Heartbreak For Winchester Bobsleigh Athlete

Charlotte Longden, 21, from Winchester announced that she has had to pull out of upcoming races such as the Europa Cup in Norway due to untreated ADHD.

Longden headed out to Norway and Latvia for a pre-season training camp despite it being a somewhat successful camp, during this time her ADHD got progressively worse causing her to retire from the next few races of the season.

Longden released a statement on Instagram saying: “I am gutted to say that Bobteam Longden will not be competing for the next few races.”

This statement was released days after what should have been her first race of the season. In Longdens disappointing update she says: “I am currently not on medication as it is banned under WADA (world anti doping agency) rules.” Stimulated medications that are prescribed to treat ADHD are prohibited in-competition, any athletes who are prescribed with any prohibited medication need to obtain a therapeutic use exemption.

In bobsleigh it is vital that drivers such as Longden have their entire focus on the track, for Longden, she currently is not in a position where she able to do this. This then makes the sports all that more dangerous for the team.

Longden finishes the statement with: “If I can achieve what i have so far with the constant mental battle each day, just imagine what could be achieved without this.”

Longden has since travelled back to the UK in order to work with top sports psychologists and medical teams at the British bobsleigh and skeleton association and University of Leeds Sport.