Breaking down anti-doping whereabouts failures

The GIST: Yesterday, swimmer Penny Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated Olympian, was banned from competition until 2027 for an anti-doping rules violation. No, the 25-year-old wasn’t caught taking banned substances — she was penalized for a whereabouts failure. Let’s discuss.

🤔 What is a whereabouts failure?: Part of the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) drug testing program, athletes are required to submit their “whereabouts” every 90 days, including the location and times of daily activities like work and school, their competition schedules, and a specific daily time slot when they are guaranteed to be available for testing.

• Athletes must ensure their info is accurate, complete, and submitted on time. If it isn’t, WADA employs a three-strike system: Any three combinations of filing failures or missed tests within a 12-month period could result in a two-year ban.

• Notably, athletes can make changes to their whereabouts during the 90-day period should their plans change for a last-minute outing or event.

🧪 That sounds pretty strict: It is. To maintain the integrity of sport and ensure a level playing field, testing is done without notice and out of competition, meaning athletes could be literally anywhere in the world when WADA comes knocking. If a doping control officer (DCO) can’t locate an athlete for a sample, that’s filed as a missed test.

• And it happens more often than you might think: American sprinter Gabby Thomas was briefly suspended for a whereabouts failure in 2020. She then supplied evidence proving the DCO was at fault for not locating her, ultimately eliminating one of her three missed tests.

⏩ What’s next: Some say the two-year punishment is too harsh, while others believe the process is part of being a pro athlete — and at the end of the day, the rules are in place to keep sport clean and the playing field level. As for Oleksiak, she accepted the ban and will be eligible to compete in July 2027, in plenty of time for the 2028 LA Olympics.