MASTERS ANTI-DOPING
Anything relating to British Masters Anti-doping will be published to this page
Anything relating to British Masters Anti-doping will be published to this page
TUE Application has Changed
Any TUE application shall be made by your National Anti Doping Agency. From December 2015 there are no IWF Masters TUE forms available anymore. Only if a National Anti Doping Agency, for its own reason, does not handle TUE application for a Master athlete, the IWF Masters Anti Doping Panel will handle the application accordingly. Only Retroactive TUE forms will be handled by the IWF Masters TUE/Anti Doping Panel.
DOPING CONTROL
Some information on doping control within Masters weightlifting
The European Masters (and the IWF World Masters) only use WADA approved laboratories to test the samples taken at their championships.
Some information on doping control within Masters weightlifting
The European Masters (and the IWF World Masters) only use WADA approved laboratories to test the samples taken at their championships.
Q.Is testing carried out at all Masters weightlifting championships?
A.Yes, it is done at all World and Continental Masters championships.
Q.How are athletes selected for testing? Is it just medal winners and lifters who break records?
A. No, anyone can be tested, and at any time during the days of the championship.
Q. How can an athlete know if the testing procedures are correct and if the laboratory doing the testing will give accurate results?
A.Testing is carried out by the NADO (National Anti Doping Organisation) in the host country. Only WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) approved laboratories are used for testing samples.
Q. Who pays for the testing?
A.You do, and all the other competing athletes. An amount is taken from each entry fee to enable testing to be conducted. Unfortunately testing has revealed athletes using performance enhancing drugs and therefore testing is essential.
Q.If I am selected for testing, what procedures must I follow?
A. First of all, do not walk away, it will be deemed the equivalent of giving a positive test.
You must give your passport to the person requesting you to go to doping control.
You will be asked in advance if you have a TUE form (see later questions and answers).
Once in doping control the DCO (Doping Control Officer) will check your passport and start to write out a Doping Control form for you. You will be asked to declare any type of substance or medication you have taken before and during the competition and this will be written on the form. It may include such things as creatin, aspirin, ibuprofin, vitamins, and protein drinks. Failure to disclose all substances will go against you if you give an "adverse analytical finding". You will be asked to sign the doping control form. You will also select your own "sample case" which has a reference number for the laboratory and you must also verify that the same reference number is on the doping control form.
Q. I am taking medicine prescribed by my doctor, can this affect the result of the laboratory test?
A. Yes it can and each person is responsible for every substance taken into the body. First you should check if the medication is on the "banned list", you can do this by checking on the IWF or WADA websites, or possibly the website of your own weightlifting federation.
If the prescribed medication is on the banned list you should speak to your doctor about an alternative. If your doctor says there is no alternative you should obtain a TUE, get it completed by your doctor, and bring it with you to championships. You should also obtain a stamped Medical Certificate from your doctor and produce this with the TUE form.
Q. What is a TUE and where can I obtain one?
A. A TUE is a Therapeutic Use Exemption form and it is included with the entry form for every World and European Masters Championship. It is renewable every three years. It must be completed, SIGNED and stamped by your doctor, and you must also obtain a stamped and SIGNED medical certificate from him.
Take a photocopy of the TUE and bring the original, the copy, and the medical certificate with you to championships. If you are selected for doping control you must show the original to the DCO and leave him the copy to attach to the doping control form. *** You do not need a TUE if you are not taking a prescribed medicine which is on the list of banned substances. You do not need to show your TUE and Medical Certificate to anyone unless you are selected for testing and they must not be mailed with your entry form.
Q. What happens when an athlete gives a sample and the laboratory test shows an adverse analytical finding?
A. It depends on several issues.
If the substance found in the sample was medication prescribed by your doctor and you produced a TUE at doping control it is possible that no action will be taken. If you did not produce a TUE at doping control it is possible to obtain and produce a TUE retrospectively.
In instances where the substance found in the sample is an anabolic agent or a hormone (e.g. testosterone) then there is a case to answer.
Q. Who makes the decisions on adverse analytical findings?
A. The laboratory doing the testing will inform the relevant committee, the IWF Masters Executive Board and the Continental Masters Executive Boards have Anti Doping Committees who will then write to the individual who has given an adverse finding and ask for an explanation to be given in writing and within a specific time scale.
Where an individual has produced a TUE that covers the substance found in the sample, the anti doping committee can either do nothing or suspend the person for a period of time.
If the individual does not reply or admits that the adverse finding is valid a suspension will be applied (probably for a period of 2 years).
Q. Is it possible to appeal against a decision?
A. Yes it is.
Firstly a person can ask for the "B sample" to be tested but this costly and must be paid for by the athlete. The athlete can attend the laboratory country where the B" sample" is to be tested but must again pay all his his or her own expenses.
An appeal can be made but must be made in writing, in English, to the Anti Doping Committee that conducted the test (usually the IWF Masters Anti Doping Committee).
A final appeal can be made to the CAS (Court for Arbitration in Sport) - details of CAS can be found on the internet.
Q. How can I find out more about anti doping and protect myself?
A. The IWF Masters Committee and the European Masters publish information on their websites. You should access the websites on a regular basis and read any information you find there, it is put their for you.
Q. Why are the IWF Masters Committee and the European Masters Committee going to such lengths to campaign against performance enhancing drugs.
A. There are many answers to this question.
All drugs have side effects and many side effects are harmful and may have long lasting and harmful
problems to a persons health.
To use performance enhancing drugs is cheating.
The extremely high cost of drug testing is paid for from the entry fees. If it was known for certain that
no one would take drugs then the entry fees could be reduced and save everyone some money.
