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15 July 2026
The initiative, run by the International Testing Agency, took place during the ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships from June 30 to July 5.
Leading the activities was ITA Education Ambassador Simona Castro, a three-time Olympian in artistic gymnastics, who engaged with athletes throughout the week to help build understanding and confidence around clean sport.
“The aim of our presence in Krakow was to give athletes and athlete support personnel the opportunity to connect with us directly, give them a space to ask questions and to receive relevant information on anti-doping and testing,” said Castro.
“Being present at competition events also allows us to interact with younger athletes who might not have been subject to testing yet and to inform them on what to expect, and what their rights and responsibilities are in sport.”
Alongside the education booth, the ITA delivered an in-depth presentation that allowed athletes to explore anti-doping topics in greater detail.
The combination of informal conversations and structured learning sessions created multiple opportunities for participants to engage, while also enabling the ITA to gather valuable feedback on athletes’ experiences and areas where further support may be needed.
Castro said the response from competitors and support personnel was overwhelmingly positive, insisting they were very open to learn and keen to ask questions.
“What is important for us is to have athletes understand that we are present at events to assist them and to provide them with a resource that they might not have in their home countries, which makes our role even more important as not every country has the resources to provide anti-doping education,” said Castro.
For the ITA, education remains the foundation of effective anti-doping programs, particularly for athletes at the beginning of their international careers.
“At ITA, we believe that an athlete’s first point of contact with anti-doping should be through education,” said Castro.
As they say, ‘knowledge is power’, and this is exactly what anti-doping education strives for—to empower athletes to make informed decisions, protect themselves from unintentional mistakes and compete with confidence.
“Every opportunity that we have to engage with athletes is an opportunity to strengthen the values of clean sport and continue supporting a level playing field for everyone.”
