The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has sent a direct letter to athletes inviting them to explain how they experience the anti-doping system. It is not a regulatory reform or a new code, but something more basic and, at the same time, deeper: listening. Through a confidential and voluntary survey, WADA seeks to understand the real experience of those at the centre of the system.
The initiative, called the “Athlete Anti-Doping Experience Survey”, aims to gather views on controls, procedures and the relationship with anti-doping structures. The stated objective is to use that feedback to improve current programmes, design new initiatives and continue moving towards a more athlete-centred model that is more supportive than merely sanctioning.
Independent analysis
To strengthen the credibility of the process, WADA has entrusted the development and analysis of the survey to the independent firm P2CO, which specialises in user experiences. Responses will be strictly confidential, will not be linked to participants’ identities and will be handled in accordance with the organisation’s privacy policy.
The questionnaire, estimated to take 30 minutes to complete, includes a symbolic incentive — a USD 100 gift certificate randomly drawn among participants — underlining that any contact details provided for the draw will remain separate from the survey responses. The message conveyed is that athletes can speak without fear of consequences.
Beyond control, trust
Beyond its format, the letter opens a necessary debate. The anti-doping system is one of the pillars of sporting integrity, but also a structure that constantly shapes athletes’ daily lives: surprise tests, whereabouts obligations, complex disciplinary procedures.
By asking for feedback, WADA acknowledges that regulation alone does not guarantee trust. Listening means accepting that there may be areas for improvement, tensions or differing experiences depending on disciplines and national contexts. It also means recognising that athletes are not merely subjects of control, but stakeholders with their own voice within the system.
The deadline to complete the survey is 15 March 2026. From that point on, the real test will not be the number of responses received, but the ability to translate that information into concrete and tangible changes.
All this comes as the International Testing Agency (ITA) continues to grow and begins to shape a different landscape, where operational independence no longer lies solely within the traditional orbit and powerful federations such as World Aquatics and the Union Cycliste Internationale have joined it.
