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WADA Athlete Council attends IOC’s 11th International Athlete Forum

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to share that, at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the WADA Athlete Council (Council) engaged with athlete representatives from around the world at the IOC’s 11th International Athlete Forum (IAF) on 1-2 October in Lausanne, Switzerland.   

WADA Athlete Council Chair, Ryan Pini, said: On behalf of the WADA Athlete Council, I would like to thank the IOC and the IOC Athletes’ Commission for organizing the International Athlete Forum. It was an exceptional opportunity to engage with athlete representatives from around the world and I am grateful that the Council was invited to participate.”  

Before the Forum got underway, the Council had the opportunity to meet with the IOC Athletes’ Commission to discuss on-going projects and mutual interests; and on the second day, Ryan Pini and Athlete Council member Maja Martyna Włoszczowska sat on a panel discussion about athlete rights and clean sport. The panel was an opportunity for them to speak about the work the Council has undertaken in its first year, provide information about the new Ombuds role, and also to discuss the role of the entourage in anti-doping. 

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Pini continued: “Building relationships in the athlete community is an integral part of anti-doping. As athlete leaders in sport, we have a responsibility to get involved and share clean sport information in our networks. We also have a responsibility to get input and feedback from athletes. We appreciate the IOC giving us the platform to make these connections and do this work.” 

The WADA Athlete Engagement team was also present at the Forum with a booth that athletes could visit to learn more about anti-doping and WADA’s #OnePlayTrueTeam campaign. 

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The IAF is held every two years, bringing together a network of athlete representatives to discuss key topics. The program blends panel discussions, Q&A sessions and interactive workshops to empower the global athlete community.