Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport

As new doping violations are confirmed against international athletes who medaled at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games (TORONTO 2015), it’s a bittersweet victory for Team Canada.

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) congratulates Zack Chetrat, Alec Page and Rachel Hannah on retroactively receiving the medals they so rightfully deserve for their performances at TORONTO 2015.

It’s unfortunate that our athletes were denied their due during the original medal ceremonies this summer in Toronto, but justice eventually prevailed: the medals were stripped from the cheaters and awarded to their rightful owners. This sends a strong message to dopers and athletes considering doping that if they cheat, they will get caught. It also serves to reassure clean athletes that the anti-doping system is in place to protect their right to compete on a level playing field and that they can achieve greatness without bowing to the pressure to take banned substances. 

In the lead-up to TORONTO 2015, the CCES received financial support from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) to assist with the education and testing of Canadian athletes. We are very proud that there have been no positive tests returned from samples collected from Canadian athletes during the Games.

During this time of shocking international doping scandals, we understand why the public might lose faith in clean sport. Unethical dealings made behind closed doors and poor decisions made by athletes and their support personnel have left a bruise on the reputation of honest competition. In Canada, rest assured that we are doing everything within our power to deliver a sport system that is fair, safe and open to all, and we will continue to lead by example.

Congratulations once again to Zack Chetrat, Alec Page and Rachel Hannah. You are world-class athletes who delivered world-class performances – and you did it clean.