This is "the Masters", why is it so important to win a medal in an International Masters Championship
that it becomes necessary to cheat by taking drugs?
Drugs will create injury problems and end an athlete's life as a competitor. We (the Committees)
want to see and help every competitor in the Masters to compete on equal terms for as long in their
lifetime as they are able. Remember, you are responsible for your entire food and drink intake.
Please help us by cooperating in our anti doping campaign.
A.Yes, it is done at all World and Continental Masters championships.
Q.How are athletes selected for testing? Is it just medal winners and lifters who break records?
A. No, anyone can be tested, and at any time during the days of the championship.
Q. How can an athlete know if the testing procedures are correct and if the laboratory doing the testing will give accurate results?
A.Testing is carried out by the NADO (National Anti Doping Organisation) in the host country. Only WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) approved laboratories are used for testing samples.
Q. Who pays for the testing?
A.You do, and all the other competing athletes. An amount is taken from each entry fee to enable testing to be conducted. Unfortunately testing has revealed athletes using performance enhancing drugs and therefore testing is essential.
Q.If I am selected for testing, what procedures must I follow?
A. First of all, do not walk away, it will be deemed the equivalent of giving a positive test.
You must give your passport to the person requesting you to go to doping control.
You will be asked in advance if you have a TUE form (see later questions and answers).
Once in doping control the DCO (Doping Control Officer) will check your passport and start to write out a Doping Control form for you. You will be asked to declare any type of substance or medication you have taken before and during the competition and this will be written on the form. It may include such things as creatin, aspirin, ibuprofin, vitamins, and protein drinks. Failure to disclose all substances will go against you if you give an "adverse analytical finding". You will be asked to sign the doping control form. You will also select your own "sample case" which has a reference number for the laboratory and you must also verify that the same reference number is on the doping control form.
Q. I am taking medicine prescribed by my doctor, can this affect the result of the laboratory test?
A. Yes it can and each person is responsible for every substance taken into the body. First you should check if the medication is on the "banned list", you can do this by checking on the IWF or WADA websites, or possibly the website of your own weightlifting federation.
If the prescribed medication is on the banned list you should speak to your doctor about an alternative. If your doctor says there is no alternative you should obtain a TUE, get it completed by your doctor, and bring it with you to championships. You should also obtain a stamped Medical Certificate from your doctor and produce this with the TUE form.
Q. What is a TUE and where can I obtain one?
A. A TUE is a Therapeutic Use Exemption form and it is included with the entry form for every World and European Masters Championship. It is renewable every three years. It must be completed, SIGNED and stamped by your doctor, and you must also obtain a stamped and SIGNED medical certificate from him.
Take a photocopy of the TUE and bring the original, the copy, and the medical certificate with you to championships. If you are selected for doping control you must show the original to the DCO and leave him the copy to attach to the doping control form. *** You do not need a TUE if you are not taking a prescribed medicine which is on the list of banned substances. You do not need to show your TUE and Medical Certificate to anyone unless you are selected for testing and they must not be mailed with your entry form.
Q. What happens when an athlete gives a sample and the laboratory test shows an adverse analytical finding?
A. It depends on several issues.
If the substance found in the sample was medication prescribed by your doctor and you produced a TUE at doping control it is possible that no action will be taken. If you did not produce a TUE at doping control it is possible to obtain and produce a TUE retrospectively.
In instances where the substance found in the sample is an anabolic agent or a hormone (e.g. testosterone) then there is a case to answer.
Q. Who makes the decisions on adverse analytical findings?
A. The laboratory doing the testing will inform the relevant committee, the IWF Masters Executive Board and the Continental Masters Executive Boards have Anti Doping Committees who will then write to the individual who has given an adverse finding and ask for an explanation to be given in writing and within a specific time scale.
Where an individual has produced a TUE that covers the substance found in the sample, the anti doping committee can either do nothing or suspend the person for a period of time.
If the individual does not reply or admits that the adverse finding is valid a suspension will be applied (probably for a period of 2 years).
Q. Is it possible to appeal against a decision?
A. Yes it is.
Firstly a person can ask for the "B sample" to be tested but this costly and must be paid for by the athlete. The athlete can attend the laboratory country where the B" sample" is to be tested but must again pay all his his or her own expenses.
An appeal can be made but must be made in writing, in English, to the Anti Doping Committee that conducted the test (usually the IWF Masters Anti Doping Committee).
A final appeal can be made to the CAS (Court for Arbitration in Sport) - details of CAS can be found on the internet.
Q. How can I find out more about anti doping and protect myself?
A. The IWF Masters Committee and the European Masters publish information on their websites. You should access the websites on a regular basis and read any information you find there, it is put their for you.
Q. Why are the IWF Masters Committee and the European Masters Committee going to such lengths to campaign against performance enhancing drugs.
A. There are many answers to this question.
All drugs have side effects and many side effects are harmful and may have long lasting and harmful
problems to a persons health.
To use performance enhancing drugs is cheating.
The extremely high cost of drug testing is paid for from the entry fees. If it was known for certain that
no one would take drugs then the entry fees could be reduced and save everyone some money.
This is "the Masters", why is it so important to win a medal in an International Masters Championship
that it becomes necessary to cheat by taking drugs?
Drugs will create injury problems and end an athlete's life as a competitor. We (the Committees)
want to see and help every competitor in the Masters to compete on equal terms for as long in their
lifetime as they are able. Remember, you are responsible for your entire food and drink intake.
Please help us by cooperating in our anti doping campaign.