In equestrian sports, athletes will be considered to be in competition during the period commencing one (1) hour before the beginning of the first horse inspection in their Discipline, and ending after their last competition at the Games (or the sample collection process related to such competition).

Samples will be analysed in exactly the same way as in all other FEI events. Samples analysis will be carried out at the Laboratory of Racing Chemistry, Tokyo.

Athletes are the Person Responsible (PR) for the horse and carry the ultimate responsibility for them. This includes legal proceedings should your horse test positive. Members of your support team may be held liable in addition to you.

Anything that is included in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (“the List”) 2021 is prohibited. Substances that have a similar chemical structure or biological effect to those listed are also prohibited. If you are tested and your sample is positive for one of the substances on the List this will be considered as an anti-doping rule violation unless you hold a corresponding Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
In addition to testing positive for a prohibited substance, there are 10 other categories of anti-doping rule violations. Seven (7) of these anti-doping rule violations can be committed not only by athletes but also by other persons, including athlete support personnel.

The 11 categories of anti-doping rule violations are:

Presence

(An athlete tests positive)

​Use

(An athlete uses or tries to use a prohibited substance or method).

Evading sample collection

(An athlete does not go to the Doping Control Station when notified for testing, or refuses to take a test, or does not provide a complete sample).

Whereabouts failures

(A Registered Testing Pool athlete is not where they said they will be in their whereabouts information, or miss a test during their 60 minutes time slot, or does not submit their whereabouts on time, or submit incomplete or wrong information).

Tampering

(An athlete or other person interferes with the testing or doping control process, including during the prosecution of a case).

Possession

(An athlete or athlete support personnel has a prohibited substance in their possession).

Trafficking

(An athlete or other person handles, transports, sells or attempts to sell prohibited substances).

Administration to an athlete

(An athlete or other person gives or tries to give a prohibited substance to an athlete).

Complicity

(An athlete or other person helps or tries to help cover up an ADRV, or is involved in an ADRV in any way).

​Prohibited association

(An athlete or other person works with or seeks help or services from an athlete support personnel who is serving a period of suspension). 

Discourage or retaliate

(An athlete or other person frightens someone from reporting suspected doping, or seeks revenge against those who have reported doping).

The FEI publishes the Equine Prohibited Substances List Any substance featured on the list must not be present in the horse’s body during the FEI On-site Jurisdiction Period.

Substances that have a similar chemical structure or biological effect are also prohibited.

Care must be taken to ensure that prohibited substances are not still present in the horse’s body following an earlier treatment and that any feeds, supplements or topical preparations used do not contain prohibited substances.

You can find out how to check if a substance can be used here.

The Equine Prohibited Substances List is also produced as a database and a mobile app.

It is not only a positive test that can result in an EADCM violation. Any of the following actions may result in legal proceedings and the possibility of disqualification and loss of medals:

Refusing to submit the horse for sampling when selected.

Possession of a banned substance.

Tampering with any part of the sampling equipment and process.

Reminder: as an athlete, you are strictly liable for any prohibited substance found in your system, regardless as to how it got there or whether you had any intention to cheat. This principle is called "strict liability". 

If you use a substance without having received a corresponding TUE, you will be liable if you test positive for the substance in question.

If you test positive, you (and all of your team members in the case of a team competition) will lose your medals and be disqualified.

Depending on the anti-doping rule violation, consequences and sanctions may include: results disqualification, ineligibility and exclusion from the Games. Consequences and sanctions will be made public.

For further information please refer to the online course “ADEL for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics” on WADA’s ADEL online educational platform.

If your horse tests positive, you (and all of your team members in the case of a team competition) will lose your medals and be disqualified.

Further information can be found in the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations.

Take the Tokyo 2020 anti-doping online course.

All anti-doping processes for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are explained in the online course “ADEL for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics” on WADA’s ADEL online educational platform. Taking this course is absolutely essential for you if you are an athlete or athlete support personnel going to Tokyo 2020.

Read:

-  The IPC (International Paralympic Committee)’s anti-doping rules for Tokyo 2020 and the Tokyo 2020 Doping Control Guidebook.

- The IPC’s website page dedicated to athlete doping control at the Tokyo Games.

Participate in any Pre-Games anti-doping education programmes coordinated by your National Paralympic Committee (NPC) and/or National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO).

Follow the steps indicated in this Guide’s “Pre-Arrival To-Do List”.

