18 SEPTEMBER 2025, MONACO: The Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) has brought its expertise to the fore to protect the integrity of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Whether it’s a robust testing programme encompassing 2,000 athletes – both before (AIU and National Anti-Doping Organisations combined) and during the competition – or the prosecution of cases or its education outreach to the athletics community, the AIU is tangibly involved in the global event taking place 13-21 September.
AIU Chair David Howman disclosed at least 650 tests were conducted pre-competition at the team hotel and another 550 tests are being conducted at the Japan National Stadium during the nine-day competition which started last Saturday. Wide-ranging analyses will be performed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo including, for the first time, testing for all three blood modules of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) – endocrine, haematological and steroidal. Samples collected at this World Championships will be available for analysis for 10 years, pursuant to the AIU’s retention and reanalysis policy.
It was also revealed that athletes from World Athletics’ National Federations with the highest doping risk (Category A of World Athletics Rule 15) have had an average of more than eight tests per athlete ahead of the World Championships. Citing testing data from the official ten-month lead-up to Tokyo, Howman said 1,209 tests were conducted on the 145 athletes from Category A countries entered for Tokyo.
“It’s been a significant effort by the Category A National Federations and their respective NADOs (National Anti-Doping Organisations) which treated athletics like a priority sport in this World Championships year. That has ensured their athletes have met the minimum testing requirements for the World Championships. The AIU is very pleased to see this level of commitment to protecting the integrity of our sport.”
Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ukraine are currently the National Federations in Category A while Trinidad & Tobago – though not in Category A – was subject to specific requirements as it had failed to meet the minimum testing standards last year. The key requirement for athletes from Category A countries is that they must undergo at least three no-notice, out-of-competition tests (urine and blood), conducted no less than three weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to a major event. Only then do such athletes become eligible to represent their national team at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games.
Additionally, the AIU has had the opportunity to engage with important stakeholders amid a packed agenda in the Japanese capital. Last Friday, AIU Chair David Howman reported to the World Athletics Congress (Pictured above) on the AIU’s work for 2024, highlighting a record-breaking year in testing and the innovative AIU Call Room – a concierge hotline for elite athletes to discuss integrity issues in their native languages with trained experts. This morning Howman and AIU Head Brett Clothier updated Member Federations on the WADA Code Review at the Member Federations Info Sessions and this evening the AIU leadership will meet with accredited media at the Japan National Stadium, having concluded the two-day AIU Board meeting yesterday.
Meanwhile, AIU Head of Education Aditya Kumar and his team are engaging with athletes, coaches, team managers, athlete representatives, sportswear brands and other support personnel with a lively outreach programme at the athletes’ hotel (Above: Athletes’ Commission Chair Dame Valerie Adams visited the outreach booth). Activities are designed to raise awareness of the AIU’s mission and message while community-building, fostering trust and strengthening cooperation with athletes and entourage.
“We have interactive games, the signing wall, peer-to-peer conversations and a photo corner,” outlined Kumar, sporting an AIU wristband with the ‘Respect for Others’ slogan.
“Everything we’re doing centres around our core theme ‘Power of Respect’ which we launched in 2023 and have evolved for these Championships with the theme ‘Respect for Others in Every Action’. We are deepening our connections with the athletics community, stressing that integrity is embodied in everyday actions. Tokyo presents a unique opportunity to highlight this message in a culture where respect is visible and deeply rooted in daily rituals.”
WCH Tokyo 25 mascot, Riku One (middle), pictured with staff at the AIU outreach booth.
ABOUT THE ATHLETICS INTEGRITY UNIT
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is the independent body created by the World Athletics that manages all integrity issues – both doping and non-doping – for the sport of athletics. The remit of the AIU includes anti-doping, the pursuit of individuals engaged in age or competition results manipulation, investigating fraudulent behaviour with regards to transfers of allegiance, and detecting other misconduct including bribery and breaches of betting rules. It is the AIU’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.