WADA Proposed Four-Year Ban for Felony Athletes under New WADA Code

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) proposed that athletes found guilty of the serious doping felonies will be suspended for 4 years from 2015. However no specific rules were made for banning the wrong-doers from Olympics.

At present, the athletes who are found guilty of their first main doping felony are put on 2-year ban followed by a life ban in case of successive positive tests.

WADA proposed in its second draft of2012 WADA code that there will be an introduction of longer ban for the offenses which include Human Growth Hormone (HGH), anabolic steroids as well as trafficking and masking agents. This draft was reviewed from 17 November 2012 to 18 November 2012.

The draft has doubled the suspension length for the offenders and has also widened anti-doing oragnisations’ scope to impose the lifetime bans.

Nevertheless, in the draft there is no consideration to the former International Olympic Committee (IOC) rule in context with the Olympic participation. This rule was ruled in refusal with WADA Code back in 2011 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest sports’ court. As per the IOC rule which was introduced in 2008, in case the athletes were suspended for six months or more than that, participation in next Olympic Games was banned.

According to the new WADA Code draft, there has also been an inclusion of the proposal about the prohibited substances or techniques which are contradictory to the sports spirit or health of an athlete.

This proposed draft will also go for review between November 2012 and March 2013, after which it will be presented to WADA Foundation Board before preparation of the final draft.