Commonwealth Games stars offer anti-doping advice to Loughborough students for Clean Sport Week

British athletes, including a number of Commonwealth Games medallists, were on hand at Loughborough University today to offer advice to students as part of UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) Clean Sport Week.

Cyclist Callum Skinner, who won time trial bronze for Team Scotland in the Gold Coast, Ali Jawad, who claimed powerlifting bronze for Team England, and swimmer James Wilby, who won a gold, two silvers and a bronze, joined UKAD staff for an education event on campus, along with Emma Wiggs MBE, Andrew Heyes and Bernice Wilson.

The event was a hit with student athletes, who were able to gain information and advice from UKAD’s National Trainers, as well as the medallists themselves around checking medications and safe supplement use.

UKAD board member, Sarah Winckless MBE, said: “It’s great to be in Loughborough and a privilege to meet such an enthusiastic and engaged group of student athletes to spread the message about clean sport.

“We have been speaking to potential future Olympians at the fantastic facilities at Loughborough University, and educating this sort of group is a vital part of our work at UKAD.

“As they progress through the talent pathway, they could eventually end up completing our Clean Games education programme, and it’s important to ensure athletes at all ages have an understanding of what it means to compete clean, from plimsol to podium.”

ParalympicsGB powerlifter Ali Jawad, who also sits on UKAD’s Athlete Commission, said: “Being able to offer support and advice to promising athletes is an important part of our role on UKAD’s Athlete Commission.

“It’s great that we’ve had the opportunity to engage with students at Loughborough as part of Clean Sport Week and promote the value of a food-first approach to nutrition, as well as offering more general anti-doping advice.”

All of the athletes who competed in this year’s Commonwealth Games for the home nations received anti-doping education through UKAD’s ‘Clean Games’ programme, as part of the Clean Sport Policy which came into effect last year.