Fri, August 14, 2026
UK Anti-Doping sees rise in doping reports and encourages the positive trend to continue across elite sport
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has seen a rise in doping reports and is encouraging the positive trend to continue across elite sport. Between January and June 2026, 125 reports were made by people across elite sport to UKAD’s ‘Protect Your Sport’ initiative which is a confidential and anonymous whistleblowing program launched in November 2020.
It allows athletes, coaches, and support personnel to report suspicions or evidence of doping in athletics, helping UKAD gather intelligence, target testing, and protect fair competition. Reports can be made online, by phone or email, or anonymously by SMS or WhatsApp. UKAD added anonymous SMS and WhatsApp channels near the end of 2024 which it suggests has helped increase the number of reports it has received.
This number is 22% up on the same period last year, specifically, up 23 reports. 43% of reports concerned athletes or individuals participating in UK national-level sport. Reports ranged across 20 different sports.
Once a report is made to UKAD, it is assessed by its Intelligence and Investigations Team, and this may lead to further testing, formal investigation, anti-doping rule violation proceedings, or disruption activity. Disruption refers to intelligence-led intervention tactics used to prevent, deter, and interrupt doping or related wrongdoing in sport before or as it happens rather than solely relying on post-test prosecutions.
Information received through ‘Protect Your Sport’ contributed to three of the four athlete sanctions issued by UKAD. Reports have also helped UKAD disrupt nine suspected doping activities and carry out 17 additional tests.
Reporting doping concerns is also a key component of UKAD’s Education Programme which protects clean sport by delivering values-based anti-doping education, training courses, and digital resources across all levels of sport, from primary schools to elite athletes and support staff.
Mario Theophanous, UKAD’s Head of Intelligence and Investigations, said: “Every report matters in the fight against doping in sport. We want anyone with concerns to know that they are not alone. Reporting can feel like a difficult step to take, particularly for those close to the person involved. But no piece of information is too small, and a single report can be the missing piece needed to build a case or launch an investigation. You don't need to be certain, and you don't need evidence, just a concern is enough to come forward.”
The ‘Protect Your Sport’ website can be found here.
UKAD is responsible for investigating, charging and prosecuting cases before Sport Resolutions’ National Anti-Doping Panel, the UK’s independent tribunal responsible for adjudicating anti-doping disputes in sport.
