Canoe sprint star backs anonymous doping reporting initiative

CANOE sprint star Dan Johnson is urging sportspeople everywhere to make the most of UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) anonymous reporting system to keep sports clean. 

The 30-year-old has been through UKAD processes since the age of 18 and has welcomed the reporting system that saw a record number of reports in 2024. 

UKAD received 211 reports of suspected doping misconduct across 30 sports in 2024, up from 184 reports in 2023. 

The anti-doping organisation has seen a gradual change in attitude towards reporting, with more individuals prepared to share information with UKAD knowing that their identity will be kept anonymous. The Protect Your Sport initiative was first launched in November 2020 with the aim of boosting the number of intelligence reports coming through to the organisation from the elite sport community, with Johnson welcoming the initiative. 

He said: “It’s all about fairness and respect for the other athletes you are competing against. You want a realistic and accurate assessment of where your talent lies. When you line up with nine guys on that start line, you want to know who is the best, who has the most talent, who has put the most work in. It’s not just you but also your staff and your team and the hard work they have put in. 

“It’s good that there are more reports coming in to UKAD than ever. It’s positive that people are confident enough to step up. You wouldn’t want it to exist in the first place, but the fact that people are ready to step up and report is a good thing. 

“There used to be a little bit of fear that if you tried to speak up, it might cause problems in your team. But the more you normalise speaking up and say it’s for the integrity of the sport, the better.” 

Johnson, who saw his Olympic ambitions derailed by glandular fever in 2024, has now set his sights on making Los Angeles 2028. 

That will be his third attempt to make the Games, having been the second Brit in contention for Tokyo four years ago. 

At a personal level, Johnson has not had any suspicions about individual competitors but feels it is important for every athlete to advocate for clean sport. 

And he believes the most important aspect is education, and that the start of each year is a particularly crucial time for elite sportspeople. 

He said: “Normally one thing changes every year (on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List), always on the 1st January, so it’s important that you pay attention in particular that week to make sure you know what’s changing and is banned from sport. 

“Whether that is to stop using something, to check your medications again, or know what amendments are being made to rules that are already in place.  

“I think everyone should advocate for clean sport to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. The more you think about it, the more it’s spoken about, the more it’s brought up in conversation, it will keep people in best practice scenarios.” 

You can report doping suspicions to UKAD by WhatsApp and SMS (07822 023233), email (pys@reportdoping.com), online (search: Protect Your Sport), or by phone (0800 032 2332).     

To find out more and to report your suspicions of doping, search Protect Your Sport.