ANTI DOPING GUIDANCE

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

Paddle Cymru follow the same anti-doping rules as Paddle UK and that all athletes and athlete support personnel must abide by - Paddle UK Anti-Doping Rules. The anti-doping rules for Paddle UK 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 Paddle Cymru 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 Paddle UK with the following amendments and supplemental provisions.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

If you are a member of Paddle Cymru, 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 Paddle UK Clean Anti-Doping guidance. Paddle Cymru works closely with Paddle UK 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 Paddle UK.

In particular, it is important to familiarise yourself with Paddle UK 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