Our International Anti-Doping Lawyers Discuss IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules
The anti-doping lawyers from Global Sports Advocates have helped athletes across all sports protect their right to compete. Here, we outline key points regarding the IRONMAN anti-doping rules and what athletes accused of a violation can do to protect their reputation, career, and ability to participate in upcoming competitions.
Testing History
In 2005, IRONMAN became the first private, non-federation sports company to become a Signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code. It has been testing athletes both in and out of competition for years and has even kept records of its own doping control statistics to monitor the use of banned substances in its sport. The robustness of IRONMAN’s anti-doping program is illustrated through its most recent testing figures from 2023. In 2023, 761 samples were collected under the jurisdiction of the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program, and of those samples, 98 were collected in-competition while 663 were collected out-of-competition. It also collected 67 dried blood spot samples as well as a total of 227 Athlete Biological Passport blood samples.
Testing Requirements
All athletes registered for an IRONMAN event are subject to testing, whether they are first-timers or professionals, and remain subject to the rules for varying lengths of time after the competition concludes depending on their level of competitiveness. When selected for a doping control test, athletes may be asked to provide a urine sample, a dried blood spot sample, and/or a normal blood sample. While many samples are collected in-competition at events, as the 2023 statistics show, even more are collected out of competition through IRONMAN’s Registered Testing Pool, which consists of select athletes who must provide whereabouts information in order to facilitate out-of-competition testing.
Prohibited Substances and Methods
The particular substances and methods that are prohibited under the IRONMAN anti-doping program can be found at the WADA Prohibited List, which is the official list of all the substances and methods that are prohibited both in and out of competition. The list identifies which banned substances and methods are specified, which are non-specified, and which are substances of abuse – each of which has different sanction lengths associated with them. When revisions are made to this list, they go into effect three months after publication by WADA, without requiring any further action by IRONMAN.
The rules recognize that athletes may sometimes need to use prohibited substances for legitimate medical reasons. As a result, IRONMAN has adopted the same Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process as is utilized under the World Anti-Doping Code:
- Athletes must apply for a TUE before using a prohibited substance (except in emergency situations).
- The TUE must meet the relevant criteria under the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
- TUE applications are reviewed by a panel of independent medical experts.
- IRONMAN recognizes TUEs granted by National Anti-Doping Organizations, subject to review.
Potential Types of Anti-Doping Rule Violations
The anti-doping rule violations listed under the IRONMAN anti-doping program are a carbon copy of those under the World Anti-Doping Code:
- Presence of prohibited substances in an athlete's sample
- Use or attempted use of prohibited substances or methods
- Evading, refusing, or failing to submit to a sample collection
- Whereabouts failures (for athletes in the Registered Testing Pool)
- Tampering with any part of the doping control process
- Possession of prohibited substances or methods
- Trafficking prohibited substances or methods
- Administration of prohibited substances or methods to athletes
- Complicity in anti-doping rule violations
- Prohibited association with banned coaches or support personnel
- Acts to discourage or retaliate against reporting violations
While some anti-doping rule violations require IRONMAN as the results management authority to prove intent or negligence, others have a strict liability principle associated with them such as those violations involving the presence or use of prohibited substances. This means that intent, fault, negligence, or knowing use do not need to be demonstrated to establish that a violation has occurred.
One key difference between the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program and World Anti-Doping Code is IRONMAN’s explicit warning to its athlete that an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance that is used by an athlete before becoming subject to the rules will still result in consequences as if the athlete used the substance after becoming subject to the rules. No such similar language is embedded in the World Anti-Doping Code. In fact, athletes have won cases under the World Anti-Doping Code where they have proven their use of a banned substance was prior to becoming an athlete under the rules.
Results Management and Potential Sanctions
IRONMAN is responsible for the results management process, which includes reviewing and investigating potential anti-doping rule violations. Athletes suspected of a violation have the right to a fair hearing conducted by an operationally independent panel.
The standard sanction for an intentional anti-doping rule violation is four years of ineligibility. However, the rules provide for flexibility based on various factors:
- For unintentional violations involving specified substances, the period of ineligibility may be reduced.
- Sanctions can be eliminated or reduced based on proving “no fault or negligence” or “no significant fault or negligence”.
- Reductions may be granted for prompt admission of a violation or providing substantial assistance in discovering other violations.
- Multiple violations result in increased sanctions, potentially leading to lifetime ineligibility.
In addition to periods of ineligibility, sanctions typically include disqualification of results, forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes, and potential financial consequences.
Doping Appeal Process
The IRONMAN anti-doping rules provide for an appeals process after an athlete has been found to have committed a violation. Depending on the competitive level of the athlete, decisions may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Handling accusations that you have committed an anti-doping rule violation can be daunting and overwhelming. Global Sports Advocates can help alleviate some of that stress, given its extensive experience handling a wide range of international doping cases involving CAS appeals and global sports compliance. Refer to our case results and testimonials pages to learn about some of our recent successes.