What about the person who has to explain to the 90 yr old lady that they need to watch her pee in a cup since she swam so fast.Or the 100 year old lady… A couple of months ago Anne Dunivin set the national record in the women’s 100-104 200 free at a meet here in Georgia. While I’m the wrong gender, I’d hate to be the person who would have to drag her to bathroom and watch over her.
And back to the issue of being very costly. To bring a male and a female doping control officer to Athens Georgia for a 1 day meet, between travel, lodging and compensation, could easily run over $1,000; before even factoring in the cost of the actual testing.
I'm with Ande and others: random testing of top finishers at Nationals. Yes there would be logistical issues, and yes some would evade getting caught, but at least there would be a deterrent. I know a lot of our members couldn't care less, but a good number of us do, and it's important for the integrity of our sport.
I'm on a forum with some older swimmers and there has been a debate about testosterone supplementation. There are members who do so for very valid lifestyle reasons, and at least one admitted septuagenarian supplementer that has set several world records. My opinion is supplement if you want, compete if you want, but don't have your times count for WR.
or
have several members of usms trained on doping control that attend the nationals
so then rob you are saying only "younger" people that break world records should be tested?
is there difference between shaving 0.01 off the WR vs say the 4+ seconds that was erased from the womens 50 free i witnessed? ie over 10%
so then rob you are saying only "younger" people that break world records should be tested?No. I hope that any rules written by USMS would NEVER discriminate on the basis of the age of the adult.
is there difference between shaving 0.01 off the WR vs say the 4+ seconds that was erased from the womens 50 free i witnessed?Yes. Every swim is different. If it’s a new swimmer going a PR 2:00 100 free or an new WR or a 100 year old lady swimming the first ever 200 LCM Free or Anthony Ervin’s Olympic 50 free.
Look, Rob, you are against drug testing masters swimmers. I get that.Now that’s just wrong. I’m not opposed to doping control in Masters Swimming. I’ve been trying and obviously failing to point out that you don’t just show up at nationals with a bunch if Dixie cups and expect drug testing to magically commence. There need to be rules written, programs developed, people trained, money invested, etc. There needs to be a plan, not just rhetoric. There needs to be a champion, not just soapboxers. Show me a real plan on how to fund, build and implement doping control and I’ll take it to the board.
USATF has been suggested as a model for testing, and beyond the before mentioned issues with USADA and USOC, as far as I can tell there have been 3 Masters T&F Athletes banned for steroid use since the program’s inception. You must be very naïve to believe there were only 3 cheats in Masters T&F. As mentioned before PED cheats can easily test clean when they know when they will be tested.
That is my question as well. A "doctor's note" just won't do as some of are required to be on some drugs that allow us to stay active but might be on some list as "aiding" in some fashion or other.
You would need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption.
There needs to be a plan, not just rhetoric. There needs to be a champion, not just soapboxers. Show me a real plan on how to fund, build and implement doping control and I’ll take it to the board.
Create a task force. Assuming, of course, that the organization really wants to pursue this.
Oh goody, yet another task force. Isn't it funny how the people who demand action want others to do it for them?
"The organization" responds to the will of its members (ideally). All I've heard so far is a few people on the forum think it would be a good idea to charge the entire membership $5 in order to do testing that just might possibly improve the experience of maybe 5% of the membership.
Convince me this is a widespread concern among USMS members. Better yet, help with the work.
Can I digress just a little? USATF has been held up as another masters-oriented organization which does test its members. I know from direct experience in USMS that the majority of its members never compete. Is the fraction of competitive masters T&F athletes in USATF similar to USMS? Or does (mostly) everyone compete? Or is it somewhere in the middle?
I would think the calculus would be different for an organization in which nearly everyone competes. If USATF is such an organization, holding its doping practices up as an exemplar for USMS might not be that helpful.
