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About USADA

The Gold-Standard in Anti-Doping

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the national anti-doping organization (NADO) in the United States for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. The organization is charged with managing the anti-doping program, including in-competition and out-of-competition testing, results management processes, drug reference resources, and athlete education for all United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) recognized sport national governing bodies, their athletes, and events. Additionally, USADA contributes to the advancement of clean sport through scientific research and education and outreach initiatives focused on awareness and prevention.

Independence and History

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is recognized by the United States Congress as the official anti-doping organization for all Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport in the United States. USADA began operations on October 1, 2000, and as an independent, nonprofit organization, is governed by a Board of Directors. Upon USADA’s formation, the original Board consisted of nine members, five of whom came from outside the Olympic & Paralympic family and four of whom (two each) were elected by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Athlete Advisory Council (AAC) and National Governing Body (NGB) Council. Since 2003, USADA’s Board has consisted of 10 independent, experienced, and professional individuals who are free from any conflicts of interest, and who share the ideals and principles associated with USADA’s mission and core values.

Travis Tygart, Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt at Congressional Hearing on “Examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics”

USADA was created as the result of recommendations made by the USOPC’s Select Task Force on Externalization in order to bring credibility and independence to the anti-doping movement in the United States. USADA was given full authority to execute a comprehensive national anti-doping program encompassing testing, results management, education, and research, while also developing programs, policies, and procedures in each of those areas.

USADA is a signatory to the inaugural World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), which harmonizes anti-doping rules across the globe. The Code was first implemented in 2004 and is updated around every five years. Since its inception, USADA has ensured the strategic execution of our mission and core values, with a primary focus on serving athletes with the best anti-doping program possible.

Over the years, USADA has allocated millions of dollars for cutting-edge scientific research aimed at understanding and effectively combating the use of performance-enhancing drugs. USADA has also collected and managed the results of thousands of anti-doping tests utilizing independent WADA-accredited laboratories that provide the most sophisticated analysis available. USADA’s efforts to protect clean athletes have been instrumental in numerous international investigations, including the steroid bust, Operation Raw Deal, and the BALCO laboratory conspiracy in San Francisco. USADA also led the investigation into systemic doping in the sport of cycling, primarily through its investigation of the US Postal Service Pro-Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy.

USADA continues to aspire to be a leader in the global anti-doping community in order to protect the rights of clean athletes and the integrity of competition around the world. USADA is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and employs more than 100 full and part-time employees around the globe.

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USADA's Anti-Doping Programs

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) manages the anti-doping program for U.S. Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport, USADA provides education, leads scientific initiatives, conducts testing, and oversees the results management process for all United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sport national governing bodies, their athletes, and events.

USADA is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code and fully complies with the World Anti-Doping Code’s International Standards. Our anti-doping program is often referred to as the gold standard in the global anti-doping movement and we are at the forefront of the fight for clean competition.

USADA Frequently Asked Questions

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What is USADA?

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sports in the United States. USADA’s mission is to champion athletes to achieve their dreams in a fair and healthy way and to inspire the world.

USADA is responsible for administering all the components of the anti-doping program, including the testing and results management processes, for all United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)-recognized sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and their athletes, as well as events. In addition, USADA is responsible for athlete education, drug reference resources, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, and scientific research initiatives.

USADA is an independent, nonprofit organization. It is not a branch or office of the federal government.

USADA was created as the result of recommendations made by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Select Task Force on Externalization. Prior to USADA’s founding in October 2000, management of the anti-doping program for Olympic and Paralympic sport was handled internally by the USOPC. The USOPC took the important step to externalize the anti-doping program, and USADA’s creation as a separate and independent anti-doping entity is largely unique in major American sport. USADA was established to remove the inherent conflict of interest that results from an organization being charged with both promoting and policing a sport.

USADA is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and operates in the Mountain Time Zone. USADA’s main telephone number is (719) 785-2000, and our toll-free telephone number is (866) 601-2632. USADA’s main fax number is (719) 785-2001. USADA’s general email address is USADA@USADA.org.

