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WADA Athlete Council represented at European Olympic Committees Athletes’ Forum in London

WADA Athlete Council at European Olympic Committees Athletes’ Forum in London 2

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to highlight that members of its Athlete Council (AC) were in London, United Kingdom, this week for the 8th European Olympic Committees (EOC) Athletes’ Forum. 

From 12-13 November, AC Vice-Chair, Gaby Ahrens, and AC member and Chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes' Commission, Emma Terho, were on hand to engage with European athlete representatives about clean sport.  

Ms. Ahrens was invited to deliver a presentation on the activities and objectives of the AC with Play True T-shirts being distributed to all the participants in attendance. 

She said: “We are appreciative of the European Olympic Committees’ invitation to speak at this year’s Athletes’ Forum. With only a few months left before the start of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, these types of forums provide us with an excellent platform to share the Athlete Council’s vision, goals and plan of action for the short and long terms. We were pleased by the level of interest and engagement about the Athlete Council’s work from the European athlete representatives in attendance.”  

The Forum brought together athlete representatives from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) in Europe and provided an opportunity for representatives to discuss various topics and connect with their counterparts from all over Europe. 

This marks the fifth athlete forum attended by members of WADA’s AC this year, demonstrating the emphasis being placed on directly engaging with athlete representatives internationally to ensure that their voices are heard. Prior to attending the EOC Athletes’ Forum, members of WADA’s AC and Athlete Engagement team were present at the: 

Karine Henrie, WADA’s Director of Athlete Engagement said: ““WADA is grateful to the various organizations that have graciously invited members of WADA’s Athlete Council, as well as some staff, to be a part of their Forums over the course of the year. These are valuable opportunities for reinforcing the understanding of anti-doping and importance of clean sport.  

“At each event the athletes were keen to dive into anti-doping topics, express their opinions, and share ideas. WADA has prioritized being an athlete-centered organization, and our presence at these athlete forums, especially throughout the World Anti-Doping Code review process, has been critical in ensuring we are charting a collaborative path forward with the athletes of the world.”