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Olympians united in battle to eliminate cheating in sport

11 | 11 | 2015

The World Olympians Association (WOA), the organisation that represents all Olympians worldwide, has reaffirmed that its members are united in the battle to eliminate any form of cheating in sport following the release of the WADA Independent Commission Report into doping in Athletics earlier this week.

This comes following the signing of the Declaration of Support for the Olympic Charter which was signed by Olympians representing all five continents at the inaugural World Olympians Forum in October and pledges to uphold the core values of Olympism.

The WOA has also expressed its support for the position taken by the IOC in the wake of the report and urges the new IAAF leadership to do everything it can to restore the faith and credibility in Athletics.

WOA President, Joël Bouzou, said:

“These are dark times for the whole of sport and I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the findings of the WADA Independent Commission Report. 

"Olympians are the heartbeat of the Olympic Movement and they possess a unique ability to engage and inspire young people around the world. We must ensure that we act swiftly and effectively to ensure that Olympians retain the trust of everyone, young and old, and remain a beacon of inspiration for aspiring athletes.

“The WOA supports the IOC in its robust response and we urge the IAAF under its new leadership to take the appropriate action to ensure that Athletics restores its credibility and regains its reputation as a core Olympic Games sport.

“We must always ensure that due process is followed and remember that the basis of our judicial system in sport and in life is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, whether they have been named in the media or not. But if an administrator is proven to have acted illegally or an athlete is proven to be guilty of cheating through doping or any other means then they should be sanctioned to the full extent allowed. We must ensure that sport is clean, fair and that everyone can compete on a level playing field.”