Search
shop

“Drugs are bad” – Leon Chevalier explains simple message on doping in long-course triathlon

Leon Chevalier discusses doping after the men's IRONMAN World Championship
Staff Reporter
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Leon Chevalier, fifth in front of his home crowd at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice on Sunday, used the platform of triathlon’s biggest race to share an important message about doping in sport.

The 26-year-old sported a “Drugs Are Bad” T-shirt at the pre-race press conference on Friday, and three days later he would reveal the origins of the shirt and why he decided to wear it, with the 26-year-old taking a firm stance on drug cheats in long-course racing.

Asked by journalist Tim Heming at the post-race press conference about the T-shirt and doping in general, Chevalier said before the Collin Chartier doping scandal earlier in the year, he had been a little naive on the subject.

Advertisement

Humour and a strong message

Chevalier revealed that he had bought the top on the Las Vegas Strip after last year’s IRONMAN World Championship in St George and had been wanting to wear it to a press conference ever since. That moment came last Friday.

The press conference at the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice.
[Photo Credit – Donald Miralle for IRONMAN]

“I was coming back from St George last year at the IMWC and we had a stopover in Las Vegas and I was just walking around on the Strip and found this T-shirt and I thought that’s quite funny. I’ve wanted to wear it to press conferences for a while, but this is quite a big press conference and I don’t do many of them, so I thought it would be quite funny.

“Obviously this year we have had one big doping case in triathlon and unfortunately, I think I was a little naive, as I thought the sport was generally clean, as in the short time I’ve been in long-distance triathlon I’ve been able to get pretty close to the top.

“For me, that showed it’s realistic to get to the level of performance we see, so it’s a shame people feel the need to take shortcuts to win races and I got a lot of positive feedback for wearing that T-shirt. If it shows people that we as the athletes don’t want drugs in the sport then that can only be a good thing.” 

Tomos Land
Written by
Tomos Land
Tomos Land is a triathlon & running journalist whose expertise lies in the professional world of short course & long distance triathlon, though he also boasts an extensive knowledge of ultra-running.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Lionel Sanders training pic August 2023 photo credit Talbot Cox
Lionel Sanders family dream is alive again as triathlon’s IRONMAN World Championship heads home to Kona
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...