The World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of prohibited substances and methods has come into force from today.
The 2023 version was approved by the WADA Executive Committee in September last year.
One of the major decisions concerned painkiller tramadol, which is set to be banned in competition from next year, with the delay explained by a desire "for broad communication and education of athletes, their entourage and medical personnel".
It is also hoped that this can provide the scientific community with time to adjust procedural details, sports authorities with time to develop educational tools for athletes and medical and support personnel with time to address the safe use of tramadol for clinical purposes.
Tramadol had been on WADA's monitoring programme and banned by the International Cycling Union since March 2019.
Changes effective for 2023 include additional examples of prohibited anabolic agents and diuretics and masking agents as prohibited substances, and of prohibited methods of manipulation of blood and blood components at all times.
Beta blockers which can slow the heart rate have been prohibited in mini-golf and all subdisciplines of freediving, spearfishing and target shooting, at the request of the World Mini-Golf Federation and World Under Water Federation respectively.
Additions to the monitoring programme are dermorphin and its analogues in-competition and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues in females under 18 years at all times to detect patterns of use in sport, and hypoxen to evaluate misuse in sport.
Cannabis remains banned in-competition, following the outcome of a review initiated in September 2021.
For substances or methods to be added to WADA's List, they must meet at least two of the criteria of having the potential to enhance sporting performance, representing a health risk to the athletes and violating the spirit of sport.
|
