Whereabouts of Top Open Water Swimmers

New FINA Doping Control Rules will become effective on January 1, 2009. These Rules are based on the World Anti-Doping Code by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

An athlete in the FINA Registered Testing Pool is required to make a quarterly Whereabouts Filing by email or fax that provides accurate and complete information about their whereabouts during the next quarter. The deadlines for submission of the Whereabouts Information are March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. A failure to provide accurate Whereabouts information amounts to a Filing Failure.

Every athlete in a Registered Testing Pool is also required to specific one specific 60-minute time slot where he/she will be available at a specific location for Testing for each day in the forthcoming quarter in his/her Whereabouts Filing. If the athlete is not available for testing at such location during the specified 60-minute time slot, and has not updated his/her Whereabouts Filing to provide an alternative time slot and location for that day, then that failure amounts to a Missed Test and constitutes a Whereabouts Failure.

The World Anti-Doping Agency International Standards for Testing 2009 are available at the FINA website here.

The FINA Registered Testing Pool for open water swimmers includes the following athletes:

1. Swimmers ranked in the top 25 of the most updated FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup rankings.
2. Swimmers ranked in the top 15 of the most updated FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix rankings.
3. Swimmers who finished in the top 8 at the last World Championships 5K, 10K and 25K races.
4. Swimmers who finished in the top 8 at the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim.
5. Swimmers who are currently serving a suspension.
6. Swimmers who are returning from retirement.

It is the responsibility of the athlete to check the FINA rankings on a regular basis.

The prohibited list can be seen here.