Athletes and their support personnel can contact USADA’s Athlete Connect resource by calling (719) 785-2000 or emailing AthleteConnect@USADA.org. Our mailing address is 5555 Tech Center Drive, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919-2372. For more ways to contact us, please click here.

The USOPC, USOPC-recognized National Governing Bodies for sport (NGBs), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code have authorized USADA to test and adjudicate anti-doping rule violations for any athlete who:

  • Is a member or license holder of, or under contract with, a National Governing Body or sports organization for whom USADA is authorized to conduct any aspect of Doping Control;
  • Is a member of, or the recipient of a license from, an International Federation (IF) or other WADA Code Signatory or a member of a Signatory;
  • Participates in sport, including by registering or preparing for or participating in an Event or Competition in the United States or which is organized or sanctioned by the USOPC, an NGB, or a sport organization for whom USADA is authorized to conduct any aspect of Doping Control;
  • Applies for (including participating in any qualifying Event or other step in the selection process), or is selected to, a U.S. national, Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, Parapan American, Youth Olympic team, or other team representing the USOPC or NGB in an International Event;
  • Applies for a change of sport nationality to the United States;
  • Is present in the United States;
  • Receives benefits from the USOPC or NGB;
  • Registers for or uses any USOPC training center, training site, or other facility;
  • Gives their consent to Testing by USADA;
  • Is a U.S. Athlete and submits, or is required to submit, a Whereabouts Filing to USADA or an IF within the previous twelve (12) months and has not given his or her IF, NGB, and USADA written notice of retirement;
  • Is included in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP), the USADA Clean Athlete Program (CAP), or the USADA Education Pool (EP);
  • Is present in the United States, or has been previously sanctioned by USADA for an anti-doping rule violation, and is serving a period of Ineligibility on account of an anti-doping rule violation and who has not given prior written notice of retirement from all sanctioned Competitions to the applicable IF, NGB, and USADA, or the applicable foreign anti-doping agency or foreign sport association;
  • Is subject to Testing under authorization from the USOPC, NGB, IF, any NADO, WADA, the IOC, the IPC, any other Anti-Doping Organization (ADO), any other sports organization, or the organizing committee of any Event or Competition; and
  • USADA is entitled to test under the rules of any ADO or sports organization.

Capitalized words in the list above refer to defined terms in the World Anti-Doping Code and the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing.

USADA does testing for IFs, other NADOs, and the World Anti-Doping Agency. USADA does not oversee testing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but our staff may be present at the Games to test on behalf of the Testing Authority. The Local Organizing Committee for the Games and WADA oversee testing at the Games.

Generally not. Most professional sports leagues and the NCAA are not WADA Code signatories, and they conduct their own anti-doping programs in-house. Professional and collegiate athletes who also participate in Olympic sports (e.g. basketball, hockey), however, are subject to USADA testing in the lead up to the Games or World Championship. USADA is responsible for the testing program and results management for athletes in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. Please see the previous question to understand what constitutes Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan American sport. USADA also conducts testing by contract for sports and/or events that fall outside this group, such as professional boxing, dance, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

USADA’s education programs provide athletes, coaches, and other interested individuals valuable information on anti-doping matters, including sample collection policies and procedures, prohibited substances, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, Whereabouts requirements, athlete responsibilities, nutrition, dietary supplements, and other related topics. Additionally, USADA powers TrueSport, a movement working to create a positive youth sport experience through lessons on Clean & Healthy Performance, Sportsmanship, and Character Building & Life Skills.

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WADA Code and International Standards

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, which, along with the Prohibited List and the International Standards, are created and maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in order to harmonize anti-doping efforts around the world across all sports. The international anti-doping community, including WADA and all of the Code-Signatories, have completed a full review and revision of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code, and as a result of this review and revision, on January 1, 2021, a new World Anti-Doping Code took effect. USADA was an active participant in the Code review, submitting comments and feedback, and sharing our expertise and experience throughout the process. Learn more about the 2021 Code changes.

