Jaryd Clifford Calls for Increased Drug Testing in Para-Sport

PARIS: Australian distance runner Jaryd Clifford has expressed concerns about the integrity of para-sport, advocating for more rigorous drug testing following his recent competition at the Paralympic Games.

The 25-year-old athlete, who is vision-impaired, commented on the presence of Russian athletes competing as ‘neutrals’ at the Games, highlighting his experience with Russian competitor Anton Kuliatin who outperformed him to secure bronze on two occasions in Paris.

Clifford, who narrowly missed out on bronze by mere seconds, was disqualified in the 5000m after failing to properly secure the tether with his guide Matt Clarke as they crossed the finish line.

In a media session, Clifford discussed the importance of drug testing in sports, stating, “If we’re talking about drugs and sport then I just really do hope they’re clean. I would like to be drug tested more often. I don’t think there’s enough drug testing in para-sport.”

Further commenting on the current state of drug testing, he said, “I think that could be something to improve our sport. But I think that’s a resource thing.”

Despite the presence of 88 Russian athletes at the Paralympics, Clifford expressed trust in the decision-making processes regarding their participation, stating, “I trust the people who make the decisions [about Russia]. I trust them because if we can’t trust them the sport’s in a bad place.”

Clifford emphasized the camaraderie among athletes, regardless of national identities, remarking, “We’re eight blokes with vision impairments and we’re middle-distance runners, so we’re a pretty niche group and there’s some camaraderie from that.”