Anti-doping news

New WADA Prohibited List enforced since January 1, 2026

The IWF would like to kindly remind its National Member Federations that the new WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List (for Substances and Methods) is in force since January 1, 2026. This List designates which substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition and which substances are banned in particular sports.  Moreover, the 2026 Monitoring Program is also enforced from the beginning of this year. It includes substances that are not on the List, but that WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport.    Comparing the former version of these documents and the 2026 updated ones, the major changes are: Further examples or clarifications have been added to the following substance classes to help athletes and their entourage better identify prohibited substances:    S1. Anabolic agents,  S2. Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics,    S4. Hormone and metabolic modulators, and  S6. Stimulants.     The dosing intervals of salmeterol have been changed to avoid potential ergogenic effects, though the maximum daily delivered dose remains the same.  More details have been given about the prohibition of withdrawal of blood and blood components.  The non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide (CO) has been added to the Prohibited Methods as a new section, M1.4. The use of carbon monoxide for diagnostic purposes, such as total hemoglobin mass measurements or the determination of pulmonary diffusion capacity, is not prohibited.   Cell components (e.g., nuclei and organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes) have been added to the existing prohibition of using normal or genetically modified cells.  It has been clarified in the Glucocorticoids Washout Table that use of sustained-release formulations may result in detectable glucocorticoid levels past the washout period due to prolonged systemic absorption.  In order to better implement these rules, WADA has also important educational tools, namely available for Athletes and respective support personnel (ASP). Each year, WADA develops the Athlete and ASP Guide to the List, which is geared towards informing athletes and ASP of the specific changes they will need to onboard for the coming year. The Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List can be accessed as an e-learning course on ADEL, or for anyone who benefits from a different format, a PDF copy of the course is also available.  RELEVANT DOCUMENTS/LINKS: 2026 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods  2026 Monitoring Program 2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List as an e-learning course on ADEL Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List as a pdf course

Forrester Osei at the WADA Conference: “Education remains central to this process”

An important IWF delegation was this week in Busan (KOR) for the sixth WADA Conference, the most important gathering of the World Anti-Doping Agency and its stakeholders. Our International Federation was represented by President Mohammed Jalood, General Secretary José Quiñones, and Athletes Commission Chair Forrester Osei. On behalf of the IWF, Mr Osei was invited to make a short presentation at the Conference, in which he highlighted the progress and intense work our International Federation is doing in the fight against doping. From left to right: Forrester Osei (IWF Athletes Commission Chair), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President), and José Quiñones (IWF General Secretary)  “Over the past few years, we have worked hard to rebuild trust, strengthen integrity, and place athletes at the centre of everything we do. These changes were not only necessary - but they were also essential for the future of our sport and for our continued presence on the Olympic programme. Our reforms have been guided by one clear principle: full alignment with the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards,” considered the IWF Athletes Commission Chair. Mr Osei also recalled the importance of the partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA): “In pursuit of this, the IWF has delegated its entire anti-doping program to the ITA, ensuring the independence, professionalism, and transparency of all testing and results management activities.” Mr Jalood and Mr Quiñones in front of a poster displaying Cyrille Tchatchet, IWF Athletes Commission Member and WADA Athletes Council Member He concluded by saying that education should continue being the main pillar of this strategy: “Education remains central to this process. In cooperation with WADA, the International Testing Agency, and our National Federations, we have developed a comprehensive Education Strategy that focuses not only on compliance, but on values. Our aim is to empower athletes to make informed choices, to understand their rights and responsibilities, and to become advocates for clean sport within their own communities. These reforms have yielded measurable progress: stronger testing programs, greater transparency in results management, and growing confidence among athletes who value a level playing field.” Mr Quiñones and Mr Osei with Mr Kofi Adams (Minister of Sports and Recreation of the Republic of Ghana) At the end of the Conference, held from December 1-5, the WADA President Witold Banka emphasised the positive outcomes of the gathering, namely the approval of the revised World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, to be enforced from 2027. “Today’s approval of the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards is the culmination of years of collaborative work and tireless effort from the entire anti-doping and sporting communities. The revised Code and Standards prioritise the human rights of athletes, especially minors and other protected persons. They also increase the responsibilities of the entourage and of Anti-Doping Organisations,” said Mr

