Whistleblower numbers for suspected sports doping are at a record high in the United Kingdom, according to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD).
According to its intelligence and investigations team, UKAD states that there were 211 reports of suspected doping misconduct across 30 sports in 2024.
That represented an almost three-fold increase since 2020, when the service was launched, with just 75 flagged cases in 2021.
UKAD’s head of intelligence and investigations Mario Theophanous said: “It’s important to UKAD that athletes and the sporting community feel safe talking to us, and that we normalise the reporting of doping in sport.
“One of the main reasons that we release these reporting numbers is to show individuals who are unsure or uncertain about reporting that you’re not alone – there are others like you who want to protect the integrity of their sport.”
It comes amid a global spat surrounding anti-doping, and the funding of relevant bodies, with the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) backing a US government decision to withhold millions to global organisation World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
It relates to a dispute over a group of 23 Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 despite positive tests for the banned substance trimetazidine.
There are further concerns surrounding the ability to ensure clean sport when key players in funding Wada withdraw their backing.
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