Anti-Doping

Notice to All Members

Swimming Australia’s Anti-Doping Policy has been amended and is effective 10 August 2020. 

The changes bring our sport in line with the establishment of Sport Integrity Australia which will replace the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) as the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) in Australia from 1 July 2020.

The changes which come into effect on 10 August 2020 are:

·       Replacing the words Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA);

·       Replacing CAS with the National Sports Tribunal (NST) as the first-instance hearing body for all athletes and the Appeals Division of the NST for appeals for ‘non-international level’ athletes.

·       Amending the definition of ‘National Level Athlete’ to introduce the Lower-Level Athlete category to allow greater flexibility in dealing with and sanctioning athletes below International or National level; and

·       Removing the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel.

For more details on the changes, please click here

You can stay educated about Anti-Doping by downloading the ASADA Clean Sport App, available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The App is a one stop shop for Anti-Doping which includes tools to find low risk supplements, check if a medication is banned in sport, complete a virtual reality testing mission, give ASADA feedback, report doping and more. 

2020 Prohibited List (goes into effect 1 January 2020)

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the 2020 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List); the 2020 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes; and the 2020 Monitoring Program. 

The List comes into force on 1st January 2020. It is vital that athletes familiarise themselves with the following information to ensure they are WADA compliant.  

A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is an exemption that allows an athlete to use, for therapeutic purposes only, an otherwise prohibited substance or method (of administering a substance) which may be present during competition.

Athletes may at times need to use a prohibited medication to treat a legitimate medical condition.

TUEs are administered by the Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee (ASDMAC) 

TUE approval may protect athletes from receiving a sanction if a prohibited substance is found in their sample.

If an athlete’s doctor has a question regarding the status of a substance, they should check the substance on Global Dro

An exemption is only granted if there is no unfair advantage given to the athlete by taking the substance or using the method.

Sport Integrity Australia has a wealth of information on Therapeutic Use Exemptions which can be found here.

This will assist you:

• to decide if you need a TUE?
• to decide if you need a TUE in-advance or retroactively?
• with an explanation on what a retroactive TUE is
• with identifying the medical evidence needed for common TUE applications

TUE forms should be sent directly to ASDMAC for consideration.

• Post: PO Box 1744, Fyshwick ACT 2609
• Email: asdmac@sportintegrity.gov.au
• Ph: +61 (02) 6222 4283

FINA Therapeutic Use Exemption

This form is for all swimmers in the FINA Registered Testing Pool (RTP); and/or those swimmers who compete internationally at FINA sanctioned events. Only TUE forms from athletes on the FINA RTP list should be submitted to Swimming Australia: 

Attention: Lynn Fowlie
Swimming Australia Limited
PO Box 176, Belconnen, ACT 2616
Email: lynn.fowlie@swimming.org.au

For further information follow this link to FINA.

The Whereabouts program involves athletes who are part of the Registered Testing Pools (RTP). Athletes need to let FINA or Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), depending on which RTP list the athlete is on, know where they are going to be, at specific times, so that no-advance notice testing can be performed

ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration & Management System)

Athletes on the RTP lists are required to submit their Whereabouts using ADAMS. These athletes will be issued with a login/password for ADAMS.

WADA information on ADAMS

For user guides and tips on how to use ADAMS:

• Training and user videos
• Quick Reference Guide
• ADAMS User guide for athletes

Check out the SIA website for ADAMS hints and tips

To access ADAMS and log your Whereabouts online: Click here.

Athlete Central App

WADA’s Athlete Central App facilitates athlete compliance with Whereabouts rules under the global anti-doping program, and is available for use and download from the Apple Store and Google Play. 

Athlete Central is powered by WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS).

Important Contact:

Contact FINA or SIA in the first instance for help, but if you need technical support accessing ADAMS:

ADAMS Technical Helpdesk (based in Canada)
E: athlete@sportintegrity.gov.au
P: +1 514 904 8800
SMS last minute whereabouts changes:  +44 7781 480710
(They will appear on your calendar as an attachment.)

International

FINA Registered Testing Pool Athletes (International RTP)

All swimmers in the international RTP are required to submit their Whereabouts information using ADAMS including:

o    Permanent mailing address

o    Residential address

o    One-hour testing time

o    Regular training schedule, including times and locations

Swimming Australia will notify a swimmer of their inclusion in FINA's RTP prior to the start of every quarter.

For information on FINA Whereabouts: Click here.

Important Contact

FINA Whereabouts
E: dcwhereabouts@fina.org

SIA Registered Testing Pool Athletes (Domestic RTP).
All swimmers in SIA’s RTP are required to provide accurate and up-to-date information on their whereabouts. Athletes on the domestic RTP will be informed in writing by SIA and given information on how to use the ADAMS system.

For information on SIA Whereabouts: Click here.

Read the SIA Whereabouts Policy

If you require any assistance with ANY whereabouts issues or ideas on how to remain compliant, you can contact SIA directly for help

Important Contact

SIA Whereabouts
P: SIA Hotline 13 000 27232 If calling from outside Australia call: +61 2 6222 4200
E: athlete@sportintegrity.gov.au

o    Set a phone alarm to remind you to check that you will be where you need to be for your designated time slot

o    Save the Whereabouts SMS number in your phone, make sure the service is activated in your ADAMS profile

o    Ask close friends and family to remind you to update, especially in the off-season or if on holiday

o    Ensure friends and family are aware of your obligations as an athlete in the RTP

o    Print a copy of your ADAMS calendar for those who may need to be aware, such as coaches

o    Contact Swimming Australia if you need help: Lynn Fowlie Lynn.fowlie@swimming.org.au or Mark Osborne Mark.Osborne@swimming.org.au 

o    Submit Whereabouts information ahead of the submission deadline as this gives you time to address any technical issues if you happen to experience them

o    Keep on top of updating Whereabouts information, as a pattern of last-minute Whereabouts updates could damage the chances of receiving a reduced sanction after a Whereabouts violation

o    Make sure up-to-date email and phone numbers are saved in your ADAMS profile so reminders can be sent to you regarding submitting Whereabouts.

