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April 21, 2026
Definition of Therapeutic Use Exemption A Therapeutic Use Exemption allows an Athlete with a medical condition to use a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method. However, only under specific conditions set out in Art 4.2 of the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemption. During their career, Athletes may have an illness or a condition that requires a particular medication or methods of treatment that fall under the Prohibited List. The Athlete is responsible for informing their medical professional that they are also bound to Anti-Doping Rules. The medical professional must try and provide medication that does not contain any prohibited Substances. If the medication contains a Prohibited Substance, they should discuss a non-prohibited alternative. If not possible, then the Athlete needs to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption. Requirements to obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption Therapeutic Use Exemptions are mentioned in International Standards to make sure the process of granting an Exemption is the same in all sports and countries. An Athlete will be granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption only if, they can show, that all of the following conditions are met: The Athlete has a clear diagnosed medical condition, supported by clinical evidence, that requires treatment using a Prohibited Substance or Method; The health will be significantly impaired if the Athlete does not take the substance; The substance does not enhance the performance beyond what brings the Athlete back to normal health; There are no alternative treatments available that are not prohibited; The need for the use of the Prohibited Substance is not resulting from prior use of a Prohibited Substance. Applying for a TUE Who can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption? Any Athlete who may be subject to doping control must request a Therapeutic Use Exemption to the relevant Anti-Doping Organization before taking a Prohibited Medication. International Level Athlete Athletes considered as international level Athletes should apply for their Therapeutic Use Exemption with World Triathlon directly. International Level Athletes that are all Athletes that are competing in events recongised by World Triathlon and included in the World Triathlon Calendar and in the Elite, Junior, U23, Para Triathlon, and Mixed Relay Programs. National Level Athlete They should apply for their Therapeutic Use Exemption directly to the New Zealand Sport Integrity Commission . In cases of where they compete at an international level, they will have to request World Triathlon to recognize the Therapeutic Use Exemption. Confidentiality of the Medical Information: All the medical information and related documents contained in a Therapeutic Use Exemption application are strictly confidential and treated in accordance with the applicable law regulation. When to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption? Athletes who need to use a Prohibited Substance or Method for therapeutic reasons must obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption before using or possessing the Substance or Method. They must apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption at least 30 days prior to competing . What about the renewal of the Therapeutic Use Exemption? Each Therapeutic Use Exemption has a specific duration and automatically expire when that period ends. If the Athlete needs to continue to use the Prohibited Substance or Method, it is the Athlete’s responsibility to submit a new application for a Therapeutic Use Exemption before the expiry date. What is a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption? In exceptional circumstances Athletes may apply for a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption if, it would be clearly unfair not to grant it. Retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption can be applied if: The Athlete required emergency or urgent treatment of a medical condition. There was not enough time or opportunity for you to submit the Therapeutic Use Exemption application, or having it approved, before getting tested. The Athlete is a lower-level Athlete who is not under the jurisdiction of World Triathlon or National Anti-Doping Agency and was tested. The Athlete tested positive after using a substance Out-of-Competition that is only prohibited In-Competition (for example glucocorticoids). How does one apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption? 1) Submission of the Therapeutic Use Exemption Form to ITA World Triathlon encourages one to submit Therapeutic Use Exemption and the required medical information applications via ADAMS. If you do not have an ADAMS account yet, please contact tue@ita.sport to have it set up. Otherwise, please download the Therapeutic Use Exemption Application Form , and once duly completed and signed, gather the required medical file and contact tue@ita.sport Your Therapeutic Use Exemption application must be submitted in writing, very clearly and using capital letters so it is clear for everyone. The medical file must include: A medical history, including documentation from the original diagnosing physician(s); The results of all examinations, laboratory investigations and imaging studies relevant to the application. Any costs incurred by the Athlete in making the Therapeutic Use Exemption application. Any additional information required are the Athlete’s responsibility. Any Therapeutic Use Exemption application that is not complete or legible will not be dealt with and will be returned for completion and re-submission. To assist you and your doctor in providing the correct medical documentation, we suggest consulting the WADA’s Checklists for Therapeutic Use Exemption applications for guidance and support. 2) Recognition of the Therapeutic Use Exemption to the ITA The International Testing Agency’s Therapeutic Use Exemption will automatically recognize your Therapeutic Use Exemption international-level Competitions, without needing to review the relevant clinical information. If the Therapeutic Use Exemption is correctly entered in ADAMS, there is no need to contact us. Nevertheless, should you require a confirmation, you can submit your request to the International Testing Agency in writing quoting your ADAMS Therapeutic Use Exemption reference number. You can download your Therapeutic Use Exemption certificate directly from ADAMS. 