on the testing process from start to finish.

Athletes can find out more in the Introduction to Testing section of UKAD’s website

Taking Nutritional Supplements

UKAD always advises a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from banned substances. Athletes can support their training and progress towards their targets by eating and enjoying nutritious food. With a bit of planning, it is possible to eat a delicious and healthy diet made up of a variety of food types at the right time, and in the right quantities.

Athletes should assess the need, the risks and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement, and if they need to use one, visit the Informed Sport website to check whether supplements have been batch-tested. More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub here.

100% me - Supporting athletes to be clean

100 % me is UKAD’s values-based education and information programme, helping athletes meet their anti-doping responsibilities throughout their sporting journey. We want all athletes to be clean, stay clean and believe all others are clean.

For more information on what this means, visit UKAD’s website here. UKAD’s 100% me Clean Sport App can also be downloaded from iTunes, Google Play or Windows Live Store, for essential anti-doping information.

Protect Your Sport

Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their part - athletes, coaches, or parents - whether on centre stage or behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there’s something wrong - no matter how small. UKAD guarantee that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential. Find out more about Protect Your Sport here.

There are four ways to contact if you want to speak out:

Email - When you feel something’s wrong, send UKAD an email. UKAD guarantee that your name and email address will be kept confidential. Email at protectyoursport@reportdoping.com
Online Form - Let UKAD know via the form on protectyoursport.co.uk. Choose the two-way communication option at the end of the form. You will still be anonymous, but UKAD will have the chance to follow up later on. Fill in the form here
24/7 Hotline - Call on 08000 32 23 32. UKAD is here to listen and won’t ask who you are. You may want to keep your identity a secret but telling UKAD who you are makes a real difference later on, so consider emailing or speaking via WhatsApp first.

*WhatsApp is an encrypted platform. This number is not open to receiving calls.

Anti-doping education strategy

Canoe Wales, British Canoeing and the other home nations have developed Paddle Clean, our Anti-Doping Education Strategy which complements the UKAD 100% me programme. You can download the strategy here or visit the British Canoeing website for more information.

Our anti-doping education strategy

2021 World Anti-Doping Code

From 1 January 2021, a new version of the World Anti-Doping Code is in effect and it’s important that all athletes and supporting personnel are aware of how this impacts them.

Under the 2021 Code, an athlete may be classified as being “International-Level”, “National-Level” or a “Recreational Athlete” based on their competition level.

For more information on the changes within the 2021 Code including the different categories, visit the UKAD website.

Athlete Retirement

Should an athlete wish to retire from international and/or national competition then they can formally retire and seek removal from ICF testing pools. If you wish to retire or discuss the options please contact Gemma Wiggs who can share the ICF and UKAD forms with you.

Further Information

If you are a member of Canoe Wales, then the anti-doping rules apply to you regardless of what level you participate at. For further information on all aspects of anti-doping in paddlesport in the UK and internationally, please see British Canoeing's Paddle Clean Anti-Doping guidance. Canoe Wales works closely with British Canoeing to ensure that our policies, procedures and anti-doping education strategy meets the needs of our athletes and our sport, and we expect our athletes and coaches to follow the guidance and procedures issued by British Canoeing.

In particular, it is important to familiarise yourself with British Canoeing's advice on:

Strict liability - the principle that all athletes are solely responsible for any banned substance they use, attempt to use, or that is found in their system, regardless of how it got there and whether or not they had an intention to cheat
Managing inadvertent doping risks
Applying for a therapeutic use exemption
Reporting doping in sport