An Overview Of The IOC’s Anti-Doping Rules For The Tokyo Olympics

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recently published a press release, at the request of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to inform the global sports community about the IOC Anti-Doping Rules[1] (IOC ADR) applicable during the re-scheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (2020 Games) which has been the standard practice for previous Olympic Games.  

What makes WADA’s announcement unique this Olympic season, however,  is that because the 2020 Games were re-scheduled last year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the IOC ADR are no longer governed by the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code[2] (2015 WADA Code). Instead, the amended IOC ADR must comport with the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code[3] (2021 WADA Code), which came into force on 1 January 2021.

The major changes to the IOC ADR and doping control during the period of the 2020 Games have been summarised in the accompanying circular letter (ACL), submitted by the IOC to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (ISFs), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), amongst others, on 6 April 2021. Of course, while these organisations must take note of the changes, so too must the athletes who are participating in the 2020 Games. The article discusses:

• General information on doping control
• Regulatory changes following the 2021 WADA Code and its International Standards[4]
• Procedural aspects of the CAS Anti-Doping Division ad hoc division