3) Appeal to WADA A decision to deny a Therapeutic Use Exemption application will include a written explanation of the reasons for the denial. The Athlete or the National Anti-Doping Organization may refer the matter directly to WADA for review no later than 21 days after notification of the World Triathlon Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee decision. To appeal the decision, the Athlete shall send the same information as the one submitted to World Triathlon, and on which the decision to deny the Therapeutic Use Exemption was based on. It can be done by post at the following address: WADA Medical Department World Anti-Doping Agency Stock Exchange Tower 800 Place Victoria (Suite 1700) P.O. Box 120 Montreal (Quebec) H4Z 1B7 Canada The email address to enquire or send the request for review is: medical@wada-ama.org Use of Medication During an Athlete’s career, an Athlete may have to take various medications. With or without a doctor prescription, it is the Athlete’s responsibility to check the medication before taking it, even if it is something that has been used in the past. World Triathlon refers to the module about the Prohibited List and the precaution Athletes must take when using medications. Checking the Medication Status Every time you buy a medication (prescribed or not), check the Prohibited List to see if one of the ingredients is on it. You can ask your doctor, the pharmacist, or the New Zealand Sport Integrity Commission. You can use online resources such as GlobalDRO . You can search the status of your medication, see if it contains Prohibited Substances or not. Please note that this is only for medication, and not for supplements . Combination of Prohibited Substance Some Substances can be prohibited when combined with other Substances. For example, if any amount of substance with a threshold limit (such as formoterol, salbutamol) is found with a diuretic or masking agent, it will be considered a positive test if the Athlete does not have Therapeutic Use Exemption for both Substances . Useful tips During a test: declare mention the any approved Therapeutic Use Exemption and all medications you took the last 7 days on the Doping Control Form Specify that you have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (you do not need to show the Therapeutic Use Exemption approval during doping control) Tell medical professionals that they must follow the Anti-Doping Rules and the Prohibited List (do not hesitate to take the Prohibited List with you) Check with the relevant Anti-Doping Organization if you need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption before using a medication that contains a Prohibited Substance Ask medical professionals if you need a Therapeutic Use Exemption prior to receiving medical treatment Apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption with the relevant Anti-Doping Organization Check the Therapeutic Use Exemption expiry date and do not forget to renew it if needed Take all the precautions when using medications

April 21, 2026
Triathlon New Zealand is committed to clean, fair sport. We believe in protecting the health of our athletes, the integrity of our sport and the spirit of clean competition in which the best succeed. We work in collaboration with the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui (the Commission – formerly Drug Free Sport New Zealand), our national anti-doping agency, to: promote a culture of clean sport; educate members on anti-doping rules, rights and responsibilities; facilitate testing; report doping and suspicious activity, and; support athletes to compete clean. Got questions? You can contact the Commission at any time for clean sport support, information, education or resources. Phone: 0800 378 437 Email info@sportintegrity.nz Website: sportintegrity.nz For triathlon specific questions, you can contact Peter Kadar ( peter.kadar@triathlon.kiwi ) Sports Anti-Doping Rules We have adopted New Zealand’s Sports Anti-Doping Rules. The rules apply to all Triathlon New Zealand members, no matter your role or level of play. The Rules cover much more than just testing positive – they also ban things like purchasing, possessing or distributing banned substances and evading testing. If you break the Rules– even by accident – you risk a sanction that can include a ban from all sport and disqualification of your results. Anti-doping education The most important thing anyone can do to protect themselves and their sport from doping is to complete anti-doping education. The Commission offers comprehensive free anti-doping education and resources on its website. Whether you’re new to anti-doping, an experienced athlete or part of an athlete’s support team, there is an education option for you. Explore anti-doping education Banned substances Some substances and methods are banned in sport. Each year, the World Anti-Doping Agency publishes a list of all those substances and methods in the WADA Prohibited List. Substances can be included on the list if they meet any two of the following criteria: It has the potential to enhance sporting performance It presents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete It violates the spirit of sport Read up on banned substances. Supplements Supplements are a risk for all athletes. Neither the Commission nor WADA approve any supplements because of this risk. Athletes can and do test positive because of contaminated supplements. Nevertheless, many athletes choose to use supplements or are on a supplement programme. If that’s you, it’s important to make an informed decision. The Commission’s Supplement Decision Making Guide shows you ways you can minimise – but not eliminate – supplement risk. Minimise your supplement risk. Medications Even common medications can contain banned substances. That’s why it’s important that you check every medication for banned substances before you take it. Global DRO is an online tool that can tell you if your medication contains banned ingredients, has conditions for its use, or is not banned in sport. Athletes are 100% responsible for any substance found in their sample . If you’re an athlete, we encourage you to be careful with anything you put in or on your body. Check your medications. Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) allows you, without breaking the Rules, to take a medication containing a banned substance if you need to do so for medical reasons. Some athletes must apply for their TUE in advance, before they begin using any prohibited medications or methods. Other athletes can apply retroactively. Find out more about TUEs Testing Testing is an important way of deterring and detecting doping in sport. As an athlete, you should be prepared to be tested at any time. It may happen in- or out-of-competition. You may be asked for a urine sample, blood sample or both. If you fail to complete a test when notified, you are at risk of an anti-doping sanction. Testing can be nerve-wracking, especially if it’s your first time. It’s a good idea to learn about the process in advance so you know what to expect when it’s your turn. Understand the testing process Athlete Whereabouts The Athlete Whereabouts programme is used worldwide to make sure athletes can be located for testing. Athletes on a testing pool must update their Whereabouts every quarter to protect the integrity of sport and to stay within the Sports Anti-Doping Rules. Get help with Whereabouts . Athlete rights The Athletes’ Anti-Doping Rights Act protects an athlete’s fundamental right to participate in clean sport. It promotes health, fairness and equal opportunity for all athletes worldwide. Learn your rights as an athlete. Speak Out Speak Out is a way for anyone in sport to report doping concerns in confidence. You don’t need the full story. And get in touch even if it seems minor – they use every piece of information they receive. Share doping concerns by phone at 0800 378 437. Share doping concerns online using the anonymous web form .

















