You can be tested anywhere, at any time
DRUG TESTING is critical to the global fight for clean sport. By participating in the anti-doping program athletes are doing their part to help protect the integrity of competition.
The following information provides an overview of the sample collection process. Tests can be conducted by USAD on behalf of National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) and/or the International Federation (IF) for the athlete’s sport.
Your RIGHTS as an athlete
During the testing process, you have the right to:
- a representative
- ask for additional information about the process
- request modifications to the process if you have an impairment
an interpreter, if available
- request a delay in reporting to the Doping Control Station for valid reasons
Your RESPONSIBILITIES
You are required to:
- always remain within direct sight of the Doping Control Officer or Chaperone, from the time of notification until the completion of the sample collection process
- produce appropriate identification when requested
- provide your first urine sample for collection
- comply with the directions of the Doping Control Officer and Chaperone during the sample collection session
- report immediately to Doping Control, unless you have a valid reason for a delay.
Valid reasons for a DELAY in testing include:
- completing a training session
- performing a warm down
- competing in further events
- fulfilling media commitments
- participating in a medal ceremony
- obtaining necessary medical treatment
- obtaining photo identification
- locating a representative and/or interpreter
- any other reasonable circumstances as approved by the Doping Control Officer.
Guide to Sample Collection
Notification
The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will notify you for sample collection. Notification usually happens face-to-face. Less often, notification can be by phone, written notice or via a third party – this is called advance notice testing.
You will be advised that you have been selected and what type of test will be collected – blood, urine or both.
You are required to provide your first sample after notification for doping control purposes. You will be asked to provide some form of identification, whether or not you have been tested before. Even if the Doping Control Officer and Chaperone know you, they are required to formally confirm your identification every time you are tested. This is part of the official process.
You will be asked to provide personal information including your current address, phone number and email address.
Once notified of selection for testing, you must remain in direct sight of the Doping Control Officer or Chaperone until the Doping Control Officer is satisfied that the sample collection procedure is complete.
It is important to remember that any refusal, evasion or attempt to evade the sample collection process may result in an anti-doping rule violation and a ban from all sport.
Third-party notifications
If you are selected for testing and you are under 18 years of age, or you have difficulty with English, we strongly recommend that a third party or representative (for example, your parent, your coach or whoever you are comfortable with) be with you during notification and the sample collection session. The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone notifies you first, and then with your permission, notifies the third party.
In the case of an athlete with an intellectual impairment, it is a requirement that a third party be notified at the same time as the athlete.
If the third party tries to hinder the notification process, this may be considered an anti-doping rule violation, and can lead to a sanction for the third party. Anti-doping rule violations don’t just relate to athletes; they apply to support personnel as well.
Reporting to the Doping Control Station
For no-advance notice testing, including in-competition testing, you are required to report to the Doping Control Station immediately, unless you have a valid reason to be somewhere else. These valid reasons are listed under Athlete Rights and Responsibilities.
On arrival at the Doping Control Station, you and any support persons will be required to sign the Doping Control Station Register.
The Doping Control Officer may be busy with another athlete and you may need to wait to see them. While waiting, the Chaperone may ask you for information on prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, herbal products, food supplements and any other substances you have used within the last seven days. These are recorded on the Doping Control Form.
You should declare any substance used in the last seven days. If you recall after a test session that you forgot to include a substance or medication, you can send an email to your National Anti-Doping Organization and the information will be added to your test record.
It is in your best interest to declare any medications and supplements you have taken as this can help the laboratory to understand your results and could assist in clarifying unusual results.
Selecting a collection vessel
When you are ready to provide your sample, you should advise the Chaperone, who will let the Doping Control Officer know. The Doping Control Officer will explain the beaker selection and the provision procedure to you.
The Doping Control Officer will give you a choice of three individually sealed collection vessels (beaker) for urine, or tubes for blood collection, and you will select one for each type of test. You need to check that the equipment is intact and has not been tampered with. If you are not happy with your choice, you can select another. You will be responsible for maintaining control of the beaker until you return to the Doping Control Officer for sealing of the sample. The beaker must only be used once. If you need to provide an additional sample, you will be asked to select a new beaker.
