British Weight Lifting is delighted to announce its completion of the Assurance Framework, which National Governing Bodies (NGBs) must fulfil to certify to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) that they are meeting their anti-doping responsibilities.

See the full announcement here

UK Anti-Doping

The anti-doping rules of British Weight Lifting are the rules published by UK Anti-Doping (or its successor), as amended from time to time.

If you are a member of British Weight Lifting then the anti-doping rules apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at. You can find the UK Anti-Doping Rules here.

2021 World Anti-Doping Code

From 1 January 2021, a new version of the Code is in effect and it’s important that all athletes and athlete support personnel are aware of how this impacts them.

For more information on the changes within the 2021 Code, visit UKAD’s website here.

Under the 2021 Code, an athlete may be classified as being “International-Level”, “National-Level” or a “Recreational Athlete” based on their competition level. Further information on these different categories is available on the UKAD website.

The BWL adoption of the 2021 UK Anti-Doping Rules can be found here.

Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and athlete support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them. For more information and what this means for those individuals, click here.

The Big Picture – Top Tips for Clean Sport

An athlete is responsible for anything found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to cheat. All athletes and athlete support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful information for athletes can be found on the UKAD website.

The Prohibited List

All prohibited substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List. The 2024 Prohibited List is managed and coordinated by WADA, found on the WADA website here.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recently released the 2024 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (the List). Broken down into several categories, the List identifies which substances and methods are prohibited at all times, in-competition only, and within specific sports. The 2024 Prohibited List can be found here.

The List is updated each year, coming into effect on 1st January. It is possible for WADA to make changes to the List more than once a year, but they must communicate such changes three months before they come into effect.  As this list is updated annually, athletes and athlete support personnel should make sure they check it ahead of it coming into effect.

More information on what’s banned in the sport can be found on UKAD’s website here.

Checking Medications

Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any prohibited substances. Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO. It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country. For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website here.

Check out the video below from UKAD’s Athlete Commission member and British Paralympic Powerlifter, Ali Jawad, on using Global DRO.

Taking Nutritional Supplements

UKAD always advises a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances. Athletes should assess the need, the risks and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement, and if they need to use one, visit the Informed Sport website to check whether supplements have been batch-tested. More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub here.

Applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)

If an athlete with a legitimate medical condition needs to use a prohibited substance or method, they will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). This is only accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used, and there is a strict, detailed process to determine this.

Athletes can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website here and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.

Covid-19 Vaccines and the Code

Global DRO will continue to be updated as COVID-19 vaccines are approved for clinical use within the UK, thus we encourage athletes and their support personnel to check Global DRO for updates on the anti-doping status of vaccines going forwards.

What happens in a test?

Athletes should feel prepared and know their rights and responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer. Check out this video below on the testing process from start to finish.

Athletes can find out more in the Introduction to Testing section of UKAD’s website.

100% Me Clean Sport App 

The 100% Me Clean Sport App is the place for all things anti-doping, helping you make the right decisions on the go.  The App provides clear and concise anti-doping advice, guidance and updates to ensure you can be clean and stay clean wherever you are training or competing. If you need to check your medication, learn more about the risks with supplements, or understand more about the testing procedures and your rights as an athlete, the App is the place to start.

The 100% me Clean Sport App is available for either iOS or Android and can be downloaded for free via iTunes or Google Play

BWL Lift Clean Awareness Course

BWL run an online e-learning Lift Clean Awareness course which you can complete at your own pace. It has been designed to train and test your knowledge as well as support your understanding of Anti-Doping. Plus the course is  free for BWL members

To find out more please click here

Protect Your Sport

Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their part - athletes, coaches, or parents - whether on centre stage or behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there’s something wrong - no matter how small. UKAD guarantee that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential.

There are different ways to speak out:

• Email - When you feel something’s wrong, send an email. UKAD guarantee that your name and email address will be kept confidential. Email at protectyoursport@reportdoping.com
• Online Form - Tell us what you know via our online form on ukad@ukad.org.uk. You will remain anonymous as standard, but if you choose to share your details confidentially it could help us catch those in sport who seek to cheat
• 24/7 Hotline - Call on 08000 32 23 32. We are here to listen. If you prefer to remain 100% anonymous you can. Or if you share your details, they will be kept confidential, and may help keep sport clean

Find out the more about speaking out and Protect Your Sport here.