Sport Consequences

The sanctions for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can include:

• Provisional Suspensions

The athlete or other person is temporarily banned from participating in any competition or activity while waiting for the results management process to be complete or until the final decision is rendered.

•  Ineligibility

The athlete or other person is not allowed to compete or participate in any other activity, such as training, coaching, or even access to funding due to an ADRV. This period of ineligibility can be for up to 4 years or even life depending on the circumstances of the ADRV.

•  Disqualification of results

The athlete’s results during a particular period, competition or event are invalidated, which comes with forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

•  Public Disclosure 

The Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) informs the general public of the ADRV.

•  Fines

Health Consequences

The health consequences to an athlete can include:

• Physical health

Medications and medical interventions have been developed to treat a particular condition or illness. Not an otherwise healthy athlete. Depending on the substance, the dosage and the consumption frequency, doping products may have particularly negative side effects on health. 

• Psychological health

Some doping substances may have an impact on the athlete’s mental health. Anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders or psychosis are direct consequences from doping.

Social Consequences

Some of social consequences of doping include:

• Damage to reputation and image, which can be permanent with media attention, and future clean performances can be met with skepticism.

• Damage to future career prospects.

• Isolation from peers and sport.

• Damaged relationships with friends and family. 

• Effects on emotional and psychological well-being. 

• Loss of standing, fame, respect and credibility. 

Financial Consequences

The financial consequences of doping can include: 

• Fines that an Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) may have included in their anti-doping rules including costs associated with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

• Loss of income/financial support, such as government funding, other forms of financial support and by not participating in the competitions.

• Loss of financial support due to withdrawal of sponsor.

• Requirement to reimburse sponsor, if included in the contract.

• Reimbursement of prize money.

• Impact of damaged reputation on future career prospects.

Legal Consequences

In addition to the sport, health, social and financial consequences listed above, doping can come with other legal consequences, such as: 

• Some countries have gone beyond the World Anti-Doping Code and made using a prohibited substance a criminal offence (e.g. Austria, Italy, France). 

• In some countries, ADRVs related to trafficking, possession or administering a prohibited substance or some substances on the Prohibited List are considered a criminal offence.

Published on 7 September 2021 (last update on 6 November 2023)