URINE SAMPLE
What happens in the bathroom?
Before you enter the bathroom area, you will be asked to leave your phone, water bottle, jacket and any other items outside. You and the Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will then enter the bathroom area.
Wash your hands with water only and dry them using an air dryer or paper towel. Let the Chaperone turn off the tap. Athletes who have catheters may use soap or hand sanitizer to wash their hands. If you want to use gloves, the Doping Control Officer will supply them.
You are required to remove any clothing from the mid-torso to the knees and from the hands to the elbows.
The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will explain again how to open the beaker to maintain its integrity, and how to position yourself so that they can directly witness the sample leaving your body and going into the beaker. It is important that you empty your bladder completely.
Male athletes will be witnessed by male Chaperones, with the Chaperone standing side on to the athlete.
Female athletes will be witnessed by female Chaperones, with the Chaperone in front of the athlete. The Chaperone may stand or squat in front of you.
Once the sample is provided in the beaker, place it on a stable surface and dress yourself. You then must remove the lid from the sealed plastic bag and place it on the beaker before you leave the bathroom area. You are responsible for controlling your sample and always keeping the beaker in view of the Doping Control Officer or Chaperone, until it is sealed in a sample collection kit.
Athlete representative
If you are an athlete under the age of 18, you must have a representative (third party) with you during the sample collection process. If you don’t have a representative available, Sport Integrity Australia will appoint a representative for you. The representative will not directly witness you providing the sample unless you request it.
The representative will observe the Doping Control Officer or Chaperone during the sample provision. This is referred to as triangular witnessing, and it must occur where the athlete is under 18 years of age or if an athlete has selected to have a representative present.
An athlete with an intellectual, physical or sensorial impairment may be assisted by their representative or doping control staff during the sample collection session, where agreed by the athlete and the Doping Control Officer.
The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone who witnesses your sample provision must be the same gender as you.
Partial samples
If you provide less than 90mL of urine, your sample is deemed a partial sample, and it must be temporarily sealed and securely stored by the Doping Control Officer until you are able to provide further sample(s) to meet the total volume requirement.
Selecting a urine sample collection kit
When you finish providing your sample, you will return to the processing area where the Doping Control Officer will ask the Chaperone if they directly witnessed the sample leaving your body. The Doping Control Officer will ask you the same question. If either party says no, you may be asked to provide another sample.
If the sample provision was witnessed successfully, and it meets the minimum 90mL volume, you will select an individually sealed sample collection kit that is intact and has not been tampered with. You will be asked to check the expiry date, and you will then open the kit and confirm that the numbers on the box, the bottles, the lids and the containers all match. The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will also check. All sample collection kit numbers will be recorded on the Doping Control Form.
Splitting and sealing the urine sample
When you have provided the required volume of urine the Doping Control Officer will instruct you to pour a measured amount of the urine into the B bottle first, and then the A bottle. You will seal both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ bottles, securing the sample. The Doping Control Officer will verify that the bottles are sealed properly. You and/or the Doping Control Officer will then place the sealed bottles into the provided plastic bags and put them in the cardboard transport box.
Measuring specific gravity
The Doping Control Officer will check the specific gravity of the residual urine remaining in the beaker and will record the value on the Doping Control Form.
If your sample is too dilute and does not meet the required specific gravity you may be required to provide additional urine samples as directed by the Doping Control Officer. If this is the case, you will be asked to wait for a minimum of 30 minutes before providing a further sample. It is also likely that you will be advised not to consume any further fluid during this waiting time.
BLOOD SAMPLE
There are various methods used to collect blood samples, the most common being blood drawn into a vial. It is likely that athletes will start to see the introduction of other methods in the future, such as Dried Blood Spot testing.
