Christina Gough
Research expert covering sports and video gaming
Sports doping worldwide - statistics & facts
Having dedicated their lives to their sport, athletes go to great lengths to gain a competitive edge. However, this sometimes crosses a legal and ethical line and enters the realm of doping. This term refers to the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by competitive athletes across a wide range of sporting events. This practice is prohibited by many international sports organizations such as the International Olympic Committee. In 2020, the number of anti-doping rule violations worldwide totaled 910, which showed a marked improvement compared to the year before. Meanwhile, the share of anti-doping rule violations reported worldwide by outcome revealed that 66 percent of violations resulted in sanctions. Athletics and cycling were the sports which recorded the most anti-doping rule violations worldwide in 2020. Overall, athletics accounted for around 16 percent of the violations in that year, while cycling accounted for 14 percent.
Doping in the Tour de France
The controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong is perhaps the most infamous example of doping in professional sports. In 2013, the former professional cyclist confessed to doping after being stripped of seven Tour de France titles. Since then, the famed bicycle race has had to contend with additional anti-doping violations. In 2023, the number of all-time anti-doping rule violations in selected cycling competitions worldwide revealed that nearly 200 Tour de France riders had been found guilty of doping throughout the tournament’s history. The overall rate of doping in the Tour de France, however, is trending downwards. From 1968 to 2023, the share of Tour de France riders who committed anti-doping rule violations reached its lowest point in 2022, with this figure remaining unchanged in 2023. Despite this, the level of trust in Tour de France teams complying with the anti-doping rules varied in 2023. That year, Team Arkea-Samsic was awarded the highest level of confidence in complying with anti-doping rules.Doping in the Olympics
At the Olympic Games, drug tests are frequently carried out and monitored to determine if an athlete has used a performance-enhancing drug. From 1968 to 2020, the most common doping violations at the Olympics varied by substance. Turinabol, an oral anabolic steroid, was listed in 65 positive doping cases as of 2020. The psychoactive component in marijuana, otherwise known as THC, was also on the list of banned substances. In 2021, public opinion on whether THC should be a banned substance for professional and Olympic athletes in the United States was divided. According to the survey, 28 percent of respondents strongly agreed that THC should be a banned substance for professional and Olympic athletes, while 24 percent strongly disagreed. Regardless of the controversy surrounding which substances ought to be banned, Olympic athletes who are found to have violated anti-doping rules run the risk of losing their Olympic medals. As of 2020, the number of Olympic medals stripped in athletics varied by type. A total of 14 bronze medals, 23 silver medals, and 22 gold medals had been taken away from athletes due to anti-doping violations.
