Doping in Sport

Doping in Sport

"The public have a right to be able to watch sport and believe in the purity and quality of the performances and youngsters taking up sport for the first time need to know that they can compete fairly to the best of their ability and progress as far as they are capable of doing." -
Paula Radcliffe

What is Doping?

'Doping' is the word used in sport when athletes use prohibited substances or methods to unfairly improve their sporting performance.
 

What is Anti-Doping?

'Anti-doping' is the bid to eliminate doping from sport.  

Why is drug-free sport important?

'Life is too short. Be 100% yourself. Be 100% natural. Be 100% drug-free.' -
Sarah Bailey, Paralympic Swimmer and Paralympic Gold Medallist 
 
If you've ever watched a race, a game of football or another sport you love and cheered on your favourite athlete or team to victory, then imagine how meaningless that victory would become if your favourite athlete had used drugs to succeed.

Sport is an important part of the spirit of the nation and generates positive role models for young people. The most important thing of all is the way sport is played. It is crucial that across all sports there is a commitment to fair play. Cheating is unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of sport.  Doping violates important values of fairness, camaraderie and human endeavour. For all athletes, it is important that their performances are true, without unethical practices.

Why is doping in sport prohibited?

The use of doping substances or doping methods to enhance performance is fundamentally wrong and is detrimental to the overall impact of sport. Drug misuse can be harmful to an athlete's health or to other athletes competing in the sport. It severely damages the integrity, image and value of sport, whether or not the motivation to use drugs is to improve performance.

To achieve integrity and fairness in sport, a commitment from athletes is critical, but the fans watching their favourite athletes competing also need to demand that athletes succeed.

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