Global Athlete calls on UK Anti-Doping to provide more transparency in its refusal to allow WADA to retest anti-doping samples

22 January 2020: Global Athlete has taken notice of UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) public response to deny the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) request to reanalyse samples. “Global Athlete fully supports the rights of all athletes. We have said time and time again that transparency builds confidence and trust in the anti-doping movement, that is why we are calling on both UKAD and the WADA to publicly disclose the reasons for not coming to an agreement on terms of the retesting” said Global Athlete Director General, Rob Koehler.

“UKAD has a responsibility to its athletes. Failure to be fully transparent places a cloud of suspicion over athletes and it undermines the credibility of the anti-doping system. Athletes have no say in the decision to have their samples retested and they must rely on anti-doping authorities to make those decisions to protect their rights for clean sport.” added Koehler.

The World Anti-Doping Code clearly states that its purpose is to protect the Athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness and equality for Athletes worldwide. By denying this we take a clear step backwards for the rights of athletes globally.