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WADA Publishes 2020 Testing Figures Report

Testing figure report

Report Highlights:

  • A 46% decrease in the overall number of samples analyzed: 278,047 in 2019 to 149,758 in 2020.
  • A decrease in the total percentage of Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs): 0.97% in 2019 (2,702 AAFs from 278,047 samples) to 0.67% in 2020 (1,009 AAFs from 149,758 samples).
  • All WADA-accredited Laboratories saw a decrease in the total number of samples recorded.
  • A decrease in the total number and percentage of non-Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) blood samples analyzed: 9.1% in 2019 (25,339 of 278,047) and 7.3% (10,940 of 149,758) in 2020.
  • A decrease of 38% in the number of ABP blood samples tested: 36,401 in 2019 to 22,666 in 2020.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today publishes its 2020 Testing Figures Report (2020 Report), which summarizes the results of all the samples WADA-accredited Laboratories analyzed and reported in WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) in 2020.

This is the sixth and last set of global testing figures under the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) that came into effect in January 2015. The 2020 Report – which includes an Executive Summary and sub-reports by Laboratory, Sport, Testing Authority and Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) Blood Analysis – includes in- and out-of-competition urine samples; blood and ABP blood data; and, the resulting Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) and Atypical Findings (ATFs).

WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “We are pleased to publish this latest edition of WADA’s Annual Testing Figures Report, which is the most comprehensive overview of all doping control samples analyzed and reported by WADA-accredited and WADA-approved laboratories across the globe in 2020. The Testing Figures Report is a key tool for information sharing between Anti-Doping Organizations as well as an important foundation on which to develop and adapt their anti-doping programs. It provides the anti-doping community with a wealth of data and other valuable information allowing all parties to assess their anti-doping strategies and identify potential patterns of doping or areas of improvement.

“Unsurprisingly, the 2020 Report statistics show decreases in testing across the globe due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While sample numbers were considerably down in the early months of the pandemic, especially from March to June 2020, testing increased steadily after that. In fact, out-of-competition is fully back in 2021 and has surpassed 2019 levels. Anti-Doping Organizations around the world are to be commended for this return as they implemented WADA Guidance to maintain the integrity of the anti-doping system and ensure the health and safety of athletes and others.”

To help with the interpretation of the 2020 Report, we provide a comprehensive Question and Answer document. Of particular importance, please note that:

  • One single result does not necessarily correspond to one athlete. Results may correspond to multiple findings regarding the same athlete or measurements performed on the same athlete, such as in the case of longitudinal studies of testosterone.
  • The number of AAFs in the Report may not correspond with the number of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) reported by Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs). This is because all results are subject to a results management process conducted by ADOs, which includes matching results with Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), and longitudinal studies which can result in no case to answer or no sanction.
  • As usual, this Report does not illustrate statistics on ADRVs, which are reported via a separate ADRV Report – the 2019 version of which was released earlier in December 2021. The ADRV Report reveals analytical and non-analytical cases and the outcomes of results management, which is a process that can take a long time given that it may include investigations, appeals and other processes.