All athletes have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. We believe in clean sport and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and our International Federation, World Archery, to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected. Archery GB has put a set of anti-doping rules in place that all athletes and athlete support personnel must abide by.
We believe in clean, fair sport and we work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and our International Federation, World Archery, to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.
If you are a member of Archery GB then the anti-doping rules apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at.
Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and athlete support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them. For more information on ADRVs and what these mean for those individuals visit this page. For information on individuals serving a ban from sport, visit UKAD’s sanction page on their website.
GB archer Ella Gibson walks us through a day in her life, showing how easy it is to keep clean sport in mind!
An athlete is responsible for anything found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to cheat. All athletes and athlete support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful anti-doping information for athletes can be found on the UKAD website.
All prohibited substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List.
The list is updated each year, coming into effect on 1 January. It can be updated throughout the year, so best practice is to re-check your medications frequently.
Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any prohibited substances. Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO. It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country. For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website.
Check out the video below from UKAD’s Athlete Commission member and British Paralympic Powerlifter, Ali Jawad, on using Global DRO.
Archery GB and UKAD always advise a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances. Athletes can support their training and progress towards their targets by eating and enjoying nutritious food.
Athletes should assess the need, the risks and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement, and if they need to use one, visit the Informed Sport website to check whether supplements have been batch-tested. More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub.
100% me is UKAD’s values-based education and information programme, helping athletes meet their anti-doping responsibilities throughout their sporting journey. We want all athletes to be clean, stay clean and believe all others are clean. For more information on what this means, visit UKAD’s website. UKAD’s 100% me Clean Sport App can also be downloaded here or through the Windows Live Store, for essential anti-doping information.
A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is given to an athlete if they have a legitimate medical condition which requires them to use a prohibited substance or method.
If there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used to treat an athlete's condition/illness. There is a strict, detailed process to determine this.
Athletes can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.
Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their part – athletes, coaches, or parents whether on centre stage or behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there’s something wrong no matter how small. UKAD guarantees that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential.
There are different ways to speak out:
Find out more about speaking out about doping and Protect Your Sport here.
To access further education about anti-doping or to understand more, use the link here.
If you complete any of their available courses, please forward your certificate by email to:
When it comes to anti-doping, you have a vital role in helping your child to be clean and stay clean. UKAD have a useful guide to help you with this which you can read via this link.
Coach Clean is an easy-to-follow e-learning course for all coaches who want to know more about clean sport and understand their own responsibilities with regards to anti-doping. Please sign up at the Clean Sport Hub for further details.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the anti-doping rules. As well as asking Archery GB and athlete support personnel, athletes may also contact UKAD directly, who will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance. They can be contacted at ukad@ukad.org.uk or by calling +44 (0) 207 842 3450.
Regular updates from UKAD can also be found in the news section of their website or on their Twitter account.
You can also contact Archery GB’s anti-doping lead: katy.anderson@archerygb.org
