Winter Olympics 2026: No constructive doping checks throughout Milan-Cortina Games

It is hoped pre-Games testing will stop the merciless state of affairs that Britain’s bobsleigh workforce discovered themselves in.

John Jackson, Bruce Tasker, Stuart Benson and Joel Fearon completed fifth at Sochi 2014 behind two Russian crews, who had been later disqualified for doping.

Almost six years later, the British crew had been awarded their bronze medals at a Team GB ball in 2019.

It was a second that gave Jackson aid, versus elation.

“Do I feel like an Olympic medallist? I don’t know, because we never received our medal on a podium,” he instructed BBC Sport.

“We missed out on potential extra funding for the sport and on potential sponsorship opportunities.

“But not solely us – there have been athletes that probably needed to retire as a result of they did not hit their funding markers.

“It’s the bigger picture of the consequences of the wider sport.”

It’s clear that Wada and the ITA have taken nice strides however Jackson feels the dopers will all the time be one step forward, and there ought to be larger deterrents if they’re to be worn out altogether.

“I think they should have a lifetime ban,” Jackson added.

“Great Britain used to have that, and I think that the only way to stop it is to make the consequences a lot more severe than what they are.”