UKAD releases emotive short film highlighting the impact of doping on clean competition

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has today released an emotive short film titled ‘Waiting for Glory’. The four-minute film features Olympic bronze medallist John J. Jackson as he recalls how doping in sport negatively impacted him and his four-man bobsleigh crew’s journey to becoming medallists.

Speaking on the film, UKAD Director of Strategy and Education Emily Robinson said: “We often find ourselves talking about those who cheat, but rarely do we hear from athletes who have had their moment in the spotlight stolen because others chose to dope. In our mission to protect clean sport, our goal with this short film was to capture what it takes to be an athlete - blood, sweat and sometimes tears.

“We are honoured to be able to share the highs and lows of John Jackson’s story and thank him for openly speaking about his experiences. We hope that those who seek to cheat will be reminded of the impact of doping on their fellow athletes. Winning shouldn’t be at the expense of others.”  

The film, released as part of the Clean Sport Week 2021 campaign, tells a story of hard work, dedication, and tenacity. Jackson narrates the footage which describes and shows how he trained and competed to qualify for the 2014 Winter Games, only to experience a major setback when he was injured months before.

Injury was not the only hurdle standing between John Jackson and his bronze medal. The four-man bobsleigh crew including Jackson, who had made a full recovery, narrowly missed out on a podium position finishing in a satisfactory fifth place in 2014.

Five years later, Jackson and crew were retrospectively awarded bronze medals as whistleblowing and reanalysis of Samples led to two teams, who placed higher on the medal table, being disqualified for doping. John Jackson recalls the emotional moment when his wife broke the news that he was a bronze medallist.

Speaking on the launch of the film, John Jackson said: “By sharing my experience, I hope to inspire athletes to keep sport clean. Thankfully, our four-man crew were able to rightfully claim our medals but spare a thought for others whose future and funding for their sport depend on where they place in the competition table.”

‘Waiting for Glory’ has been released to launch UKAD’s Clean Sport Week Ready for the Games campaign, which is focusing on preparations for sporting competition to return this summer.