Resting period
There is a mandatory resting period before any blood is taken, and the Doping Control Officer will explain the process and go through the paperwork with you during this period.
If you have not done any physical activity prior to notification, then the rest period is 10 minutes.
If you have done exercise that has raised your heartrate above your baseline for normal activities, the rest time can vary from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the type of blood test required.
During the last 10 minutes of any rest period, you must sit in the blood collection chair in a relaxed position with both feet
flat on the ground. If you stand up or cross your arms or legs, the 10 minutes must start again.
For Athlete Biological Passport blood samples, you will be required to complete a short questionnaire.
Selecting a blood sample collection kit
Toward the end of the rest period, the Doping Control Officer will ask you to select blood collection equipment and check that it is intact and has not been tampered with. You will be asked to check the expiry date of the equipment, and that the numbers on the plastic bottle, the bottle lid, the labels and the plastic packaging bag are all the same. The Doping Control Officer or Chaperone will also check.
After the appropriate rest period, the Doping Control Officer will ask the Blood Collection Officer to collect the sample. The Blood Collection Officer will work with you to make the process as quick and painless as possible. They will ask about your general well-being, whether you have had any problems with blood drawing previously or if you are feeling unwell or faint. They will also ask if you have a preferred arm. All this is done in the presence of a Doping Control Officer and, if applicable, any third party.
After the blood has been drawn the Blood Collection Officer will transfer the vials (tubes) into your possession so that you always have view of them.
They will place a sterile compress on the puncture site and ask you to hold that in place for a few minutes. They will then check the puncture site and apply a dressing.
When you have provided a blood sample, the Blood Collection Officer will provide you with advice to best minimise bruising at the puncture site.
Sealing the blood sample
The Doping Control Officer will ask you to place the blood tube(s) into the opened blood kits so that the tube is upright in the plastic bottle (coloured lid up).
They will ask you to turn the lid gently as far as you can to seal the sample. You and the Doping Control Officer will then check the bottles have been securely sealed and put the bottles into the plastic bag and seal it. The numbers will be recorded on the Doping Control Form.
FINAL PAPERWORK
Your personal information is recorded on the Doping Control Notification Test Form, including contact details.
If not asked by the Chaperone during the notification, the Doping Control Officer will ask you about any medications or supplements that you have taken in the last seven days. It’s a good idea to keep photos of the things you take on
a regular basis on your phone, so that you have all the information on hand.
You will be asked if you consent to your sample being used for anti-doping research purposes. If you agree, all personal information will be removed, so that samples used for research purposes cannot be traced back to you. The laboratory may use your sample to develop new test processes, or to recalibrate test equipment.
The Doping Control Officer will ask if you have any questions about the testing process, or if you want to make any comments on the form. If you do not want to make any comments, they will ask you to write ‘Nil’. If the Doping Control Officer has any comments, they will tell you they
are going to write them on the form. If they have nothing to add, they will write ‘Nil’. If you have been given an anti-doping rule violation warning during the session, the Doping Control Officer will record it in their comments.
At the conclusion of the session, the form will be signed by all parties present including the Chaperone, athlete representative, Blood Collection Officer and any other official. Signing the form declares the information is true and accurate. The Doping Control Officer will sign the form after the other officials.
The Doping Control Officer will then ask you to review the form to verify the accuracy of the information. It is important that you check that your personal information has been written down correctly. Double check that the dates and times are right. You should then read the Declaration at the bottom of the page before you sign and record the time and date. You must be the last person to sign the form.
You will be provided with a copy of your paperwork.
The copy of the doping control paperwork that the laboratory receives with your sample does not contain any information that could identify you; it only contains kit sample numbers and analysis details.
SECURING AND TRANSPORTING THE SAMPLE
All urine and blood samples and a de-identified copy of the Doping Control Form are sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory for analysis or storage for future analysis.
There is a strict chain of custody regarding transportation, storage and opening of the sample(s). The laboratory will inspect the samples upon arrival to ensure there is no evidence of tampering.