Who sets the anti-doping rules?
As Australia's National Anti-Doping Organisation, Sport Integrity Australia is required to follow the rules set out in the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code).
The Code isn't owned by Australia, or by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It is a 'consensus document' which is reviewed every seven years or so and every country, every sport, every athlete, every academic can contribute to the rules. There are more than 300 signatories to the Code, including National Anti-Doping Organisations, International Sporting Federations, National Olympic Committees and Major Event Organisations.
The Code is 181 pages, and is also underpinned by 8 International Standards which are designed to create consistency across every part of the anti-doping process - including things such as how testing missions are carried out, how Therapeutic Use Exemptions are decided and how investigations and legal matters are managed.
Any country that wants to send a team (or host) the Olympics, Paralympics and any major international events like the World Cup or World Championships has to abide by the rules in the Code and International Standards.
Failure by Sport Integrity Australia to abide by the rules may result in Australia being unable to send an Australian team to the Olympics, Paralympics or any other International Event.
