January 12, 2026
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World Anti-Doping Code 2026 Prohibited List comes into force
The updated World Anti-Doping Code (Code) prohibited list came into effect from 1 January 2026. It is the responsibility of all sailors and stakeholders, including coaches, medical personnel, and anyone else subject to the Code and World Sailing’s anti-doping rules to familiarise themselves with the changes.
The most notable changes for 2026 are the clarifications to anabolic agents, peptide hormones, hormone and metabolic modulators and stimulants to help athletes and their entourage to better identify prohibited substances.
Summary of the major changes for sailors for 2026
- The dosing intervals of salmeterol have been changed to avoid potential ergogenic effects, though the maximum daily delivered dose remains the same.
- More details have been given about the prohibition of withdrawal of blood and blood components.
- The non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide (CO) has been added to the Prohibited Methods as a new section, M1.4. The use of carbon monoxide for diagnostic purposes, such as total hemoglobin mass measurements or the determination of pulmonary diffusion capacity, is not prohibited.
- Cell components (e.g., nuclei and organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes) have been added to the existing prohibition of using normal or genetically modified cells.
- It has been clarified in the Glucocorticoids Washout Table that use of sustained-release formulations may result in detectable glucocorticoid levels past the washout period due to prolonged systemic absorption.
The full list of prohibited substances and methods which came into force from 1 January 2026 can be found here.
A summary of the changes can be found here.
Antonio Cozzolino, World Sailing’s General Counsel, said, “World Sailing remains firmly committed to promoting ‘I Sail Pure’ and ensuring that competition is clean and fair for all. The amendments to the WADA Prohibited List clarifies the conditions for several controlled substances and methods, and we would like to remind all stakeholders that it is solely their responsibility to ensure they are aware of and comply with the changes.
“Anti-doping across the world operates under the principle of ‘strict liability’ which means that the individual is responsible for any banned substance, whether used, attempted to use, or which is found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat. In anti-doping, not knowing is not an excuse and that is why World Sailing are reminding all stakeholders in advance of the changes to the prohibited list.”
Please also be aware that all international-level athletes – those racing at Olympic events, Youth World Championships and Para Sailing World Championships, The America’s Cup and The Ocean Race – require TUEs to be issued by World Sailing.
Athletes who have a TUE issued from their National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) must forward a copy to World Sailing.
For further information, please consult the Anti-Doping pages on the World Sailing website.
If you have any questions or require any additional information or have a TUE application, please contact medical@sailing.org