Canadian bobsleigh and skeleton athletes fear their national federation is trying to silence them, saying a clause in their athlete agreement goes against the principles of training the sport in a safe environment.
The Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) Athletes ’Agreement for 2022-2023 includes a clause that athletes will not disclose or transmit to others any information describing BCS in a bad light. And the non -disclosure clause remains in effect for six months after the termination or completion of an athlete’s contract.
It usually pays attention to the very thing we’re complaining about, that it’s all one sided, that they have the power to tell us as athletes that we can’t speak negatively against BCS.said an athlete who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.
The clause has been on the contract for at least four years, according to several athletes who spoke to The Canadian Press on Monday.
But their fear of revenge has grown since more than 60 current and former athletes publicly called for the resignation of BCS President Sarah Storey and High Performance Director Chris LeBihan on March 7 amid the backdrop they say is environmentally toxic to their sport.
Rob Koehler, chief executive of Global Athlete, a global athlete rights organization, said the clause is a good example of a federation that maintains the rights of athletes.
The only way forward is to allow athletes freedom of expression when issues arise, added Koehler, who is based in Montreal. Everyone has the basic right to freedom of expression. They are people first, athletes second.
The approximately 60 athletes who wrote the letter in March grew to more than 90 in the days that followed and were supported by Olympic champion Justin Kripps and bronze medalist Christine de Bruin.
National organizations including Athletics Canada, Basketball Canada and Water Polo Canada told The Canadian Press that they do not have such a clause in their agreements with athletes.
Boxing Canada has a clause stating that an athlete is: not publicly (including through social media) that belittles or promotes any grievance against Boxing Canada, Boxing Canada staff or coaches, National Team members or other performance of HPP athletes), except through of Boxing Canada’s complaints and appeals policies and dispute resolution procedures provided therein.
Canadian boxers wrote an open letter to Sport Canada on May 4 calling for a third -party investigation and the resignation of high -performance director Daniel Trépanier, saying Boxing Canada is cultivating a toxic culture of fear and silence. Trépanier resigned four days after the letter was sent.
Madison Charney, who recently retired as a skeleton athlete, said the BCS athlete agreement had no room for negotiation.
Athletes cannot say, “We agree with these sections, (but) you must edit these sections before signing them”said Charney, who has competed in the World Cup for several years but was not named to the Canadian team for the Beijing Olympics.
Being a novice athlete is different compared to a professional athlete, where they understand you are the asset. Our federation does not understand that we are the assethe added.
Some bobsleigh and skeleton athletes said little has changed in the three months since their public letter. They said they rejected a BCS proposal for third-party mediation, after appointing Michelle Simpson as mediator.
Simpson was also the mediator in the Kaillie Humphries v BCS case. Humphries won two Olympic titles for Canada, but joined the American team amid a bitter battle against the Canadian federation. He won gold for the United States this year in Beijing.
The BCS Board of Directors said in a statement Monday that it is working in a process proposed by national team athlete representatives who, at the request of these representatives, require Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton to maintain confidentiality.
National team camps for bobsleigh and skeleton will be held next month in Calgary.
The Canadian Press
Source: Radio-Canada
