In the case of Mark Dry, British Athletics Athlete

Global Athlete calls on both the Athletics Integrity Unit and the World Anti-Doping Agency to uphold the rules outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code and exercise their right of appeal.

14 May 2020: Global Athlete is astonished by the 4-year ban UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has placed on British athlete Mark Dry for a single missed test. The World Anti-Doping Program rules clearly state that Whereabouts Anti-Doping Rule Violations are only asserted when athletes have a combination of three missed tests or filing failures in a period of 12 months.

This is a clear infringement of athlete rights. Every athlete should be concerned by the dangerous precedent this decision sets, especially given its potential to empower other anti-doping organizations to assert a whereabouts anti-doping rule violation after just one missed test.

UK Anti-Doping asserts that there was tampering/attempted tampering by Mr. Dry for not being truthful on his whereabouts location details, but this does not warrant the heavy-handed sanction of 4 years. Mr. Dry, who was in the domestic testing pool, should not have even been given a ‘Whereabouts Violation’. He should have instead been moved to the UKAD Registered Testing Pool and given the equivalent of a warning. Such a decision is out of touch and an alarming abuse of power and athlete rights.

Global Athlete calls on both the Athletics Integrity Unit and the World Anti-Doping Agency to exercise their monitoring roles and ensure the rules developed by anti-doping authorities are adhered to. It is the duty of both agencies to uphold the rights of clean athletes.

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