The 2026 Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Sport is the Major Event Organiser responsible for anti-doping during the Commonwealth Games.


Download a copy of the Commonwealth Sport Anti-Doping Rules for the 2026 Commonwealth Games here.

It is the responsibility of all athletes and athlete support personnel to be aware of their responsibilities under the Anti-Doping Rules. You can access a copy of a summary of the Rules here. 

Key Documents for 2026 Commonwealth Games: 

Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE)

A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) allows an Athlete with a medical condition to use a substance or method in the Prohibited List, but only if certain conditions are met

An Athlete who has had an application for a TUE rejected by their National Anti-Doping Organisation or IF may not apply to the TUE Committee (TUEC) for a TUE on the same grounds.

A TUE granted by the TUEC for the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be effective for the 2026 Commonwealth Games only.

Please note: Using a prohibited substance or method without a TUE could result in an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

How to apply for a TUE for the 2026 Commonwealth Games

Athletes participating in the 2026 Commonwealth Games may obtain a valid TUE granted by their National Anti-Doping Organisation or IF, which Commonwealth Sport may automatically recognise as valid for purposes of the 2026 Commonwealth Games without any further steps being required on the part of the Athlete, provided that TUE is available on ADAMS.

If an Athlete needs to make therapeutic use of a substance or method in the Prohibited List in connection with the 2026 Commonwealth Games but does not already have a TUE for such use:

  • The Athlete must apply directly to the TUEC for a TUE as soon as possible, and before using the substance or method in question or having it in their possession.
  • For substances prohibited In-Competition only, the Athlete must apply for a TUE as soon as possible and in any event at least 30 days prior to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, unless it is an emergency or exceptional situation.

The application for grant of a TUE must be made in accordance with Article 6 of the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions, following the process and using the form.

Your TUE application must be submitted in legible capital letters or typing.

The form and all supporting documentation should be emailed to [email protected]

Retroactive TUEs

The Athlete may only apply to the TUEC for a retroactive TUE if one of the following circumstances applies:

  • the Athlete is not an International-Level Athlete or a National-Level Athlete and is using a substance or method for therapeutic reasons, and CS has collected a sample from them;
  • emergency or urgent treatment of a medical condition was necessary;
  • there was insufficient time, opportunity or other exceptional circumstances that prevented the Athlete from submitting (or the TUEC from considering) the application for the TUE prior to Sample collection;
  • the Athlete used Out-of-Competition, for therapeutic reasons, a prohibited substance that is only prohibited In-Competition; or
  • it would be manifestly unfair not to grant a retroactive TUE.

For International-Level Athletes and National-Level Athletes, the TUEC may grant an Athlete’s application for a retroactive TUE pursuant to this Article only with the prior approval of WADA.

Confidentiality
All the information contained in a TUE application, including the supporting medical information and any other information related to the evaluation of a TUE request, is kept strictly confidential and treated in accordance with the Athlete’s Declaration contained in the TUE process and in the CS TUE application.

All members of the TUEC and any other authorised recipients of the TUE request and related information (as described in the Athlete’s Declaration) are subject to a professional or contractual confidentiality obligation.

Privacy

Commonwealth Sport ("CS", "we", "us" or "our") is committed to respecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal data. CS are a 'data controller' for the purposes of data protection legislation, and we are responsible for, and control the processing of any personal data you share with us.

As part of the TUE and anti-doping process, we may process data relating to athletes and athlete support personnel’s accessibility information (including if a wheelchair, chaperone, carer, guide, or assistance dog is required), and medical information and requirements (including doctor referrals and prescriptions, medical examination reports, laboratory tests, radiographs) and physiological information (including height, weight, biometrics, illness, injuries, and dietary requirements).

This information is processed and shared with UK Anti-Doping (as the designated testing authority) in accordance with its privacy notice (Privacy Notice | UK Anti-Doping) in order to ensure we treat everyone equally and fairly, support your needs, protect the integrity of the sport competitions of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and ensure the compliance of activities occurring at the Games with the Commonwealth Sport Anti-Doping Rules and the rules of your relevant sport and other rules applicable to athletes and, where applicable, athlete support personnel.

Key activities include identifying violations of the Commonwealth Sport Anti-Doping Rules in order to protect the integrity of sport, the prevention of manipulation of competitions and more generally, the identification, investigation and prosecution of suspected or actual breaches of the CS Charter of Good Conduct and other rules applicable to athletes and athlete support personnel.

Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller; and to exercise a protective function for reasons of substantial public interest as follows: standards of behaviour in sport (for the purposes of measures designed to protect the integrity of a sport or sporting event) or the equality of opportunity and treatment.

Such data will be kept for as long as we reasonably require to conclude your participation in, and our management of, the Games. We will ensure your personal data is deleted once it is no longer required.

This Anti-Doping Privacy Notice, together with our main Privacy Policy applies to Athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games who are selected for Doping Control as part of the Games Anti-Doping programme.

Contact Us

For any questions in relation to the CS TUE process, please contact [email protected]

For any questions or issues in relation to the Anti-Doping Privacy Notice, please write to our Data Protection Officer at: [email protected].