The BBSA and anti-doping

All athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. We, the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association (BBSA), believe in clean bobsleigh and skeleton and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and our International Federation (IBSF) to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.

The use of performance-enhancing drugs and other doping behaviour severely damages the legitimacy of sport and undermines the integrity of clean athletes.

Anti-Doping Rules 

The BBSA has in place a set of anti-doping rules that all athletes and athlete support personnel must abide by. The anti-doping rules for the BBSA are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), the core document that harmonises anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport globally.

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

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

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. 

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.

For information on individuals serving a ban from sport, visit UKAD’s sanction page on their website. 

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 Prohibited List is managed and coordinated by WADA, found on the WADA website 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 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 this video 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 can support their training and progress towards their targets by eating and enjoying nutritious food. With a bit of planning, it is possible to eat a delicious and healthy diet made up of a variety of food types at the right time, and in the right quantities. 

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.

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.

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 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 is UKAD’s values-based education and information programme, helping athletes meet their anti-doping responsibilities throughout their sporting journey. We want all athletes to be clean, stay clean and believe all others are clean.

For more information on what this means, visit UKAD’s website here. UKAD’s 100% me Clean Sport App can also be downloaded from iTunes, Google Play or Windows Live Store, for essential anti-doping information.

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 protectyoursport.co.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

For further information

Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the anti-doping rules. As well as asking the BBSA and athlete support personnel, athletes may also contact UKAD directly, who will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance. They can be contacted at ukad@ukad.org.uk  or +44 (0) 207 842 3450.

Regular updates from UKAD can also be found in the news section of their website, or on their Twitter account: @ukantidoping.

Contact the NGB anti-doping lead: Holly Rust-March (Skeleton) or Mark Silva (Bobsleigh) via office@thebbsa.co.uk or Marc Heywood (BBSA) via Marc.heywood@thebbsa.co.uk 

Contact the International Federation: International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation

Useful links and resources

• For the WADA World Anti-doping Code, click here
• For the WADA Prohibited List 2022, click here
• For the IBSF Anti-doping Rules, click the following link IBSF-Anti-Doping-Rules-2021.pdf 
  

CLEAN SPORT EDUCATION ANNUAL REVIEW 2021/22

The BBSA supports clean sport and we recognise the importance of providing regular anti-doping training sessions to educate both our athletes and staff.

We work closely with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and, during the 2021/22 Olympic season, our teams received the following training from a UKAD Accredited Educator.

British Skeleton implemented the following education plan to ensure our programme athletes and staff received up to date information and were reminded of their responsibilities in this area:

• Delivered two anti-doping sessions to our Elite, Development and Talent squads, covering significant changes to code practice and refreshing anti-doping processes and knowledge
  • The Elite and Development squads feature our 14 leading athletes, all of whom are competing on the World Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Europa Cup circuits
  • All Olympic Long List athletes featured within this cohort
  • The first session (Clean Sport 1) took place in August, towards the end of the summer training programme
  • The second session (Clean Sport 2) was delivered in September, ahead of the winter season 
  • These sessions were delivered by Holly Rust-March, an accredited UKAD Educator and a full-time member of the British Skeleton coaching team

• Delivered a singular educational session to our new Girls4Gold (G4G) athletes 
  • The G4G cohort features five female athletes who joined the programme in the spring/summer of 2021 and are yet to compete on the international circuit
  • This session (Clean Sport 1) focussed on ensuring knowledge and understanding of the UKAD and World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) code
  • This session was again delivered by Holly Rust-March
    
    
  • Staff completed one of two UKAD coaching clinics:
    • Clean Coach
    • Clean Sport Advisor

As an unfunded and non-centrally located programme, the BBSA arranged for bobsleigh athletes competing on the international circuit to receive training direct from UKAD to enable remote education.

UKAD webinars were held on September 20^th, 27^th and 30^th 2021, covering all those selected to represent Great Britain.

Training was provided by a UKAD employee or a UKAD Accredited Educator.

Olympic Winter Games 

All athletes selected for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February 2022 received further UKAD Clean Games training on January 24^th (Skeleton) and January 25^th (Bobsleigh).

BBSA Board

Anti-doping processes were also discussed at Board level, with the in season discussion taking place on December 15^th 2021 and the summer review scheduled for June 2022.

Anti-doping appointments and contacts

The BBSA confirmed the following anti-doping appointments for the 2021/22 season:

Board lead: Heather Ratnage-Black (INED)
NGB lead: Marc Heywood (Director of Operations)
Bobsleigh: Mark Silva (Development Manager)
Skeleton: Holly Rust-March (Physiotherapist)

If you have any questions related to our anti-doping processes or procedures, please email marc.heywood@thebbsa.co.uk