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Strict Liability

Meaning

Strict Liability, within the context of hormonal health and competitive sports, is the fundamental anti-doping principle stipulating that an athlete is personally and solely responsible for any prohibited substance, or its metabolites or markers, found in their bodily sample. This legal standard establishes that a violation occurs regardless of the athlete’s intent, fault, negligence, or knowledge of how the substance entered their system. The principle places the ultimate burden of proof on the athlete to explain the presence of a banned hormone or compound.