World Rowing and WADA promote clean rowing at 2017 World Rowing Championships

For immediate release
Lausanne, 18 September 2017

The World Rowing Federation, FISA, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, are working together to promote clean sport by delivering the latest instalment of WADA’s Legacy Outreach programme (Legacy Outreach) at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, USA from 24 September to 1 October 2017

FISA Athletes Commission Chair Lenka Dienstbach-Wech spearheaded the concept and leveraged her fellow Commission members to help lead this clean sport initiative for rowing.

“The FISA Athlete Commission is very pleased to announce this Legacy Outreach project in partnership with WADA,” says Dienstbach-Wech. “We want to highlight our clean athletes and that there is no place for doping in our sport. Rowing and our athletes stand for sportsmanship, fair play and respect and, with this programme, we would like to show the world our values. “Also, the Athletes Commission strongly believes that education and awareness empower athletes to stand against negative influences in their entourage and help them to say #iRowClean.”

At this year’s World Rowing Championships, the Outreach Programme will be showcased in a bid to raise awareness and promote clean sport to a new generation of athletes. Using the hashtag #iRowClean, FISA in partnership with WADA will have an interactive information booth at the venue where athletes, coaches and other team officials can visit.

“Athlete engagement is a top priority for WADA and we are happy to support FISA and FISA’s Athlete Commission in developing a customized awareness campaign unique to rowing,” says WADA’s Athlete Relations Senior Manager, Stacy Spletzer-Jegen. “We hope this Legacy Outreach programme will provide FISA with all the tools and materials they will need to run their own successful outreach programmes in the future. WADA is very fortunate to have three rowers as part of our Athlete Committee who would agree that this sort of athlete engagement is beneficial at all levels of sport.” 

The aim of WADA’s Legacy Outreach programme is to support key stakeholders in developing and delivering sustainable anti-doping awareness programmes in order to promote clean sport. WADA’s role is to lead from behind by tailoring each programme to the International Federation’s needs.

For more information: Maggie Durand, Coordinator, Media Relations and Communications
Phone: + 1-514-904-8225
E-mail: media@wada-ama.org