So far UK Sport has organized some 30 sessions together with the British Olympic Association (BOA), the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and National Governing Bodies to educate athletes about their roles and responsibilities during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The program is expected to reached 20 sports by the time the Olympic village opens next Sunday when athletes officially fall under the anti-doping regulations of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee's rules when Paralympic village opens on August 30.
With the Olympic and Paralympics Committee announcing hard-line anti-doping measures for Beijing as well as UK Sport's increased testing ahead of the Games, the sessions have been designed to deliver short, sharp and focused updates on the vital information athletes need to know ahead of representing Team GB (Great Britain) in China, said a report on the UK Sport website.
Athletes are addressed personally to let them be aware of the key issues they will face in Beijing.
"Whilst we have been careful not to obstruct their final preparations, we are very happy that we have been able to conduct these sessions and, in doing so, engage in face-to face dialogue with athletes and their support staff. The sessions have complimented the dedicated Beijing website and allowed us to hammer home the messages surrounding anti-doping at the Games," said Joe Marshall, manager of Education and Information for Drug-Free Sport at UK Sport.
He regarded the program UK Sport's most comprehensive pre-Games education program to date, from which no athlete can have any excuses if they were to "fall foul of the IOC rules in Beijing".
Sessions have been carried out nationwide including Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Cardiff. What's more, up to 700 athletes and support staff have received personal log-ins for the 100% ME dedicated Beijing website, which is a further resource giving athletes opportunity to access the information they need. Ahelpline will also be available during the Games, said the report.
