There is a continuous, long-lasting struggle for anti-doping, yet hundreds of athletes still serve 2-year period
of ineligibility or suffer from lifelong disqualification’s. Nevertheless, the knowledge of athletes and people
engaged in sporting activities about rules and the IWF Anti-Doping Code is insufficient.
Therefore, if you are an athlete, coach, physician or weightlifting activist then

YOU MUST KNOW THAT
pursuant to the provisions of IWF Anti-Doping Code, with a first violation of the anti-doping rule the athlete
or other person is disqualified and is to serve a period of

2 YEARS’ INELIGIBILITY if there is:
Article 2.1 - the presence of a prohibited substance or metabolites or markers, in Athlete’s bodily Specimen.
Article 2.2 - the use of a prohibited substance or prohibited doping method.
Article 2.3 - refusing, or failing without compelling justification, to submit to sample collection after
notification as authorised in these Anti-Doping Rules or otherwise evading Sample collection.
Article 2.5 - tampering, or attempting to tamper, with any part of doping control.
Article 2.4 - a second violation of the requirements regarding athlete availability for out-of competition
testing including failure to provide required whereabouts information and missed tests which are declared
based on reasonable rules.
Article 2.6 - possession of prohibited substances and methods.
4 YEARS’ INELIGIBILITY if you being found guilty:
Article 2.7 - trafficking in prohibited substances or prohibited method.
Article 2.8 - administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance to any athlete.
Article 2.9 - administration or attempted administration of any prohibited method to any athlete.
Article 2.10 – assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up, or any other complicity in the violation
of any anti-doping rule or any attempted violation thereof.

YOU HAVE RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING
pursuant to the Article 15.5, decision about disqualification made under the Anti-Doping Code may be appealed
and you might be acquitted, or a period of ineligibility might be reduced if you prove not to committed an antidoping
rule violation and when there was no fault or negligence for the violation on your side.
However, you should bear in your mind that a very common and naive explanations such as: “I consumed a
nutritional supplement”, “I took a medicine when suffering of minor injury”, “A friend, enemy, fiancee or
spouse added something to my food” will not be considered.

Comments to Article 15.5 of the World Anti-Doping Code clearly state that the following
cases do not constitute mitigating circumstances:

- a positive test resulting from a mislabelled or contaminated vitamin or nutritional supplement -
because athlete’s are responsible for what they ingest and have been warned against the possibility of
supplement contamination.

- the administration of prohibited substance by the athlete’s personal physician or trainer without
disclosure to the Athlete – because athlete’s are responsible for the choice of medical personal and for
advising them that they cannot be given any prohibited substance.

- sabotage of the Athlete’s food or drink by a spouse, coach or other person within the Athlete’s circle
of associates – because athlete’s are responsible for what they ingest and for the conduct of those persons to
whom they entrust access to their food and drink.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN CASE OF MINOR INJURY OR SISKNESS OF THE ATHLETE
AND WHEN SUCH CONDITION REQUIRES THE USE OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE?
This problem is regulated by Article 4.4 – Therapeutic Use Exemption (IWF Anti-Doping Policy)
Article 4.4.1: Athlete’s with a documented medical condition requiring the use of a prohibited substance
or prohibited method must first obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). The issue and use of
Therapeutic Use Exemption is governed and determined by the World Anti-Doping Code International
Standards for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
The entire procedures connected with TUE are regulated by the next points of Article 4.4 i.e. 4.4.2, 4.4.3,
4.4.3.1, 4.4.3.2 and 4.4.4.

Note:
The above GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE ANTI-DOPING POLICY is a kind of information and cannot
be considered as a part of the IWF Anti-doping Rules.