Montreal, September 22: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published updated versions of its 2027 International Standard for Testing (IST) and International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories (ISCCS), which limit the role of the host country’s anti-doping agency at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
WADA’s Executive Committee approved the changes unanimously at its meeting in Belgrade on September 10. They take effect on January 1, 2027.
What changes
Under the amendments, the host National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) will play no part in planning how tests are distributed or in selecting athletes for testing at the Games. The host NADO, and sample collection staff of the host country’s nationality, are also restricted from testing the host nation’s athletes, although exceptions can be made where this is not reasonably practicable.
Host NADOs will still work at the Games in areas such as education and intelligence gathering and sharing.
The rules do not apply automatically to events run by International Federations. Each federation will decide whether to apply them at its major events, based on potential or perceived conflicts of interest or bias. WADA may issue guidance to help them decide.
Why the rules were changed
The amendments put into effect Recommendation 19 of the Working Group on NADO Operational Independence, whose final report went to an extraordinary Executive Committee meeting in June 2026.
That group was set up on the recommendation of the team implementing the findings of Independent Prosecutor Eric Cottier, who reviewed WADA’s handling of the China Anti-Doping Agency’s no-fault contamination cases involving 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021. It also took account of an anti-doping audit review by World Aquatics, which found a perception among athletes of conflicts of interest when national bodies supervise the testing of their own athletes at international competitions.
WADA has also published the stakeholder comments received during the consultation on the changes, which began in July.
Source: World Anti-Doping Agency.
