Athletes will benefit from high-level expertise on sports integrity matters in the build-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) launched the AIU Call Room yesterday.
The personalised integrity-related education service will be available exclusively to athletes in the AIU Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and will be overseen by a dedicated team of educators comprising former Olympians, former support personnel, AIU staff, and experienced sports-integrity professionals.
Athletes will be able to speak to trained AIU educators for one-on-one 20-minute education sessions conducted in their choice of 14 languages, including Amharic, Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Kalenjin, Mandarin, Oromo, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili and Swedish.
“This is a critical initiative for athletes considering the Paris Olympics are on the horizon, as it allows them to access the information they need in the language they need and at the time they need in a unique one-one-one environment,” said AIU Head, Brett Clothier.
“Education is a key component of the AIU’s mandate. We have listened to what they athletes have asked for and developed the AIU Call Room in response to their needs.”
Meanwhile, World Athletics Athletes' Commission Chair, Dame Valerie Adams, has applauded the AIU Call Room as a vital addition to the resources available for Paris-bound competitors.
“The introduction of the AIU Call Room is ground-breaking and truly athlete-centred as it allows the athletes to access personalised one-on-one education opportunities at their own convenience. This AIU initiative for Paris 2024 is poised to have a profound impact on our athletes,” said Dame Valerie.
Additionally, AIU staff will be engaging with athletes at select Diamond League meets, providing information about the Call Room whose creation was prompted by feedback from athletes during focus-group discussions, online sessions, and outreach programmes facilitated by the AIU. The first of these Diamond League interactions took place in Oslo yesterday.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is the independent body created by the World Athletics that manages all integrity issues – both doping and non-doping – for the sport of athletics. The remit of the AIU includes anti-doping, the pursuit of individuals engaged in age or competition results manipulation, investigating fraudulent behaviour with regards to transfers of allegiance, and detecting other misconduct including bribery and breaches of betting rules. It is the AIU’s role to drive cheats out of our sport, and to do everything within its power to support honest athletes around the world who dedicate their lives to reaching their sporting goals through dedication and hard work.