Competition climbing applies anti-doping rules

Mountaineering Scotland is delighted to announce it has been certified as meeting its anti-doping responsibilities for competition climbing in Scotland.

The organisation, which is the governing body for competitive sport climbing in Scotland, has completed the UK Anti-Doping Assurance Framework, working in collaboration with GB Climbing and the BMC.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published the updated 2021 UK National Anti-Doping Policy in April 2021, which all national governing bodies (NGBs) must be compliant with. This was the first update of the Policy since its implementation in 2009.

UKAD is responsible for ensuring that sports bodies comply with the World Anti-Doping Code through its implementation and management of the Policy. It introduced the Assurance Framework for NGBs to be able to prove their compliance with the Policy.

The framework outlines a series of mandatory requirements which include the creation of an education strategy and plan, the implementation of anti-doping rules and increased involvement of an NGB’s Board with clean sport.

On completion of the Assurance Framework, Stuart Younie, CEO of Mountaineering Scotland, said: “Competitive climbing has come a long way in recent years and there has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes to ensure the necessary standards are in place to become an Olympic discipline.

“The promotion of clean sport is fundamental to creating a positive anti-doping culture in competitive climbing but it is also about educating our young athletes about good nutrition and the use of dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle. We fully support the new framework and are grateful for the support of UKAD in ensuring we meet the new standards they have put in place.”

ClimbScotland Development Manager Jamie Smith has been the project lead on our education strategy and implementation plan and has worked with Zoe Spriggins at GB Climbing to coordinate the approach of the two organisations.

He said: “A lot of joint working has gone into applying UKADS principles to the sport of competition climbing and we’re happy now that we have achieved this certification.”

The anti-doping rules apply to all competitors, regardless of what level they participate at, in competitions delivered by Mountaineering Scotland, the BMC, GB Climbing, Mountaineering Ireland, IFSC and UIAA. Those entering our competitions will now see this as a part of the registration process.

Information on how this will affect competitors and what they need to do to comply, are available at the ClimbScotland Clean Climbing – Clean Sport webpage.

UKAD’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Nisha Dutt, said: “At UKAD we work tirelessly to protect clean sport, but we can’t do it alone. This Assurance Framework supports NGBs with the delivery of their anti-doping responsibilities and will help Mountaineering Scotland to embed clean sport values into competition climbing going forward. It is brilliant to see that Mountaineering Scotland has completed the UKAD Assurance Framework after working closely with our dedicated Assurance and Education teams over recent months.”

For more information on the Policy and Assurance Framework, visit the UKAD website.