All athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean.
Mountaineering Scotland believes in clean competition climbing and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and our International Federation to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.
The use of performance-enhancing drugs and other doping behaviour severely damages the legitimacy of sport and undermines the integrity of clean athletes.
Mountaineering Scotland has in place a set of anti-doping rules that all athletes, coaches and athlete support personnel must abide by. The anti-doping rules for Mountaineering Scotland are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code (2015 Code), which governs anti-doping internationally. The anti-doping rules of Mountaineering Scotland are the UK Anti-Doping Rules, published by UK Anti-Doping, and amended from time to time:
If you are a member of Mountaineering Scotland then the anti-doping rules apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at.
There are many organisations that work hard to protect sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is responsible for leading the collaborative world-wide campaign for clean sport. Established in 1999 as an independent agency and funded by both sport and governments, it manages the development of the World Anti-Doping Code. The Code aims to harmonise all anti-doping policies, ensuring that athletes and athlete support personnel are treated fairly and consistently.
The aims of the 2015 Code and WADA are to:
In Scotland, Mountaineering Scotland works in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) to prevent doping.
UKAD is the national anti-doping agency for the UK, dedicated to protecting a culture of clean sport – it achieves this through implementing education and testing programmes, gathering and developing intelligence, and prosecuting those found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
UKAD is responsible for ensuring sports bodies in the UK are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code through the implementation and management of the UK’s National Anti-Doping Policy.
100% me is UK Anti-Doping’s education programme for athletes – designed to provide information resources, education sessions and general advice to athletes throughout their sporting careers.
All athletes need to be aware of the principle of strict liability. This means that all athletes are solely responsible for any banned substance they use, attempt to use, or that is found in their system, regardless of how it got there and whether or not they had an intention to cheat. It is crucial that athletes check all medications are safe to take prior to use.
Athletes must undertake thorough internet research of any supplement products before use – including the name of the product and the ingredients/substances listed. Information discovered as a result should be further investigated and we advise athletes to keep evidence of their search.
The 2015 Code outlines ten ADRVs. Athletes and athlete support personnel (ASP) may receive a ban from sport if any of the following ADRVs are committed:
All ten ADRVs apply to athletes. Only the ADRVs in bold apply to ASP.
Consequences are significant
Under the 2015 Code, a minimum four-year ban from sport will apply to those who are found to be deliberately cheating and breaking the rules. The 2015 Code has little sympathy for carelessness – for inadvertent doping, athletes are more likely to face a two-year ban from sport.
All athletes, coaches and athlete support personnel need to make sure they have sufficient anti-doping knowledge to avoid committing an ADRV and receiving a ban from sport.
The Prohibited List
All banned substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List, which is updated at the beginning of every calendar year, but may also be updated throughout the year.
Understand the importance of checking medications
Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or bought over the counter) athletes must check to make sure it does not contain any banned substances. Medications can be checked online at Global DRO. It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country.
Know the risks with nutritional supplements
Athletes are strongly advised to be very cautious if they choose to take any supplement such as vitamin tablets, energy drinks or sport-nutrition formulas. This is because there is no guarantee that any supplement is free from banned substances.
All athletes are advised to:
before making a decision to use supplements.
However, supplement risks can be reduced by:
Visit the UKAD website for further information including the Informed Sport programme, which provides a batch-testing service for supplement products.
Apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)
Athletes can obtain approval to use a prescribed banned substance or method for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition by applying for a TUE. They must be able to provide medical evidence to confirm their diagnosis and prescription, and reference that there are no reasonable alternative medications.
TUEs approved by UKAD, unless stated otherwise, are valid at national level only. If an athlete is competing at international events, a UKAD TUE will not be valid unless it is first recognized by the relevant International Federation or Major Event Organisation. Athletes should notify the relevant body of this as soon as possible prior to competing.
Athletes listed under the ‘National’ category for their sport must apply for their TUE in advance. The ‘National’ category for TUEs is defined by UKAD by sport and can be found on UKAD’s website. Only in an emergency situation or where there will be a severe impact on health should treatment begin without the necessary approval. Athletes not listed in the ‘National’ category would only need to apply for a TUE retroactively should they be tested and their sample return an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF).
Athletes should feel prepared and know their rights and responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer. When selected for testing, athletes should take a representative with them to the Doping Control Station.
A urine test will follow these main steps:
• Notification
• Reporting to Doping Control Station
• Providing a sample
• Recording and certifying sample information
UK Anti-Doping recommends that athletes follow their normal hydration routines if selected for testing. Athletes need to be prepared to provide details of any substances they have taken – this needs to be written on the Doping Control form. Athletes should report any concerns they have about the process or the equipment on the Doping Control form.
Help keep sport clean
We all have a responsibility to report doping in sport and help keep it clean. A 24-hour dedicated phone line, hosted by Crimestoppers, is ready to take your call if you have any suspicions or concerns about incidences of doping in sport. You can provide information in complete confidence by calling 08000 32 23 32 or via a secure website. All information is passed securely to UKAD’s intelligence unit for investigation.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the anti-doping rules. As well as asking Mountaineering Scotland, coaches and athlete support personnel, you may also contact UKAD directly, who will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance. Further information and resources include:
100% me elite athlete Clean Sport App for smartphones
Check your medications on Global DRO
Assess the risk of supplements on Informed Sport
Register with UK Anti-Doping
For more information from UKAD:
And...
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ClimbScotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
Mountaineering Scotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
