Anti-Doping Information

Drug Free Sport NZ’s website is available at: https://drugfreesport.org.nz/

If you have questions you are welcome to contact the Orienteering NZ General Manager gm@orienteering.org.nz

Intro

Orienteering NZ is committed to the advancement of clean sport that rejects cheating through the use of performance enhancing drugs and methods.

Orienteering NZ works in partnership with the national anti-doping organisation, Drug Free Sport New Zealand to:

  • promote a culture of clean sport
  • deliver anti-doping education
  • organise testing programmes
  • report doping and suspicious activity
  • support athletes to compete drug free.

If you’d like more information about anti-doping or to receive some anti-doping education contact Drug Free Sport NZ here.

The anti-doping  rules

All members of Orienteering NZ must abide by New Zealand’s Sports Anti-Doping Rules.   These rules reflect the World Anti-Doping Agency’s World Anti-Doping Code.

You can read the rules on the Drug Free website, but in summary the 11 rule violations are:

The rule violations

  1. Presence of a prohibited substance, or its metabolites or markers, in an athlete’s sample;
  2. Use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method by an athlete;
  3. Evasion of doping control or refusal to provide a sample; 
  4. Failure of Registered Testing Pool athlete to meet Whereabouts requirements three times within a 12-month period;
  5. Tampering with any part of the doping control process by an athlete or other person*;
  6. Possession of prohibited substances or methods by an athlete or support person;
  7. Trafficking or attempted trafficking of a prohibited substance or method by an athlete or other person;
  8. Administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or method by an athlete or other person;
  9. Complicity with or attempt to cover up an anti-doping rule violation by an athlete or other person;
  10. Knowing association by an athlete or other person with someone in a sporting capacity who has been found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation;
  11. Discouragement of, or retaliation against someone for, reporting doping or suspected doping by an athlete or other person.

* ’Other person’ refers to a person, entity or organisation. See Sports Anti-Doping Rules 2022 for details.

If you’re an athlete, it’s important you know about the changes and what you need to do to ensure you comply with the rules.

To find out more, visit https://drugfreesport.org.nz/rules-and-rights/sports-anti-doping-rules/

The Prohibited List

The Prohibited List is published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) every year and details all substances and methods which are prohibited or banned in sport.

A substance or method may be included on the list if it meets any two of the following criteria:

  • it has the potential to enhance sporting performance
  • it presents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete
  • it violates the spirit of sport.

You can view the full WADA Prohibited List and find information at https://drugfreesport.org.nz/substances/

Medications

Many medications contain substances which are prohibited in sport so if an athlete is sick or injured they need to be careful about what they take so that they don’t return a positive test.

Athletes who have a common condition such as asthma, diabetes, ADHD or an infection need to check whether their treatment is permitted in sport.

Athletes should:

  • stress to medical professionals that they are athletes who could be drug tested
  • insist that medical professionals check whether medications are permitted in sport before they prescribe them
  • understand and follow the Therapeutic Use Exemption process if they need to take a mediation that contains a prohibited substance.

There are also has several ways in which athletes and others can check whether medications are permitted in sport.  These include:

If athletes need to take a medication which is prohibited in sport, then they can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).  Athletes who compete at a national or international level will need to apply for a TUE before they take any medication.  Find out more about TUEs here.

Supplements

There are many dietary or sports supplements which are marketed as helping to improve performance, recovery, weight loss or muscle development.

Athletes should carefully assess their need for supplements and carefully research the supplements they choose to take.

Supplements can contain substances which are prohibited in sport and many products may not accurately label ingredients so you cannot be sure of exactly what’s in them.

Drug Free Sport NZ can provide some assessment of the level risk associated with supplements and may be able to identify products which are known to be a problem.  Lodge a supplement query with Drug Free Sport NZ here or phone them on 0800 DRUGFREE (378 437).

The Athlete Whereabouts Programme

Anti-doping organisations, including Drug Free Sport NZ, conduct “surprise” drug tests on athletes out-of-competition with no advance warning.

The Athlete Whereabouts Programme allows Drug Free Sport NZ to locate athletes for testing.

Athletes will be told if they are part of the whereabouts programme.  If they are, they will need to log information with Drug Free Sport NZ regularly so that they can be easily located.  This information will include details about where they are living, working, training, and travelling.

Find out more about the whereabouts programme here.

Doping Control

Drug testing is one of the best ways to catch athletes who are doping and to protect athletes who are clean competitors.

Athletes being tested for the first time may be nervous but if they know a bit more about the process it can relieve these nerves.

During drug testing athletes have the right to:

  • have a representative (parent, coach or friend) with them
  • have an interpreter if required
  • ask for additional information about the sample collection process
  • request a delay in reporting to the doping control station for valid reasons (e.g. attending a medal ceremony, further competition commitments, fulfilling media commitments, needing medical treatment)
  • request modifications if they have a disability or they’re a minor (under 18 years of age)
  • record any concerns or comments they have on the doping control form.

Athletes also have the responsibility to:

  • report to the doping control station as soon as possible
  • remain in sight of the doping control official at all times
  • produce valid identification at doping control
  • comply with the sample collection process
  • recognise that if they choose to eat or drink before providing a sample, that they do so at their own risk.

Athletes can be tested during an event (in-competition) or at any other time (out-of-competition) and will be asked to provide a urine sample, a blood sample or both.

Sample collection for doping control will be carried out by a trained and accredited Drug Free Sport NZ official.

When providing a urine sample, an athlete will:

  • choose a container in which to provide the urine sample
  • provide a sample  in front of the Drug Free Sport NZ  official (who will be the same gender as you)
  • pour their urine sample into two sample collection bottles (A and B)
  • seal the samples in tamper-evident container
  • let the Drug Free Sport NZ official know about any medications or supplements they’ve taken in the past seven days
  • check and sign the relevant paper work and take a copy.

When providing a blood sample, an athlete will:

  • choose a kit for sample collection
  • sit down and rest for ten minutes
  • have blood taken from their arm by a trained professional
  • seal the samples in a tamper-evident container
  • let the doping control officer know about any medications or supplements they’ve taken in the past seven days
  • check and sign the relevant paper work and take a copy.

The samples are then transported to an accredited laboratory for analysis.  Drug Free Sport NZ will notify athletes of the results in a few weeks.

Click here for more details about doping control and the testing process.