Know Us

The Athletics Integrity Unit represents a new era in the management of threats to the integrity of sport. Through the formation of the Athletics Integrity Unit, athletics has become the first sport internationally to delegate complete authority for the management of its integrity programs to an independent body. Fully separated from World Athletics, and reporting through its own Board, the Athletics Integrity Unit operates with the level of rigour and transparency expected by the world’s athletes and supporters.

“The Athletics Integrity Unit will do everything in its power to support our honest athletes around the world who dedicate their lives to reaching their sporting goals through two values we all cherish: dedication and hard work.”

David Howman, The Chair, Athletics Integrity Unit

Our Structure

The Athletics Integrity Unit works fully independent of World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field athletics, race walking, road, cross country, mountain, trail and ultra-running. The Athletics Integrity Unit Board has been delegated full authority to oversee the sport’s integrity issues.

The Board has a critical governance role rather than a management function, similar in style to that of a corporate board. It is responsible for approving and reviewing strategy, policies and plans for the Unit and for appointing and monitoring the performance of the Unit’s Head who is in charge of its day-to-day operations.

Reporting to the Athletics Integrity Unit’s Head, the Anti-Doping Review Panel will deliver advice and monitor the World Athletics anti-doping programme, and decide whether World Athletics should prosecute, appeal or otherwise act where there is an alleged non-analytical breach of the anti-doping rules. The Integrity Review Panel will have similar responsibilities, but for non-doping violations of the Integrity Code of Conduct.

Supporting the Head of the Unit is a dedicated team of staff that delivers on the key activities: Testing, Compliance, Investigations, Intelligence, Case Management, Communications and Education.

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The Board

David Howman

Chair

A barrister with a strong background in both sport governance and sports management who for 13 years until June 2016 was Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Prior to this, he held a number of sports governance positions in New Zealand including Tennis New Zealand, Sport New Zealand Board, Chair of New Zealand Sports Drug Agency and as a member of the Olympic Executive Committee. As a lawyer, David has represented both governing bodies and athletes. He has argued for and defended clients before many tribunals including the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Marc Peltier

Board Member

Marc Peltier is currently Associate Professor of Law, University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, teaching sports law and business law. Previously he was a member of the sports law team at a major law firm in Paris and for a time also worked as a players agent licensed by the French Football Federation. Marc is an observer on the WADA Education Committee of which he was a member from 2014-2016, and also has experience in bringing cases before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Dr. Andrew Pipe

Board Member

Dr. Pipe is currently Professor of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and Chief of the Division of Prevention & Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Pipe, a team physician at six Olympic Games, has been heavily involved in elite international sport and sports medicine throughout his career and played a key role in the design and development of the structures and processes of World Anti-Doping Agency.

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Abby Hoffman

Board Member (non-voting)

Abby Hoffman is a Senior Executive in the Ministry of Health of the Government of Canada and has been significantly engaged in World Athletics anti-doping campaign since 2004, including the current Russia Task Force. Abby was a four-time Olympian and finalist at 800m in 1968 and 1972. She was the Director General of Canada’s national sport agency, Sport Canada, for ten years (1981-1991). She is an World Athletics Council Member and was one of the first two female members elected to that body.

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Brett Clothier

Head, Athletics Integrity Unit

Brett Clothier is one of Australia’s leading sport integrity professionals. He established and led the Australian Football League (AFL)’s Integrity Unit for more than eight years, positioning the AFL as one of the first organisations worldwide to monitor doping alongside match-fixing and other integrity issues. Prior to his role at the AFL, he spent four years as legal counsel to the Integrity Services Department of Racing Victoria.

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Elements of Our Remit

At the Athletics Integrity Unit, it is our responsibility to combat any and all forms of corruption and ethical misconduct within athletics. While doping certainly remains one of the main threats facing our sport, the remit of the Athletics Integrity Unit team is much, much broader. It includes the pursuit of individuals engaged in age or competition results manipulation, investigating fraudulent behavior with regards to transfers of allegiance, and detecting other misconduct including bribery and breaches of betting rules.

Put simply, it is the Athletics Integrity Unit’s role to drive cheats out of our sport, and to do everything within its power to support honest athletes around the world who dedicate their lives to reaching their sporting goals through dedication and hard work.

Anti-Doping

Doping remains one of the main threats to our sport. Fulfilling World Athletics obligation as a Signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, the Athletics Integrity Unit will protect clean athletes by overseeing the international athletics anti-doping program.

Manipulation of competition results

Improperly influencing the result, progress, outcome, conduct or any other aspect of an event or competition is a breach of the Athletics Integrity Unit rules.

Bribery and Corruption

The Athletics Integrity Unit will pursue any actions that constitute bribery or corruption within the sport of athletics.

Betting

It is not just athletes, but all those involved in the sport that are bound by the stringent betting regulations concerning athletics competitions and events.

Age manipulation

A recent scourge of the sport, age manipulation is another part of the AIU’s broad mandate in pursuing a level playing field.

Transfers of allegiance

On 6 February 2017, the World Athletics Council chose to combat the creeping abuse of transfer of allegiance by freezing the process. With new rules and processes to be adopted by the Council, this area will be an increasingly important part of our remit.

Our Activities

In its pursuit of clean sport, the AIU team has five key areas of activity.

Intelligence & Investigation

Compiling and analysing data and intelligence to conduct investigations into violations of the Integrity Code in co-operation with partners and law enforcement.

Education & Communications

Conducting bespoke education and prevention programmes for Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel.

Testing & Compliance

Implementing a world class and worldwide intelligence-based testing programme using state-of-the-art testing and analytical methods.

Case Management

Timely prosecution of disciplinary cases involving international Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel and strict enforcement of the sanctions regime in the Integrity Code.