WADA Announces Significant Changes to Code

November 4, 2008

Beginning January 1, 2009 – Athletes subject to anti-doping testing by USADA and the IAAF will be required to adhere to new protocols and procedures as outlined in the 2009 WADA Code. Athletes, agents and coaches are strongly encouraged to read over the following materials in order to familiarize themselves with the new protocols and procedures. Any questions about these changes can be directed to USATF’s Melissa Beasley at 317-713-4650, via email to Melissa.Beasley@usatf.org, or by contacting USADA at 1-866-601-2632.

Whereabouts Requirements

Athletes will still be required to submit their quarterly athlete location forms, but the form currently known as the athlete location form (ALF) will now be referred to as the Whereabouts Filing. Forms have different submission dates, but will still have the same effective dates:
                Quarter 1 – January 1-March 31 (Submission Deadline: December 31)
                Quarter 2 – April 1-June 30 (Submission Deadline: March 31)
                Quarter 3 – July 1-September 30 (Submission Deadline: June 30)
                Quarter 4 – October 1 –December 31 (Submission Deadline: September 30)

A significant change will be that athletes will now be required to complete all forms and updates electronically – this was effective November 1, 2008. Therefore, no more paper copies of your whereabouts filing will be accepted via fax or regular mail, including updates. Athletes will only be able to submit information via (a) USADA online account, (b) email, or (c) text message. Athletes who do not know their login/password information for USADA online accounts need to email formsadmin@usada.org immediately so they can retrieve their personalized login/password.

Athletes will also be required to note a 60-minute time-slot for every day of the quarter to be available and accessible for out of competition testing. Athletes can choose a 60-minute time-slot between the hours of 6:00am and 11:00pm. For example, an athlete can list 6:00-7:00am Sunday through Saturday at their primary residence as their 60-minute window. Athletes are responsible for the entire 60 minutes and should not leave early or arrive late, as they could be tested by USADA, IAAF or WADA during that timeframe. Testers will no longer make a phone call during the attempt, therefore, it is important that you are available and accessible during that 60-minute window. Athletes can only accrue a Missed Test if they are not available during their specified 60-minute window.

Additional Change to protocol  - Athletes are still subject to testing throughout the day and must maintain accurate whereabouts outside of the 60-minute time-slot. If testers make an attempt outside of the 60-minute time-slot, athletes are still responsible to provide a sample. If testers are unable to locate athletes outside of the 60-minute time-slot, it will be noted by the doping control officer and repeated unavailability will be evaluated by the testing agency as potential evasion of testing!

Athletes must update USADA regularly when they are not going to be available for their designated 60-minute window, as well as any other time their schedule changes from what they previously submitted on their Whereabouts Filing. Athletes can update (via email, text message, or the online system) up until one minute before the start of the 60-minute time-slot, but must provide a new 60-minute time-slot and location for that day.  If an athlete is located for testing during the original 60-minute time-slot that he/she provided, then he/she must still submit to Testing during the original 60-minute time-slot, even if an update was sent. 

Whereabouts Failures

The status of Missed Tests changes for athletes who are subject to out of competition testing. Beginning January 1, 2009 – athletes are subject to two types of Whereabouts Failures - Filing Failure and Missed Test.

                Filing Failure – All athletes who do not complete their Whereabouts Filing by the deadline date (the day before the beginning of the new quarter), do not list a 60-minute window for testing, or submit an inaccurate or incomplete form, will accrue a Whereabouts Failure –filing failure. Please note, that if an athlete does not submit their Whereabouts Filing by the start of the following month,  the athlete will accrue another Whereabouts Failure and if by the start of the third month in the quarter, still no Whereabouts Filing – the athlete will accrue what would be their third Whereabouts Failure.

REMINDER – 3 Whereabouts Failures in 18 months will be considered an anti-doping rule violation and the athletes will be subject to one or more of the following: disqualification, ineligibility, or a provisional suspension.

                Missed Test – Athletes who are not available or accessible for testing during their designated 60-minute time-slot will accrue a Whereabouts Failure-Missed Test.

Additional Change to protocol – all Whereabouts Failures accrued after January 1, 2009 will be shared between doping control agencies – USADA, IAAF and WADA. Whereabouts Failures will be cumulative – therefore any combination of Whereabouts Failures between the agencies that equals 3 Whereabouts Failures in 18 months will be considered an anti- doping rules violation and is subject to one or more of the following: disqualification, ineligibility, or a provisional suspension.

Blood Testing 

All athletes in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP) will be subject to blood collection as well as urine collection when notified for testing. USADA Doping Control Officers will be accompanied by a trained phlebotomist to collect blood. Athletes may be required to provide both a blood and urine sample or may only be required to provide a blood sample or a urine sample.

Effective January 1, 2009, athletes competing in domestic as well as international events where doping control is being conducted may also be subject to blood collection as a method of doping control.

2009 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods

Changes to the Prohibited Substances List were announced and will be in effect January 1, 2009. Significant points regarding related to the list include the removal of Alpha-Reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride, as well as the prohibiting of IV infusions, except when a medical emergency. For such an emergency, athletes will be required to submit a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE)

Requirements for submission of Therapeutic Use Exemptions change with the new International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.  Specifically the Abbreviated Therapeutic Use Exemption process no longer exists for use of Beta-2 Agonists or Glucocorticosteriods.   For the beta-2 agonist inhalers for asthma, the submission process depends on the level of competition and generally requires a full Therapeutic Use Exemption request supported by pulmonary function testing and the submission of the flow volume loops with the request.   In addition, the medication must be declared.  For the glucocorticosteroids,  any systemic administration to treat inflammation, asthma, allergic reactions, or other medical use  is prohibited (oral, IV, IM, rectal) and requires a TUE request for use in-competition.  For use of inhaled or local injections of glucocorticosteriods in-competition, the athlete must declare the medication on their Doping Control Official Record when they are tested and be able to produce medical records to support the treatment (if requested). Topical uses of glucocorticosteriods, such as eye, ear or nose drops and Iontophoresis continue to be permitted and do not  require a TUE or declaration.   (Please call USADA at 719-785-???) to obtain additional information on this process.)

MANDATORY REQUIREMENT

All athletes currently in the USADA Registered Testing Pool will be required to participate in Athlete’s Advantage, an online tutorial, regarding all the new protocols and procedures before you will be able to complete your next Whereabouts Filing – due on December 31. USATF strongly recommends that you complete this requirement well before the December 31 deadline so you do not run the risk of accruing a Whereabouts Failure for not being compliant when the new Code goes into effect on January 1, 2009. All athletes will receive specific details via email from USADA regarding this Online Tutorial.

For still more information – athletes, agents and coaches are encouraged to participate in a USADA Webinar. The Webinar is an online presentation/conference call that provides more details regarding these new procedures and protocols.