As a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) prohibits the use of banned performance-enhancing substances by competitors at the World Championships in Athletics. A list of WADA-banned substances is regularly published to the public and amended as scientific knowledge expands.The Prohibited List. WADA. Retrieved 2018-03-17. The IAAF and anti-doping bodies undertake in-competition sampling of athletes blood and urine in order to detect where athletes have taken banned substances. This is also complemented by out-of-competition tests during the tournament and in the preceding period.IAAF ANTI-DOPING RULES. IAAF. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
Where a banned substance is detected in-competition the athlete's performance will be annulled and—depending on the severity of the infraction—the athlete may be banned from the sport for a set period. Where an out-of-competition sample tests positive for a banned substance, any performances by the athlete after that date may also be annulled. Athletes may also be banned via doping regulations if the athlete fails to submit to testing, tampers or interferes with the undertaking of anti-doping procedures, or is found in possession of banned substances. Where a performance is annulled, any medals won by the athlete will be stripped from the athlete and the IAAF may decided to reallocate the medal(s) to the next best performers. This includes disqualification of whole national relay teams should one member break anti-doping rules. Samples are stored for future retesting, as improved methods over time may lead to previously unidentified cases of doping. The IAAF began a long-term storage approach from the 2007 World Championships onwards.IAAF statement in response to second McLaren report. IAAF (2016-12-09). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
A total of 162 athletes (69 men and 93 women) have had their results annulled at the World Championships, and 40 of these have been stripped of medals as a result. A total of 53 medals have been stripped as a result of doping infractions. The first doping failure pre-dates the main championships and comes from Spanish hurdler Rosa Colorado at the 1980 World Championships in Athletics – an event which only featured two women's events not on the Olympic programme. World champions to be banned include North American sprinters Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Kelli White. Other prominent champions to have been banned include Russian middle-distance runner Mariya Savinova, steeplechaser Yuliya Zaripova and racewalker Olga Kaniskina. The majority of stripped medallists have come from Russia.2017 World Championships in Athletics Statistics Book (pp. 82–87). IAAF (2017). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
There has been an upward trend in the number of doping violations at the championships, with a peak of 50 athletes having had their performances annulled at the 2011 event, though it is assumed that this reflects improved detection rather than increased overall doping – an anonymous survey at that championships revealed over 30% of athletes had used banned substances during their career.Doping: More than 30% of athletes at 2011 Worlds admit to doping. BBC Sport (2017-08-29). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
Given the susceptibility of the sport of athletics to doping issues, the IAAF has been central in the development of anti-doping standards and anti-doping measures have been were present at World Championships since the first edition in 1983.IAAF commitment to healthy and drug-free athletics. IAAF. Retrieved 2018-03-17. The anti-doping approach had a new development at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics, where all Russian athletes were banned due to state-sponsored doping and had to request dispensation to compete at Authorised Neutral Athletes.IAAF clears eight Russian athletes to compete as neutrals but rejects 53 more. The Guardian (2017-07-20). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
Disqualifications by year
. Edition Year Host city Host country Athletesdisqualified Medalsstripped - 1976MalmöSweden00 - 1980SittardNetherlands101st 1983HelsinkiFinland002nd1987RomeItaly323rd1991TokyoJapan314th1993StuttgartGermany425th1995GothenburgSweden006th1997AthensGreece737th1999SevilleSpain738th2001EdmontonCanada1799th2003Saint-DenisFrance11610th2005HelsinkiFinland11411th2007OsakaJapan9512th2009BerlinGermany31513th2011DaeguSouth Korea501014th2013MoscowRussia21315th2015BeijingChina7016th2017LondonUnited Kingdom3World Championships 2017: Three 'adverse' London findings investigated. BBC Sport (2017-08-25). Retrieved 2018-03-17.017th2019DohaQatar18th2021EugeneUnited States
Disqualifications by nation
This table collates the total number of athletes who have been disqualified for doping at the championships by nation. Athletes with multiple disqualifications are counted as one. Where a relay team is disqualified, this is counted as one disqualification, though multiple team members may have been sanctioned.
Last updated 17 March 2018 Nation Mendisqualified Womendisqualified Total Medalsstripped 14 38 52 24 4 10 14 2 8 5 13 14 8 3 11 0 0 8 8 1 4 3 7 4 2 4 6 1 3 2 5 1 4 0 4 0 1 2 3 1 3 0 3 0 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 Russia's total for women's disqualifications and stripped medals includes the performances of Nailya Yulamanova, who helped Russia secure a bronze medal at the 2009 World Marathon Cup (held in conjunction with the 2009 World Championships marathon) but was later banned and had her team's performance annulled.
Disqualifications by event This table collates the total number of disqualifications within a given event. Where the same athlete has been disqualified at multiple editions of the championships, each athlete disqualified per year is counted. Last updated 17 March 2018 EventMaledisqualificationsFemaledisqualificationsTotal100 metres 8 11 19200 metres 2 10 12400 metres 7 9 16800 metres 0 11 111500 metres 4 14 185000 metres 6 4 1010,000 metres 0 2 2Sprint hurdles 1 2 3400 metres hurdles 2 3 53000 metres s'chase 2 8 104 × 100 metres relay 7 7 144 × 400 metres relay 5 7 12Marathon 9 4 1320 km walk 7 6 1350 km walk 5 0 5High jump 1 2 3Pole vault 1 0 1Long jump 0 3 3Triple jump 1 2 3Shot put 11 4 12Discus throw 2 5 7Javelin throw 2 1 3Hammer throw 4 6 10Combined events 0 1 1 Includes precursor women's walk event over 10,000 m
Disqualified athletes