For the first time in an incredibly long time, the IBJJF Pan Championship will now be employing USADA to test competitors for PEDs. It’s a huge move towards a more professional version of the sport, and will undoubtedly have an effect on the future of BJJ. This now means that there are three events in the IBJJF calendar where athletes will be subject to testing and although there might still be plenty of work to be done, regular IBJJF competitors are subject to more testing than athletes under any other ruleset. The IBJJF World Championship was the first of the promotion’s events to involve testing by USADA and this was followed a few years later by the IBJJF No Gi World Championship.
The IBJJF have updated the registration page for the IBJJF Pan Championship with a section explaining the involvement of USADA in 2024 and their commitment to testing for PEDs:
“IBJJF (in association with International BJJ Inc.) is pleased to support integrity in competition, and to announce it has contracted with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) to provide an anti-doping program during the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (the “Event”), to be held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL, from March 19th, 2024 – March 24th, 2024. USADA is the independent national anti-doping organization in the United States, and runs the U.S. anti-doping program for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American and Parapan American movement sports, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (“Code”). IBJJF has contracted with USADA to demonstrate a commitment to fair, drug-free, and safe competition. Doping, as defined in the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and its Annexes (the “USADA Protocol”), is against the rules of the Event, and will not be tolerated.”
“The anti-doping rules for the Event are set forth in the USADA Protocol and are fully applicable to each competitor, each member of the competitor’s team, and all athlete support personnel involved in the Event. Any violation of the anti-doping rules may result in disqualification and loss of results achieved during the Event, in addition to all consequences that arise in accordance with the USADA Protocol and the Code. Athletes competing in the Event are subject to blood and/or urine testing for any substance or method on the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) Prohibited List (found here). In addition to testing, USADA is a resource for educational information and will have jurisdiction to handle the results management process of any potential anti-doping rule violation.”
“All Event participants (including competitors, each member of the competitor’s team, and all athlete support personnel involved in the Event) acknowledge and agree that they are subject to the Code and the USADA Protocol, and that they are required to abide by all such rules and by the anti-doping rules of the IBJJF. Anti-doping rule violations will be adjudicated in accordance with the USADA Protocol and each participant agrees that their sole, exclusive, final and binding remedy in relation to any potential anti-doping rule violation alleged by USADA and/or in response to any matter relating to anti-doping, sample collection, drug testing, doping control, results management and/or USADA shall be arbitration in accordance with the USADA Protocol. As USADA is an independent entity, all athlete questions or concerns regarding details of the anti-doping program at the Event should be directed to USADA.”
There have been several high-profile incidences in the past of elite competitors failing USADA testing and it’ll be interesting to see if that list grows further after the IBJJF Pan Championship 2024. There are dozens of black belts competing and it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or two of them being caught out by a sudden change in the testing protocol like this. Although there will almost certainly be some bumps in the road ahead, the world’s biggest BJJ tournament organizer increasing their testing will only lead to a cleaner sport overall.