WADA Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the Code?

The Code is a core document that provides the framework for anti-doping policies, rules, and regulations within sport organizations and among public authorities. It is designed to harmonize anti-doping policies and ensure the standards are the same for all athletes. The Code works in conjunction with eight international standards that provide further rules which govern anti-doping efforts.

International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories

The International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS) sets out to ensure that strong, Code-compliant anti-doping rules and programs are applied and enforced consistently and effectively across all sports and all countries, so that clean athletes can have confidence that they are competing on a level playing field, and the public has confidence in the integrity of sport.

The Prohibited List

The WADA Prohibited List outlines the substances and methods prohibited in sport.

International Standard for Testing & Investigations

Testing is an extremely crucial piece of any anti-doping program. The purpose of the International Standard for Testing & Investigations (ISTI) is to plan for effective testing and to maintain the integrity and identity of samples, from notifying the athlete to transporting samples for analysis.

International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions

The purpose of the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE) is to harmonize the process of granting TUEs across sports and countries. The WADA TUE process ensures athletes can get access to important medication when appropriate while ensuring clean athletes have access to a level playing field.

International Standard for Laboratories

The purpose of the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) is to ensure production of valid test results and evidentiary data and to achieve uniform and harmonized results and reporting from all accredited laboratories. Anti-doping organizations that are signatories to the Code agree to have all samples analyzed at WADA-accredited labs.

International Standard for Protection of Privacy and Personal Information

The purpose of the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information (ISPPPI) is to ensure that all relevant parties involved in anti-doping in sport adhere to a set of minimum privacy protections when collecting and using athlete personal information, such as information relating to Whereabouts, doping controls, and Therapeutic Use Exemptions.

International Standard for Education

The purpose of the International Standard for Education is to support the preservation of the spirit of sport as outlined in the Code and to help foster a clean sport environment. It is recognized that the vast majority of athletes wish to compete clean, have no intention to use prohibited substances or methods and have the right to a level playing field.

International Standard for Results Management

The purpose of the International Standard for Results Management is to set out the core responsibilities of Anti-Doping Organizations with respect to results management. In addition to describing certain general principles of results management, this International Standard also sets out the core obligations applicable to the various phases of results management, from the initial review and notification of potential anti-doping rule violations, through provisional suspensions, the assertion of anti-doping rule violations and proposal of consequences, the hearing process until the issuance and notification of the decision and appeal.

The term “World Anti-Doping Code signatory” refers to an organization that has fully accepted the Code and accompanying International Standards. All Code signatories are listed on WADA’s website here.

Code acceptance means that a sport organization agrees to the principles of the Code and agrees to implement and comply with the Code.

Once a sport organization accepts the Code, it then needs to implement it. Code implementation means that a sport organization amends its rules and policies to include the mandatory articles and principles of the Code.

Finally, enforcement refers to the sport organization actually enforcing its amended rules and policies in accordance with the Code.

WADA monitors implementation of and compliance with the Code.

The World Anti-Doping Agency announced USADA as one of the first organizations to formally adopt the World Anti-Doping Code on April 7, 2003.

To date, more than 660 sport organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), all Olympic Sport International Federations (IFs) and all IOC-recognized IFs, National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, National Anti-Doping Organizations, and many other sport organizations have accepted the World Anti-Doping Code.

In the United States, most major professional sport leagues are not signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, which, along with the Prohibited List and the International Standards, are created and maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in order to harmonize anti-doping efforts around the world across all sports. The international anti-doping community, including WADA and all of the Code-Signatories, have completed a full review and revision of the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code, and as a result of this review and revision, on January 1, 2021, a new World Anti-Doping Code took effect. USADA was an active participant in the Code review, submitting comments and feedback, and sharing our expertise and experience throughout the process. Learn more about the 2021 Code changes.

Why Clean Competition Matters
Real Athletes. Real Stories. Real Integrity.

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