Work closely with your team veterinarian before and during the Paralympics. The lead up to the competition is an important time for ensuring your horse is free from prohibited substances.

You can only access the stables at night if you are accompanied by an FEI Steward.

Veterinary Forms need to be filled in should your horse need treatment and permission must be granted by the Veterinary Commission before your horse is treated.

Horses cannot be treated in their individual stable/box during the Paralympics. Treatment boxes must be used unless the Veterinary Commission has given you permission otherwise.

Don’t be afraid of asking questions – there are many people on hand to help and advice and information is available on the FEI Clean Sport website.

1. Medication check

With your team doctor’s help, review all existing or foreseen medical treatments against the 2021 Prohibited List.

Apply for a TUE for any prescribed treatment involving prohibited substances and /or methods.

If your medication check reveals that you are taking non-prescribed treatments containing Prohibited Substances, discontinue the treatment and find a non-prohibited alternative if necessary.

List all the medications you will need to have with you in Tokyo and make sure you obtain an import permission where needed. Sometimes an export permit is necessary in order to bring back home the unused medication a visit in Japan. Refer to the  Tokyo 2020 Customs and Freight Forwarding Guide (in particular section 7.3) and the Tokyo 2020 supplementary Information on import procedures for medicines medical equipment and cosmetics.  This is crucial for anyone intending to bring medication from a home country into Tokyo, as the Japanese law is very strictly enforced.

2. Supplements

Avoid using supplements. There is no way to know whether they contain undisclosed prohibited substances. For further information please refer to the “Supplements” section in the Human Anti-Doping Course on the FEI Campus platform.

3. Tokyo 2020 Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) process and timelines

Before 3 August, athletes should follow the rules and guidance of their National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) or the FEI regarding TUE requirements. In practice, this means that:

• Athletes who fall under the FEI’s definition of “International-Level Athlete” must obtain their TUEs in advance from the FEI. The FEI’s definition of “International-Level Athlete” is rankings based, you can find it at: https://inside.fei.org/fei/cleansport/humans/tues.
• Athletes who are not considered as “International-Level Athletes” must follow their NADO’s rules on TUEs. If the NADO’s rules do not require a TUE in advance, the athlete must apply for a TUE to the IPC as explained below.

From 3 August, all new TUE applications must be submitted to the IPC TUE Committee for approval, either through ADAMS or by email to tue@paralympic.org.

All athletes included in a testing pool during the Games period must continue to maintain accurate and up-to-date whereabouts information as is normally required, including accommodation details whilst in Japan (e.g. room numbers if staying in the Athletes’ Village).

For athletes not included in a testing pool, the IPC requires National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) to provide whereabouts information during the Games period, including travel schedules, accommodation details and training schedules.

For details please refer to the Tokyo 2020 Doping Control Guidebook and the online course “ADEL for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics” on WADA’s ADEL online educational platform.

You can check your horse is free from prohibited substances before you travel to Tokyo by carrying out Pre-Arrival Testing.

Samples submitted to the Pre-Arrival Testing programme will be analysed in exactly the same way as those taken during the Paralympics.

Find out how to submit a sample via your NF.

03 August 2021

Existing TUEs must be submitted to IPC for review by this date.

Athletes requiring a new TUE must apply to IPC from this date.

17 August 2021

24 August 2021

Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony

05 September 2021

If you have questions before arriving in Tokyo, please contact Catherine Bollon, Athlete Services & Human Anti-Doping Advisor: catherine.bollon@fei.org.

If you have any questions or need any advice while competing in Tokyo, consult your team doctor in the first instance. For further help, you and your team doctor can obtain advice from the FEI Chief Medical Officer (Dr Holger Holtschmit) at the Clinic.

Representative from the FEI Legal Department will also be on site and available for advice:

Anna Thorstenson, FEI Legal Counsel: anna.thorstenson@fei.org (+41 78 750 15 70)

If you have questions before arriving in Tokyo, please contact Caterina Termine, FEI Veterinary Advisor: caterina.termine@fei.org.

If you have any questions or need any advice while competing in Tokyo, consult your team veterinarian in the first instance. Should you require further help, you and your team veterinarian can obtain advice from the Veterinary Commission.

A representative from the FEI Veterinary Department will be available for advice:

Caterina Termine, FEI Veterinary Advisor: caterina.termine@fei.org (+41 78 750 61 48)