Elite skeleton and bobsleigh athletes promote anti-doping campaign
The International Testing Agency (ITA) and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) have launched a social media campaign to raise awareness and promote fair and doping-free performances in sliding sports. With German skeleton Olympic Champion Hannah Neise and British number one bobsleigh pilot Bradley Hall, the campaign is supported by two elite athletes appealing to their fellow competitors to keep sliding clean.
The campaign involves two video interviews in which both athletes outline the importance of anti-doping initiatives in their respective sports. “I wouldn’t steal from a shop, I wouldn’t steal from someone else’s car. So why would you steal a performance”, highlights bobsleigh athlete Bradley Hall, winner of the recent BMW IBSF World Cup race in Altenberg, Germany. He addresses all his fellow athletes and recommends to “find help from your National Federations, from WADA, from myself”, to make sure that all athletes are aware of the anti-doping rules and know how to respect them.
Being the first German skeleton Olympic Champion, Hannah Neise is keen on keeping her sport clean. “Everyone wants to achieve their goals. That’s why I think it is good that we have doping controls and that athletes get tested to make sure the sport is fair.”
The new #KeepingSlidingReal campaign complements the extensive anti-doping program the ITA is leading for the IBSF. While doping controls are key to protect clean sport and its athletes the new communication initiative supports the prevention of doping. Public statements of elite athletes are an invaluable asset to the ITA’s clean sport mission for IBSF.
The IBSF is proud to see two elite athletes stepping up to promote the values of clean sport. “Keeping sliding sport doping-free, clean and real is of priority for our federation. And like anything else in life, it starts with the prevention. And prevention starts with raising awareness. We are very proud to have two top level athletes, Hannah Neise and Brad Hall, who support the campaign which we launch together with our partner, the ITA!” , states IBSF President Ivo Ferriani.
The videos will be published on all available ITA and IBSF social media platforms and both organisations call on their audiences and stakeholders to spread the word and share the campaign. In the second phase, the video interviews will be supported by dedicated social media posts.
