UKAD sees rise in doping reports and calls on elite sport to continue reporting concerns

• 125 reports were made to UK Anti-Doping's Protect Your Sport initiative between January and June 2026, 22% up on the same period last year 
• 43% of reports concerned athletes or individuals participating in national-level sport 
• Mario Theophanous, UKAD’s Head of Intelligence and Investigations: “We want anyone with concerns to know that they are not alone.” 

A growing number of people across elite sport are coming forward to protect clean competition, according to new figures from UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) covering the first half of 2026. 

Between January and June 2026, UKAD received 125 reports through its Protect Your Sport reporting doping channels. This is up 23 reports on the same period last year. Reports can be made online, by phone or email, or anonymously by SMS or WhatsApp to Protect Your Sport on 07822 023233.  

Of the reports, 43% concerned athletes or others participating in UK national-level sport. Reports came in from across 20 different sports. 

UKAD credits the increase in reports to growing awareness of how to report doping concerns. Protect Your Sport launched in November 2020, and UKAD added anonymous SMS and WhatsApp reporting channels to the service in September and November 2024. Both channels let people report concerns without being identified, which is a big motivator for individuals to come forward. Reporting doping is also a key subject area of UKAD’s Education Programme. 

Each report to UKAD is assessed by its Intelligence and Investigations Team, which may lead to further testing, formal investigation, anti-doping rule violation proceedings or disruption activity. 

Protect Your Sport reports have played a key role in helping UKAD act on Anti-Doping Rule Violations in the first half of this year. Information received through Protect Your Sport contributed to three of the four athlete sanctions issued by UKAD. Reports have also helped UKAD disrupt nine suspected doping activities and carry out 17 additional tests. 

Last year, UKAD launched the world's first chatbot dedicated to supporting whistleblowers, hosted on the UKAD website. The chatbot breaks down the reporting process and offers advice for people who might feel intimidated about reporting directly to a person. 

UKAD thanks everyone who has come forward so far this year. Their information helps protect fair competition and reward athletes who compete clean. 

Mario Theophanous, UKAD’s Head of Intelligence and Investigations, said: 

"Every report matters in the fight against doping in sport. We want anyone with concerns to know that they are not alone. Reporting can feel like a difficult step to take, particularly for those close to the person involved. But no piece of information is too small, and a single report can be the missing piece needed to build a case or launch an investigation. You don't need to be certain, and you don't need evidence, just a concern is enough to come forward." 

For more ways to report doping to UKAD, and to learn more about the action taken, search: Protect Your Sport.