Educational Resources

• 1.Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample

  The athlete is responsible to ensure that NO PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE is find in their body. The presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolite or marker is proof enough of an anti-doping rule violation.

• 2.Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method

  The athlete is responsible to ensure that NO PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE is find in their body. It is not necessary to demonstrate intent, neglicence, fault, or knowing Use on the Athlete’s part in order to establish an anti-doping rule violation for Use of a Prohibited Substance or method.

• 3.Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection by an Athlete

  Evading Sample collection; refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection without compelling justification after notification by a duly authorized Person.

• 4.Whereabouts Failures by an Athlete

  Any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures, as defined in the International Standard for Results Management, within a twelve-month period by an Athlete in a Registered Testing Pool.

• 5.Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any Part of Doping Control by an Athlete or Other Person

  Tampering with doping control procedures is a serious offense in the world of sports. This includes actions that disrupt or attempt to disrupt any stage of the testing process, such as altering samples, providing false information, or intimidating doping control officials. Any athlete or support personnel caught engaging in tampering will face severe consequences, including bans from competition and potential legal repercussions. Fair play and the integrity of sport depend on reliable doping control.

• 6.Possession of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method by an Athlete or Athlete Support Person

  Possession by an Athlete or an Athlete Support Person in connection with an Athlete In-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method, or Possession by an Athlete or an Athlete Support Person in connection with an Athlete Out-of-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method which is prohibited Out-of-Competition unless the Athlete establishes that the Possession is consistent with a Therapeutic Use Exemption (“TUE”) granted.

• 7.Trafficking in prohibited substances or prohibited methods

  Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method by an Athlete or Other Person

• 8.Manipulation with Prohibited Methods or Substances

  Administration or Attempted Administration by an Athlete or Other Person to any Athlete In-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method, or Administration or Attempted Administration to any Athlete Out-of-Competition of any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method that is Prohibited Out-of-Competition

• 9.Complicity or Attempted Complicity by an Athlete or Other Person

  The intentional complicity or attempted complicity including assisting, aiding, abetting, encouraging, conspiring or covering up, an anti-doping rule violation, Attempted anti-doping rule violation or violation.

• 10.Prohibited Association by an Athlete or Other Person

  Association by an Athlete or other Person subject to the authority of an Anti-Doping Organization in a professional or sport-related capacity with any Athlete Support Person who is serving a period of Ineligibility.

• 11.Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage or Retaliate Against Reporting to Authorities

  For further information please review the World Anti-Doping Code, which currently is the core document that harmonizes anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities around the world.

  You can download free the World Anti-Doping Code here:

  https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/world-anti-doping-code-and-international-standards/world-anti-doping-code#resource-download.

Whereabouts

What are testing pools and why are whereabouts important for clean sport?

Out-of-competition testing with no-advance notice is one of the most powerful means of deterrence and detection of doping. To support this type of testing, the IPSF has created testing pools as part of its testing program. In the mean to long term, certain athletes will be part of the IPSF’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and will be required to provide information on their whereabouts in ADAMS, WADA’s online anti-doping administration and management system. From 2025, the IPSF will create a pool that will include Target Testing Athletes based on the following criteria:

• Athletes from countries who have large teams, and large competitions. These competitions usually make it more difficult for an athlete to go and represent their country at the World Championships, thus meaning a higher competitive spirit, and thus encouraging doping amongst those athletes who may not have qualified before to enable them to replace the incumbents.
• Athletes from countries where the qualifying scores are identified to be particularly high. The IPSF judging system is standardized, and while there will most certainly be overlap between this group and the first group, we also believe that strangely high scoring countries should be investigated. This can be further filtered into the focus of out-of-competition testing – those athletes qualifying with very high scores, but then achieving low scores at the World Championships would be higher on the priority list for out-of-competition testing in order to determine whether doping had any role in their high qualifying score.
• Athletes who qualify for their third (or more) consecutive World Championships – the pressure to remain at this level definitely takes a toll on the body, and thus the allure of doping may be higher amongst these athletes.
• Athletes who compete regularly meaning athletes that has been compeeting in two consecutive editions of the World Pole & Aerial Championships and have been part of the podium, the pressure to remain at this level might increase the risk of use of banned substance.
• Athletes in receipt of public funding
• Athletes serving a period of Ineligibility or a Provisional Suspension
• Athletes who were high priority for Testing before they retired from the sport and who now wish to return from retirement to active participation in the sport
• Repeated failure to meet whereabouts requirements
• Association with a third party (such as a team-mate, coach or doctor) with a history of involvement in doping
• Reliable information from a third party, or intelligence developed by or shared with the Anti-Doping Organization

Aditionally, testing by Random Selection has been taking place since 2022 and will continue, since it can play an important deterrent role, as well as helping to protect the integrity of the sport. This pool will not be considered a RTP, but is the first step in the procees of having a more efficient anti-doping program.