How to avoid Whereabouts failures

It is now a key compliance requirement that all members of the Australian Swim Team or participants in Swimming Australia Camps/Tours and/or funded athletes, coaches and staff, are required to complete anti-doping online education prior to attending team camps / tours or receiving funding. This includes anti-doping  Level 1, Level 2 and Whereabouts Courses.

Anyone, who wants a better understanding of anti-doping issues can access these courses.

SIA e-Learning is a free and easy-to-use online education tool featuring online courses, videos and learning updates.

The Level 1 Course provides everyone with the opportunity to learn about the key areas of anti-doping such as prohibited substances and methods, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, doping control and whereabouts. The interactive course comprises of six modules and an assessment. Total time to complete this course is approximately 70 minutes.

The Level 2 Course is for athletes and support personnel who need to stay up to date on the latest information on anti-doping. This course is updated annually to reflect current trends in anti-doping. A certificate is issued upon completion and expires on 31st December each year. Pre-requisite for this course is the successful completion of the Level 1 course.

Follow this link to access these courses: SIA Courses

E-learning courses specific to coaches and medical/support personnel are also available.

Whereabouts Course

This online course is specifically focused on Whereabouts.

The course has been designed to help athletes and their support teams understand what Whereabouts is, and what it means to be placed on a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) or Domestic Testing Pool (DTP).

It includes information on:

The importance of whereabouts to prevent and detect doping

What information is required from athletes

The difference between missed tests and filing failures

Case studies of how athletes have received strikes

The consequences of a strike.

The course takes around 15 minutes and is freely available through SIA Courses

For further information please contact: education@sportintegrity.gov.au

Clean Sport 101

Clean Sport 101 is an introduction to anti-doping rules written in plain English. Designed for pathway athletes early in their careers, unlikely to be tested, and community/grassroots level athletes.

Parents' Guide to Clean Sport

The Parents’ Guide to Clean Sport is a short 15-20min online course, and covers topics such as healthy sport cultures, nutrition, the risks of supplements and doping risk factors, and includes links to websites for further useful information.

Links to both these courses can be found here: SIA Courses

The ASADA Clean Sport App has been designed with athletes in mind.

The App gives a list of supplements sold in Australia that have been screened for prohibited substances by an independent laboratory. These cannot give athletes a 100% safety guarantee but does significantly lower the risk of a positive test. For non-tested supplements the App gives athletes access to a quiz to assess the risk posed by highlighting key risk factors.

The App can also be used to report doping, check if a medication is banned in sport, give feedback on testing missions, and complete online education modules.

DOWNLOADING THE APP

iTunes App store

Google Play Store

Note that a newly branded App from Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) will be released later in 2020.

Sport Integrity Australia’s advice is that no supplement is safe to use and athletes should not risk their careers by taking a supplement. This is because many supplements are contaminated with substances prohibited in sport, which may not be listed on ingredient labels. 

However, Sport Integrity Australia recognises that there may be circumstances where sports dieticians recommend supplements, or where athletes use supplements regardless of the risk. 

For more information follow this link to SIA.

AIS Supplements Information;

https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements

The AIS Sports Supplement Framework

https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/698557/AIS-Sports-Supplement-Framework-2019.pdf

The Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO) provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific medications based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Global DRO does not contain information on, or that applies to any dietary supplements.

To check your substances, follow this link to Global Dro.

Higenamine

In November 2016, ASADA published an athlete warning on the banned substance Higenamine, following a spike in the number of detections. Since that time, six more Australian athletes have tested positive for Higenamine, bringing the total number of positives for that substance to 13 across nine different sports.

ASADA has published an athlete warning about these ingredients. Full details available here
 

Supplement Warning:

ASADA repeated its warning to athletes about the risk of using supplements which may contain banned substances not listed on product labels.

The warning follows new research released which found that, of 67 common Australian supplements analysed, almost one in five contained banned substances. Full details here.

Can cause: Acute Hepatitis and Liver Failure Following the Use of a Dietary Supplement Intended for Weight Loss or Muscle Building

ASADA has received a warning which originally came from the United State Anti-Doping Agency. ASADA’s understanding of this specific supplement OxyELITE Pro is that it was banned by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in 2011 because it contained a prohibited ingredient.

Since 2011, ASADA is of the belief the supplement company may have changed the ingredient list which has resulted in the product being sold via the internet on Australian websites.

The Australian Government is working with National Sporting Organisations to develop a greater awareness of the dangers of illicit drugs and the impact they can have on our athletes and the broader community.

Through the Illicit Drugs in Sport (IDIS) Program, the Government is supporting National Sporting Organisations to ensure Australian athletes, coaches and administrators have the education and support to make the right choices when it comes to illicit drugs.

This program is part of the Australian Government’s Sports Integrity Program and reinforces the Government’s strong commitment to the protection of sports integrity at all levels of competition, and to combat illicit drug use in all parts of the community.

For more information, educational resources and online courses, click here.