Understand the process

Sample collection for doping control (athlete drug testing) will be carried out by a trained and accredited DFSNZ official. You’ll be told by the official that you’ve been selected for doping control and asked to provide a urine sample, a blood sample or both. After you provide a sample it is transported to an accredited laboratory for analysis.

In-competition testing takes place either immediately after you’ve finished competing or at any time during an event, tournament, regatta or games.

Out-of-competition testing can take place at any time of the year and at any location, including your home, training venue, hotel or when you’re overseas.

If you are selected for testing, we will do our best to make the process as “painless” for you as we can, while following a set process and rules that we, and you, must adhere to.

You will be notified by a Doping Control Officer (DCO) working for or on behalf of us, an International Federation, or another national anti-doping organisation. You should ask to see their identification and authorisation.

When you’re notified for testing, you may need to provide a urine sample, a blood sample, or both. You will be accompanied to the doping control station where the DCO will explain the sample collection process to you. You can ask questions at any time.

• You choose a collection vessel in which to provide your urine sample
• You provide a urine sample in the direct view of your chaperone, who is the same gender as the competition you're entered into (in-comp) or the gender held by your NSO (out-of-comp)
• You choose a sample kit in which to seal your urine sample
• You pour your urine sample into two sample collection bottles (A and B)
• You seal the samples and place them in the transport box
• You let the DCO know whether you have taken any medications or supplements recently

• You choose a kit for sample collection
• You sit down and rest for ten minutes (you may need to rest for longer if you have just exercised)
• A blood collection officer (BCO) draws blood from your arm
• You seal the vials containing your sample
• You let the DCO know whether you have taken any medications or supplements recently

Once your samples are sealed in tamper-evident containers, the DCO will go through the paperwork with you to ensure all the details are correct. You can also make comments about the doping control process, including any concerns that you may have. The DCO will ask you then to sign the relevant forms to complete the process.

Your sample will be transported to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited or approved laboratory for analysis. Our samples are typically sent to the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory in Sydney. The laboratory will then notify us of the results of the analysis. In anti-doping, a negative result is a good outcome.

If your sample tests negative, you will not hear from us. No news is good news!

If your sample tests positive, we will first check whether you have an approved Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) in place to explain the positive test. You will be notified that you have returned a positive test and asked for an explanation. You will have the opportunity to request that your “B” sample is analysed.

If there is no approved TUE in place, and the “B” sample confirms the “A” sample (if tested), we will bring an allegation of an anti-doping rule violation against you before the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand (or the Anti-Doping Tribunal within your sport).

The consequences of breaking the rules can be wide-ranging, even if your positive test was unintentional. Your reputation could be damaged and a ban from sport could potentially end your career.

The sanctions for an ADRV can include:

• Being banned from all sport (competing, training and coaching)
• Disqualification of competition results
• Publication of your anti-doping rule violation
• Financial penalties

The starting point for a first violation is four years, which can be reduced, for example, if the violation is proved to be unintentional.

Understand the consequences of doping