Just over 100 days before the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, athletes from seven nations have sent a signal against doping. As part of the #MYMOMENT campaign, athletes report on the moments they were denied by doped competitors.
“Our team was subsequently declared winner at the World Cup in Annecy because of a sanction of the original winners. This moment was stolen by doping,”said biathlon world champion Erik Lesser.
“I don’t want athletes to lose their moment in Pyeongchang because of doping,”said five-time Paralympic champion Anna Schaffelhuber. Skeleton Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold from Great Britain is one of the other athletes.
The smouldering problem of the Russian doping scandal was not explicitly mentioned. It is still open whether Russian athletes are allowed to participate in the games in Pyeongchang. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced its decision for December.
Two reports by independent investigator Richard McLaren had shown Russia to have a long-standing institutionalised doping system – even during the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.
“It is very impressive when athletes from seven different countries come together to explain how doping threatens the most important moments in sport,”said Andrea Gotzmann, NADA Chairman,”the campaign is about encouraging Olympians, Paralympics participants and all other athletes to make their voices heard.
In order to ensure that they cannot be denied their right to equal opportunities,”added Nicole Sapstead, head of the UKAD.