In light of the recent UK Athletics disciplinary case made public on 30 September, involving endurance coach Andrew Young, European Athletics would like to reiterate its strong stance on safeguarding in the sport through the “Race for Respect” programme.
“European Athletics applauds the swift action taken by our Member Federation in this case and pays tribute to the athletes who came forward to speak out,” said President Dobromir Karamarinov.
“Laura Muir has shown enormous courage, and we hope it will strengthen the will of other athletes who might feel nervous about speaking out now and in the future.
“It is never easy to read about such situations, but they remind us how essential our safeguarding work is.
No medal worth it
“We must continue to raise awareness and work on abuse prevention across Europe through Race for Respect through education, workshops, and clear reporting pathways — whether at club, federation, or European level via our Safeguarding Officer or the Integrity Platform on our website.
“No medal or result can ever justify behaviour that undermines the dignity and welfare of athletes.
“European Athletics remains committed to working with our Member Federations, athletes, coaches and support personnel to ensure that integrity, respect, and welfare are always at the heart of our sport.”
Policies and procedures
Safeguarding is everyone’s business and responsibility. It refers to the actions and measures taken to protect the well-being, safety and rights of individuals, from any form of harassment, abuse and exploitation.
It involves creating a safe and supportive environment that promotes the physical, emotional, and psychological welfare of individuals.
European Athletics Safeguarding policy can be read here.
The Safeguarding Programme is committed to best practice safeguarding and abuse prevention in the sport.
This is to ensure the protection and safety of everyone involved in athletics, including athletes, officials, leaders, staff, volunteers, partners or contractors.
The programme is designed to safeguard people regardless of background, age, ethnicity, origin, gender, or sexual orientation.
To learn more about Safeguarding and play your part creating a safe environment to ensure that everyone is safe in our sport, World Athletics has developed a safeguarding e-learning/training course named ‘’Safeguarding Essentials’’.
If you have any concern about your safety or anyone’s safety, please reach out to EA Safeguarding Officer, Philippe Duperrex and/or make a report on European Athletics' fully secure and independent reporting platform.