Ironman is once again in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i to promote anti-doping and raise awareness for clean sport through activities and testing in conjunction with the GoPro Ironman World Championship.
Tuesday 8 October, was designated as the ‘I AM TRUE’ day. The Ironman Anti-doping Program is highlighting the ‘I AM TRUE’ campaign through the launch of its @IMAntiDoping Twitter and Facebook pages, both of which will be a key component of expanded education, outreach and information sharing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Ironman are teaming up at the Ironman Village Expo where outreach activities will target the nearly 2,000 professional and age group athletes competing in the 2013 GoPro Ironman World Championship. Ironman has also welcomed the Chief Executive Officer of the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport, Khalid Galant, as part of Ironman’s outreach team this year.
“We believe strongly in clean sport and are committed to being a leader in this area,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman.
“We are continuously working together with various anti-doping agencies, including WADA, to further ensure the integrity of Ironman and the sport of triathlon as a whole. Our World Championship is a fantastic platform to highlight this commitment and help influence future generations in a positive way.”
In addition, the outreach team shared its anti-doping message with the next generation of triathletes at the ‘Keiki Dip ‘n’ Dash’ children’s event, which took place at 16:00 HST on 8 October. The young athletes received anti-doping information and promotional materials – designed to educate them on how to make the right decisions later in their triathlon careers.
“WADA thrives on strong collaborations with its partners to help communicate anti-doping and promote the values of clean sport,” said WADA President John Fahey.
“Ironman and its ‘I AM TRUE’ partnership is a good example of a partner sharing the anti-doping message with not just current athletes, but those from future generations, too. I have no doubt this initiative will once again prove successful in educating and informing those who believe in fair play.”
Another important aspect of the Ironman Anti-Doping Program’s work in Kona is the execution of in- and out-of-competition testing, which includes the collection and analysis of blood and urine samples as part of the Ironman and WADA Code compliant anti-doping program.
All athletes participating in the GoPro Ironman World Championship, and all other Ironman events throughout the year, are subject to testing under the Ironman Anti-Doping rules. Ironman also partners with key National Anti-Doping Programs around the world to coordinate testing on some of the sport’s top professional and age group athletes.
www.ironmanworldchampionship.com
www.wada-ama.org
