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Combating doping during The Games

The fight against doping is a real team effort—one that lasts before, during and after the Games. All the Paris 2024 stakeholders help to ensure the integrity of competition and protect the health of the athletes.

Athletes, spectators, organisers, sponsors—everyone expects a fair competition. In addition to skewing the results, many forbidden substances and methods represent a health risk for the athletes. Anti-doping measures must protect the physical and mental health of the athletes while defending the values championed by sport and competition: ethics, perseverance and excelling.

A TRUE TEAM EFFORT

The Olympic and Paralympic Games put an anti-doping programme in place in the 1960s. Since then, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have set out the anti-doping rules for the Games in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.  

In 2019, the IOC delegated responsibility for organising and managing anti-doping testing at the Olympic Games to a specialist independent authority: the International Testing Agency (ITA). The ITA is responsible for the anti-doping programme for the Olympic Games, while the IPC oversees this directly for the Paralympic Games.

Each time they are held, the Organising Committee oversees the operational aspects of anti-doping efforts for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under the responsibility of the IOC and IPC, Paris 2024 provides the funding, handles the planning and scheduling, and makes available the teams, equipment and infrastructures needed to enable the tests and analyses to be carried out. To perform these missions, Paris 2024 has chosen to work with the French anti-doping agency (AFLD), an independent public authority responsible for implementing actions to combat doping in France.

TEAMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

For the Paris 2024 Games, more than 1,000 people will be involved in the various anti-doping stages. Around 800 will act as chaperones to notify athletes about their tests and accompany them throughout the process.

Each competition venue will have a dedicated anti-doping control space, where around 360 sample collection personnel will carry out anti-doping tests on the athletes and ensure their compliance. Identified with the help of the AFLD, these French and international personnel are all trained on anti-doping controls and many of them have already worked in this capacity for national anti-doping agencies. Paris 2024 wanted to further strengthen the capabilities available in France, hosting a training programme led by the ITA and AFLD to increase the number of sample collection professionals in the country. This is already a legacy for the Games to support the fight against doping in France.

Once the samples have been collected, Paris 2024 is responsible for transferring them to the laboratories in charge of their analysis. The only laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency in France, the Laboratoire antidopage français (LADF), has been chosen to analyse the human samples, while the Laboratoire des courses hippiques (LCH), recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, will collect the equine samples.

To respond to the increase in the volume of analyses to be carried out over the brief period of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the French anti-doping laboratory is tripling its teams with 120 people to be deployed. In terms of equipment, Thermo Fisher Scientific, an Official Supporter of the Paris 2024 Games, will supply the additional equipment required for storing the samples collected with the anti-doping controls, as well as the sample analysis instruments.

PREVENTION AND EDUCATION

Alongside the anti-doping control operations, Paris 2024 will provide the athletes with a range of educational materials. Each doping control station will feature posters and tools to share information on anti-doping regulations and rights. Paris 2024 is also building awareness of the fight against doping among all its volunteers through a dedicated module as part of their training.

Lastly, Paris 2024 is setting out its commitment to younger generations by sharing content with French educational staff through its Generation 2024 platform. The aim is to actively help develop a shared culture for clean sport.

More information

  • There are situations in which athletes need to therapeutically use a prohibited substance or method, as specified by the Prohibited List.

    The anti-doping rules set out a specific process for athletes to apply for, and be authorised where conditions are met, authorisation to follow the prescribed treatment. This is referred to as Therapeutic Use Exemptions, or TUE for short.

    The links below will provide you with the information you need on TUEs including whether you are eligible to apply for a TUE, how to complete and submit your TUE application and TUE information relating specifically to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

  • The IOC has collaborated with WADA to develop a dedicated ADEL course for Paris 2024 aimed at athletes and support personnel. It provides an overview of the Games anti-doping programme along with key Games dates, key roles and responsibilities and the TUE application process.

  • One of the most effective tools for the prevention and detection of doping, including at the Paris 2024 Games, is no-notice out-of-competition testing. Out-of-competition testing means that athletes can be tested at any time and at any place.

    Each athlete will be asked to provide sufficient whereabouts information so that they can be located for testing during the period of the Games.

    Ahead of the Games, each delegation will have already provided whereabouts for their athletes, including arrival and departure date, and details of their accommodation in the Olympic Village, satellite Villages or any other official or unofficial accommodation. In addition, the NOCs are responsible for updating the whereabouts information for their athletes, and keeping this information up-to-date, should there be any changes.

  • Each year WADA updates the list of prohibited substances and methods. This list, which came into force this year on 1 January 2024, will be the list in force for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

  • Notification and chaperone: A chaperone will be assigned to an athlete who has been selected for doping control. The chaperone will notify the athlete of his selection and explain the athlete’s rights and responsibilities. Once notified, the athlete must remain within sight of the chaperone, or another authorised member of the Doping Control team, until the end of the Doping Control procedure. The athlete may ask to be accompanied by a representative (e.g., coach or team doctor) and by an interpreter, if required. The athlete must report to the doping control station (DCS) as soon as possible after notification, unless there is a valid reason for delaying reporting.

    Sample collection: When the athlete is ready to provide a sample, s/he chooses a sealed collection vessel and then goes to the toilet, accompanied by a Doping Control Officer (DCO) of the same gender. Athletes who are minors (under 18) may ask their representative to observe the DCO observing the athlete whilst providing the sample.

    Following this, the athlete chooses a sealed kit and checks that the numbers match and that the kit hasn’t been opened or otherwise tampered with. The athlete then divides the sample between the A and B bottles and seals them. The athlete should be the only one to do this process, with noone else touching the bottles until they are properly sealed - unless the athlete needs assistance from their representative due to an injure or impairement etc.

    The minimum volume of urine required is 90 ml. If the athlete cannot provide 90 ml on their first attempt, the volume provided will be treated as a partial sample. The partial sample will be temporarily sealed until the athlete provides further samples until the required volume has been provided. The DCO will also check the dilution of the final sample; if it is too diluted, the athlete will be notified that they have to provide a further sample.

    The blood testing process is similar to that for urine testing and will be carried out by a qualified professional (phlebotomist).

    Completing the Doping Control Form (DCF) : Once the sample has been provided, the DCO will fill in the DCF electronically on the tablet with the athlete.

    The athlete will declare any medication or supplements they have taken in the previous 7 days and whether they consent to the sample being used (anonymously) for research purposes. Each person present at the test may comment on the test procedure. The athlete checks that all the details on the form are correct before signing it.

    Analysis of samples and results: Samples will be sent for analysis to a WADA-accredited laboratory chosen by Paris 2024. The analysis results will be sent to the IPC and the IOC as applicable. If the sample is negative, no further action is required. If the sample is positive, this is called an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAR). This means that a prohibited substance has been detected in the sample. In this case, the athlete will be contacted and a specific procedure will be put in place. The athlete's sample can be kept for up to 10 years, during which time it can be reanalysed.

  • Various platforms are available to help protect athletes and the integrity of sport.

    Every report made helps to promote a fair and equitable playing field for all athletes. Sharing sensitive information is a serious decision that requires careful consideration, and we welcome the courage it takes to help bring possible doping cases to light.

    Whether you prefer to remain anonymous or share your contact details, your information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

    To help protect the integrity of sport, please do not hesitate to report any doping incident on the various platforms available:

  • The purpose of the Anti-Doping Guide is to give the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Game participants and stakeholders information about the anti-doping program.