Negative backlash for reporting doping the biggest barrier for potential whistleblowers, study finds

Being negatively labelled for reporting doping is the biggest barrier for potential whistleblowers to come forward, a new study by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has found.

Nearly a quarter of athletes and coaches interviewed said the possibility of being labelled a "snitch" for coming forward was their biggest concern, while the second most common barrier was that whistleblowing would damage their relationships in sport.

Around 40 per cent of athletes and coaches said they felt their sport actively encouraged them to report doping, while 88 per cent said they felt reporting doping was their responsibility. Less than half said they were aware of the WADA Whistleblower Program.

The WADA report (opens in new tab), conducted by Leeds Beckett University, spoke to 400 athletes and coaches, with 22 per cent of interviewees coming from track and field and 12 per cent from cycling, amid a total of 54 sports that were represented.

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Dr Kelsey Erickson, the lead researcher at Leeds Beckett University, said: "Our goal is for reporting misconduct to become the expectation rather than the exception. When it becomes the expectation that you will be reported for misconduct, it is then that whistleblowing becomes a true deterrent."

For the first time in a study into doping and whistleblowing, emotion was taken into account, with around 45 per cent of respondents stating they would feel anxious if they reporting doping, and that their biggest motivation to do so would be because of concerns over athlete health as well as other athletes' career prospects.

A number of pro cyclists have raised concerns about the lack of anti-doping they've seen in recent months, as testing has been limited due to the coronavirus pandemic with WADA announcing in March that many programmes around the world had been suspended or reduced.

Thibaut Pinot told L’Equipe (opens in new tab) he had not been tested since October, saying: "That’s a long time ago and I hope that it will start up again because it’s not good news for riders who are trying to do things well.

"I hope that there will soon be controls again so that we can start up properly."