Athletes’ Rights
This section presents a summary of the key athlete rights. It is important that both athletes and Athlete Support Personnel know and understand these.
Ensuring that athletes are aware of their rights and these are respected is vital to the success of clean sport. Athlete rights exist throughout the Code and International Standards, and they include:
• Equality of opportunity
• Equitable and Fair Testing programmes
• Medical treatment and protection of health rights
• Right to justice
• Right to accountability
• Whistleblower rights
• Right to education
• Right to data protection
• Rights to compensation
• Protected Persons Rights
• Rights during a Sample Collection Session
• Right to B sample analysis
• Other rights and freedoms not affected
• Application and standing
The Athletes’ Anti-Doping Rights Act is a key document that consolidates these athlete rights in anti-doping. It is based on the 2021 WADA Code and International Standards, and it aims to ensure that athlete rights within anti-doping are clearly set out, accessible and universally applicable.
Athletes’ Responsibilities
It is equally essential that athletes are aware of their anti-doping responsibilities. Athlete Support Personnel should also familiarise themselves with these in order to be able to support their athletes. These include:
• Knowing and following IWGA anti-doping rules and any other applicable Anti-Doping Rules. For example, those of your National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) or an International Federation (IF).
• Taking full responsibility for what you ingest – make sure that no prohibited substance enters your body and that no prohibited methods are used.
• Informing medical personnel of your obligations as an athlete.
• Cooperating with IWGA and other Anti-Doping Organisations (ADOs) such as WADA, the ITA, IFs etc.
• Being available for sample collection.
• Not working with coaches, trainers, physicians or other Athlete Support Personnel who are ineligible on account of an ADRV, or those who have been criminally convicted or disciplined in relation to doping (see WADA’s Prohibited Association List).
Participating athletes have to sign and provide the original Athlete Consent Form to receive their accreditations.
Further details of these roles and responsibilities can be found in Code Art. 21.1.
Athletes also have specific rights and responsibilities during the Doping Control Process.
Rights and Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel and other groups
Like athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and others under the jurisdiction of IWGA also have rights and responsibilities as per the Code. These include:
• Being knowledgeable of anti-doping policies and rules which are applicable to you and to the athlete(s) you support.
• Using your influence on athlete values and behaviours to foster anti-doping attitudes.
• Complying with all anti-doping policies and rules which are applicable to you and the athlete(s) you support.
• Cooperating with the athlete testing programme.
• Disclosing to IWGA whether you have committed any Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) within the previous ten years.
• Cooperating with ADOs investigating ADRVs.
Participating officials have to sign and provide the original Official Consent Form to receive their accreditations.
Further details of these roles and responsibilities can be found in Code Art. 21.2 and 21.3.