How do athletes know they need to provide whereabouts?

All athletes will be informed in the mid to long term about the creation of a RTP by the IPSF. Those athletes included in the RTP will need to provide whereabouts in ADAMS and will be notified by the IPSF of their inclusion in a testing pool as well as what information exactly is required of them, how to use ADAMS, deadlines to submit this information and any consequences if the information required is not submitted.

What do RTP/TP athletes need to know?

Currently, the IPSF will work on education for athletes, athlete support personnel and coaches on RTP and whereabouts.

• 1.Sport Consequences

  The sanctions for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can include:

  • Provisional Suspension. The athlete or other person is temporarily banned from participating in any competition or activity while waiting for the results management process to be complete or until the final decision is rendered.
  • The athlete or other person is not allowed to compete or participate in any other activity, such as training, coaching, or even access to funding. This period of ineligibility can be as long as 4 years or even life depending on the circumstances.
  • Disqualification of results. The athlete’s results during a particular period, competition or event are invalidated.
  • Public Disclosure. The IPSF or the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) informs the general public of the Anti-Doping Rule Violation
• 2.Health Consequences

  The health consequences to an athlete can include:

  • Physical health. Doping products may have negative side effects on health depending on the substance, the dosage and the consumption frequency.
  • Psychological health. Some doping substances may have an impact on the athlete’s mental health. Anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders or psychosis are direct consequences from doping.
• 3.Social Consequences

  Some of social consequences of doping include:

  • Damage to reputation and image. This can be permanent with media attention, furthermore, future clean performances can be met with skepticism.
  • Damage to future career prospects.
  • Isolation from peers and sport.
  • Damaged relationships with friends and family.
  • Effects on emotional and psychological well-being.
  • Loss of standing, fame, respect and credibility.
• 4.Financial Consequences

  The financial consequences of doping can include:

  • Fines that IPSF may have. Including costs associated with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
  • Loss of income/financial support, such as government funding, other forms of financial support and by not participating in the competitions. Furthermore, loss of financial support due to withdrawal of sponsor.
  • Requirement to reimburse sponsor, if included in the contract.
  • Reimbursement of prize money.
  • Impact of damaged reputation on future career prospects.

• 1.Athlete Selection

  During the World Pole & Aerial Championship, an athlete can be selected for testing at any time in the venue.

• 2.Notification

  A Doping Control Officer (DCO) or chaperone will notify the athlete of their selection and outline their rights and responsibilities.

• 3.Reporting to the Doping Control Station

  The athlete should report to the doping control station immediately after being notified. The DCO may allow a delay in reporting for a valid reason.

• 4.Sample Collection Equipment

  The athlete is given a choice of individually sealed sample collection vessels and kits to choose from.

• 5.Inspection

  They must inspect the equipment and verify the sample code numbers.

• 5.Collecting the urine sample
  • Providing the sample: The athlete will be asked to provide the sample under the direct observation of a DCO or witnessing chaperone of the same gender.
  • Volume: A minimum 90mL is required for urine samples. If the first sample is not 90mL, the athlete may be asked to wait and provide an additional sample.
  • Splitting the sample: The athlete will split their sample into A and B bottles.
  • Sealing the samples: The athlete will seal the A and B bottles in accordance with the DCO’s instructions.
  • Measuring specific gravity: The DCO will measure the specific gravity of the sample to ensure it is not too dilute to analyze. If it is too dilute, the athlete may be asked to provide additional samples.

• 1.DCO Identification

  The athlete has the right to see the identification of the Doping Control Officer (DCO).

• 2.Additional Information

  The athlete has the right to request additional information about the sample collection process, about the authority under which the sample collection will be carried out, and about the type of sample collected. 

• 3.Hydrate

  The athlete has the right to hydrate.

• 4.Accompaniment

  The athlete has the right to be accompanied by a repreentative and, if available, an interpreter.

• 5.Reporting Delay

  The athlete has the right to request a delay in reporting to the doping contrl station for valid reasons.

• 6.Modifications

  The athlete has the right to request modificationsfor an impairment that they may have.

• 7.Informed

  The athlete has the right to be informed of their rights and responsibilites.

• 8.Records

  The athlete has the right to receive a copy of the records of the process.

• 9.Protections

  The athlete has the right to further protections if they are classified as a "protected person" due to their age or lacj of legal capacity.

• 10.B Sample

  Requires and attend the B sample analysis (in the case of an Adverse Analytical Finding)