FIAS Calendar Introduces New ILA Designation. What Does It Mean?

The official FIAS website has introduced a new designation in its sport calendar – ILA. This marking identifies tournaments where participation grants athletes International-Level Athlete status. The update stems from FIAS's revised Anti-Doping Rules, adopted in line with the updated World Anti-Doping Code (2027 edition).

What ILA Status Means

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an International-Level Athlete is an athlete who competes in sport at the international level as defined by the relevant International Federation. WADA does not set a single universal definition of ILA status for all federations: each International Federation must establish in its own Anti-Doping Rules which athletes under its jurisdiction fall into this category.

FIAS has such a definition, set out in its Anti-Doping Rules.

Who Qualifies as an ILA Under FIAS Rules

Under the document, International-Level Athlete status is granted in two cases:

- to athletes competing in FIAS World Championships, FIAS Continental Championships, FIAS World Cups, or FIAS Level A International Events published in the sport calendar on the official FIAS website;

- to athletes included in the FIAS Registered Testing Pool or Testing Pool.

Tournaments in the first category are the ones marked with the ILA designation in the calendar – a step designed to help athletes, coaches, and National SAMBO Federations understand in advance which tournaments carry additional anti-doping obligations for the athlete.

Why the Designation Matters

International-Level Athlete status is not a formality. It triggers specific provisions of the FIAS Anti-Doping Rules, particularly those covering:

- Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs);

- Testing and investigations;

- Results Management;

- whereabouts requirements – if the athlete is also included in a Registered Testing Pool;

- the application of FIAS Anti-Doping Rules more broadly.

Adding the ILA mark to the calendar is a practical step that makes these requirements clear and transparent before a tournament begins, rather than after the fact.

How Long the Status Lasts

The rules also set out the duration of ILA status. Where an athlete acquires it through participation in a specific International Event, the status takes effect one month before the event's start date and remains in place until 31 December of the year in which that participation occurred – unless another basis, such as inclusion in a Testing Pool, brings the status into effect earlier or extends it for a longer period.

For any potential anti-doping rule violation, an athlete's status is determined by reference to the date on which the alleged violation occurred, regardless of any subsequent change in status.

How the List of Events Is Determined

The list of International Events whose participation grants ILA status was agreed with FIAS's anti-doping program partner, the International Testing Agency (ITA), following consultation with WADA's Compliance department. These are the events marked accordingly on the FIAS website.