Your view counts – Contributions to Unintentional Doping Research Project
Unintentional doping is a hot topic in the field of anti-doping.
Unintentional doping occurs when someone breaks any of the anti-doping rules accidentally, or without deliberate intent. These cases can have wide-ranging and at times life-changing consequences, making this topic crucial to understand. Unintentional doping is particularly distressing for athletes and their support personnel/entourage.
To understand how we might better prevent unintentional doping cases in future, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has launched a
Call for Contributions on the topic.
The Call for Contributions is a short 15 question survey that includes questions like:
- What percentage (%) of anti-doping rule violations do you believe are the result of unintentional doping?
- How concerned are you about the impact of unintentional doping cases on public trust in anti-doping?
- How anxious are you about unintentionally committing an anti-doping rule violation? (for athletes)
Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) Acting Head of Sport Engagement, Alexis Cooper, is a member of WADA's Taskforce on Unintentional Doping and has encouraged Australian athletes, support personnel, anti-doping practitioners, academics and policymakers to share their views.
“If we want to better understand the causes and consequences of unintentional doping we need to hear from all people impacted by the anti-doping system,” she said.
“Australian sport is not immune to unintentional doping, and we have certainly seen cases over the past decade where athletes have been sanctioned when they had no intent to cheat, so it’s critical that the views of Australians are included.
“A deeper understanding of the nature of unintentional doping, and the scale of the problem, will help the taskforce to develop preventative strategies for athletes and anti-doping organisations alike.
“It will also help us better advocate for clean athletes, which is who the system is designed to protect.”
To participate in the Call for Contributions, you can complete the survey in as little as 15 minutes online.
Contributions will support the goal of the Taskforce in proposing an evidence-informed approach to the prevention of unintentional doping. Contributions are open until 23 June 2025.
The work of the Unintentional Doping Taskforce is part of a multi-pronged approach to the matter of unintentional doping and is informed by WADA’s:
- Contaminants Working Group – responsible for providing expert advice, recommendations, and guidance with regards to prohibited substances that are contaminants, and
- Working Group on Contaminations – responsible for conducting a global review on sources of contamination leading to adverse analytical findings and anti-doping rule violations in sport.
SIA CEO, Dr Sarah Benson is a member of the Working Group on Contaminations. For more information about WADA’s Unintentional Doping Research Project, please visit the WADA website.
