February 7/13 18:48 pm - CCES Holds Athlete Town Hall

Posted by Editoress on 02/7/13
 

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) met with a small group of high-profile, elite Canadian athletes on Wednesday in Calgary to discuss the ongoing issue of doping in sport and how anti-doping programs can be improved. In the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal, the necessity for collaboration between competitive athletes and anti-doping organizations has never been more obvious.

The session was chaired by CCES Board Member and Olympic Champion in Gymnastics, Kyle Shewfelt.  “I would like to personally thank each of the athletes who attended this town hall for their efforts in stepping up to help Canadian sport address this significant problem,” said Shewfelt.

During the meeting, the group discussed their views on the current prevalence of doping activity both in Canada and internationally, the effectiveness of various anti-doping strategies, and improvements that could be made in the fight against doping.

Specific ideas included criminalizing doping activity, increasing education initiatives, and developing a public campaign expressing the views of clean athletes and the importance of clean competition.  The need for additional resources was also discussed with possible solutions focusing on engaging corporate sponsors, engaging government, and seeking support from the Canadian Olympic Committee.

“The work we do in anti-doping is very much on behalf of and in support of clean athletes,” said Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES. “We feel tremendously fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet with such an esteemed group of Canadian athletes. Their contributions will help us explore new avenues and enhance our efforts in the fight against doping in sport. The CCES would also like to thank AthletesCAN for their assistance in this session.”

Athletes in attendance included:

• Kyle Shewfelt (Gymnastics)
• Kristina Groves (Speed Skating)
• Clara Hughes (Cycling, Speed Skating)
• Benoît Huot (Paralympic Swimming)
• Geoff Kabush (Cycling)
• Jeane Lassen (Weightlifting)
• Nathaniel Miller (Water Polo)
• Michael-Tai Nguyen (Table Tennis)
• Erik Petursson (Diving)
• Michelle Stilwell (Paralympic Athletics)