IWF/ITA “Clean Sport Education Webinar” gathers 320 attendees online

The 2025 edition of the IWF/ITA “Clean Sport Education Seminar” gathered around 320 attendees online on June 24, including 162 athletes and 97 coaches in the five continents. Moderated by Armando Urban, a member of ITA’s Education Team, the participants in the webinar were welcomed by Cyrille Tchatchet, IWF Athlete Commission and WADA Athlete Council member, and Melody Exhenry, IWF Anti-Doping manager. Throughout the one-hour seminar, several topics were presented: Anti-Doping Rule Violations, Strict Liability principle, Prohibited List, Supplements, Testing procedures, and Reporting. Besides the theoretical information, some practical cases were also made available. Cyrille Tchatchet The athlete’s approach was emphasised by Tchatchet, an Olympian lifter in Tokyo 2020ne as part of the IOC Refugee Team. “Education is of paramount importance in all these procedures. Mistakes are easy to happen, so the more we know about these matters, the more we can ensure we have the correct behaviour. I am now deeply involved in these topics, but earlier in my career, I would have liked to have more insights on anti-doping topics,” considered Mr Tchatchet. From the International Testing Agency side, Mr Urban especially stressed out the risks of having an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) associated with the intake of supplements, with ITA clearly defending a food-first approach to cover and provide all necessary nutrients athletes need during training and competition. The ITA lecturer was also very clear on the many risks the ingestion of prohibited substances may have on the lifters’ health.  These periodical webinars complete the IWF/ITA educational programme in this area – on our main yearly events, in-person seminars are organised and an information booth is also available during the competition. IWF

IWF/ITA reinforced the anti-doping programme in 2024

The IWF is pleased to present, in co-operation with the ITA (International Testing Agency), its statistics concerning the 2024 anti-doping programme. Last year, a total of 3324 samples were collected around the world, including 1889 in-competition and 1435 out-of-competition. Moreover, in terms of urine/blood proportion, there were respectively 2389 and 935 samples. This amount of collected samples resulted in a total of 2486 completed tests, performed on 1078 athletes (52% men, 48% women) from 120 countries.  These numbers improve the statistics from 2023, when 3192 samples, from 1039 lifters representing 109 nations were collected. Concerning the Results Management of the 2024 tests, 51 of them constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). In 2024, the IWF/ITA received only 21 TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemptions) application requests. In terms of Anti-Doping Education, the attendance in webinars/seminars totalled 611 participants from 77 different nationalities. In 2024, the IWF, together with the ITA, held four Anti-Doping seminars – at the IWF World Cup in Phuket (THA), the IWF World Youth Championships in Lima (PER), the IWF World Junior Championships in Leon (ESP), and the IWF World Championships in Manama (BRN). As 2024 was an Olympic year, the IWF was proud to announce that all 122 athletes taking part in the Paris Games were tested before the event, and that all tests resulting from their participation in the French capital were negative. All info on IWF/ITA Anti-Doping

IWF initiatives for the weightlifting community

Through the IWF and its members, a host of initiatives are being conducted for the weightlifting community across the world including coaching courses, anti-doping webinar series, and a panel discussion revolving around clean sport. On behalf of IWF, the International Testing Agency (ITA) organized its first webinar series covering the key aspects of anti-doping in 2022. As part of its initiative to promote the value and significance of its anti-doping in the sport, this five week long course comprised of 5 webinars in English, with simultaneous translations in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. The athletes and the athlete support personnel who participated in all 5 webinars were awarded with program completion certificates. The IWF recognizes the value of promoting and imparting the importance of clean sport amongst not just athletes, but also parents and guardians of young athletes. To promote this endeavour, the IWF invited parents, guardians, and all those who worked alongside young athletes to learn more on the topic through an expert panel discussion comprising of Dr Lubna Sibtain, whose daughter was the first female swimmer and youngest female Olympian from Pakistan, and Jodi Brown, a former international netball player, parent, and member of Drug Free Sport New Zealand’s Education Team. They shared their experiences and provided practical tips on how parents and guardians could learn about and take an active role in clean sport. Lastly, the Weightlifting Federation of Cyprus, organized a coaching course supported by the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity program and the IWF. Altogether 19 participants took part and listened to various presentations among others on: Theory of the Coaching Pathway, Coaching Skill development, Competition Preparation and End Phase Theory, Code of Ethics and Fair Play and The Winning Attitude – athlete’s mind set. This is an important part of the IWF’s strategy to create a well-learned and educated weightlifting community around the globe to achieve its objectives of a well-governed and clean sport in the Olympic

Gearing up for the IWF Congress

The IWF Electoral Congress will be held on June 25-26, 2022 in Tirana, Albania.  The independent Eligibility Determination Panel (EDP) chaired by Swiss lawyer Gabriel Nigon released the official list of approved candidates for the upcoming IWF Electoral Congress. In a letter shared with the IWF Member Federations and candidates, Mr. Nigon, on behalf of the EDP, provided a detailed explanation of the methodology and process used by the EDC to determine the eligibility of each candidate including detailed investigative background checks. Included in the letter was a link sharing the names of the approved candidates for the position of IWF President, Executive Board and various Committee positions.The objective eligibility criteria to be met by all candidates are those listed under Article 13.12 and 37.2 of the newly approved IWF Constitution (which can be downloaded from the IWF website). All approved candidates are bound to abide by IWF election and candidate conduct rules.IWF Interim President, Dr. Michael Irani said, “I would like to thank the Eligibility Determination Panel and chair Mr. Nigon for all their hard work. This is a great day for the IWF as we are one step closer in completing the final task asked of us by our Olympic partners – by utilising and following the IWF’s new constitution (completed in January 2022) and introducing robust independent anti-doping procedures we finally come to a transparent and well-defined Election process to bring in a new era of IWF leadership and