Athletes at Glasgow Indoors to wear bibs promoting clean athletics
Athletes at Saturday's Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix will wear bibs promoting clean athletics, event organiser British Athletics has announced.
‘A Manifesto for Clean Athletics’, which calls for a wide-ranging debate about measures that could be introduced to achieve a "new era of clean athletics", was recently released by UK Athletics (UKA) and this weekend athlete bibs will display either an ‘I Run Clean’ or ‘I Jump Clean’ message.
“Clean athletes are ready to fight back," said UKA chief executive Niels de Vos. "By wearing a very clear ‘I Run Clean’ or ‘I Jump Clean’ message when they compete at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix, they are keen to ensure that people recognise that the vast majority of top-class athletes are drug-free. We want to reinforce that message. The Emirates Arena, host venue for the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix, is sold-out and will command a global TV audience of millions.”
Kim Collins, who won world 100m gold in 2003, said: “Athletes need to stand up for a clean sport. The vast majority of athletes work hard every day to reach the peak of the sport and we need to stand up and shout from the rooftops that the vast majority of athletes do not take drugs and that cheats will not be tolerated in our sport.”
While 2011 world 1500m silver medallist Hannah England commented: “Athletes need to do all they can to let people know that the majority of us are clean and work hard for our success. Athletics is a fantastic sport and every athlete should be proud to reinforce this message at every opportunity.”
It is not the first time that bibs with such messages will be worn. Athletes at December's European Cross Country Championships, such as Steph Twell (pictured) who is set to run the 3000m in Glasgow, also had 'I Run Clean' under their names.
Over 40 world and Olympic medallists are set to compete at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix, which is the final stop on the IAAF World Indoor Tour.
An online preview for the event can be found here, while a more in-depth event-by-event look ahead to the action is included in the latest edition of AW magazine.
