In 1988, after Carl Lewis was awarded the gold medal in the 100M dash when Ben Johnson tested positive for steroids, (I believe it was) Lewis stated that he was not really that surprised because he just didn't think that it was humanly possible to run the 100m in 9.79 (Johnson's winning time).
In the past 3 years, 2 american’s have euqaled or surpassed that time.
In today’s Houston Chronicle there is a tiny article (which is a true disappointment considering the magnitude of the accusations) that reads as follows:
According to Terry Madden, the chief executive of the US anti-doping agency: "What we have unconverted appears to be intentional doping of the worst sort (...) this is a conspiracy involving chemists, coaches and certain athletes using what they developed to be undetectable designer steroids to defraud their fellow competitors and the American and world public"
The drug in question is known as THG and though no athletes were named, it appears that several prominent athletes are a party to this.
I also know for a FACT, that some elite swimmers know of the drug, and believe it is undetectable.
*** This is in no way intimating that any specific athlete has or is using the substance.
Parents
Former Member
AG,
First, before I disagree with you, let me start by saying I appreciate your willingness to raise this issue and make an argument against prevailing opinion. I think this is a worthwhile discussion and I appreciate your willingness to take the heat (which I am about to apply) necessary to get it started.
Having said that, I am amazed that you would discount the immediate and/or long term health risks associated with many performance enhancing substances. I believe there is no reasonable dispute that regular use of steroids over an athlete's career, or some substantial portion of it, will cause all sorts of health problems later on. I believe there is no resonable dispute that you can overdose on certain substances taken to enhance your immediate performance, e.g. amphetimines or EPO, and risk immediate death or disability. Moreover, some of these substances are addictive. You may start out only wanting to go faster, and end up a druggie, with neither a swimming career, nor a life any rational person would want. Please, don't start this discussion on permitting the use of performance enhancing drugs with the erroneous suggestion that the risks are minimal. As I will discuss below, the way people will actually use them will change.
You seem to have in mind a scenario where someone takes a moderate amount of seriods (or some other substance that primarily helps recovery during training, not immediate performance enhancement) in the precompetition phase of their training cycle. That is what people do today, but that is because they don't want to get caught. They will be tested when they compete, and may be spot checked while training. They don't down amphetimines the morning of the meet because they know they will get caught. They use smaller amounts of steroids to avoid being detected. If you allow any drug use, those limits go away. Then it will be a competition of whose body can stand the most chemical abuse.
This is the primary reason why I am not OK with allowing use of these substances. A little drugs in moderation may not be all that dangerous. (After all, we do use drugs to treat medical conditions.) But if you tell people anything is permitted, the people who are willing to take on the greatest amount of risk will cause everyone else to follow suit, or fall out of competition. It may be true that simply competing in some sports causes health problems later in life, but I would pefer that Olympic Champions NOT drop dead from drug use before the next Olympic Games roll around.
Matt
AG,
First, before I disagree with you, let me start by saying I appreciate your willingness to raise this issue and make an argument against prevailing opinion. I think this is a worthwhile discussion and I appreciate your willingness to take the heat (which I am about to apply) necessary to get it started.
Having said that, I am amazed that you would discount the immediate and/or long term health risks associated with many performance enhancing substances. I believe there is no reasonable dispute that regular use of steroids over an athlete's career, or some substantial portion of it, will cause all sorts of health problems later on. I believe there is no resonable dispute that you can overdose on certain substances taken to enhance your immediate performance, e.g. amphetimines or EPO, and risk immediate death or disability. Moreover, some of these substances are addictive. You may start out only wanting to go faster, and end up a druggie, with neither a swimming career, nor a life any rational person would want. Please, don't start this discussion on permitting the use of performance enhancing drugs with the erroneous suggestion that the risks are minimal. As I will discuss below, the way people will actually use them will change.
You seem to have in mind a scenario where someone takes a moderate amount of seriods (or some other substance that primarily helps recovery during training, not immediate performance enhancement) in the precompetition phase of their training cycle. That is what people do today, but that is because they don't want to get caught. They will be tested when they compete, and may be spot checked while training. They don't down amphetimines the morning of the meet because they know they will get caught. They use smaller amounts of steroids to avoid being detected. If you allow any drug use, those limits go away. Then it will be a competition of whose body can stand the most chemical abuse.
This is the primary reason why I am not OK with allowing use of these substances. A little drugs in moderation may not be all that dangerous. (After all, we do use drugs to treat medical conditions.) But if you tell people anything is permitted, the people who are willing to take on the greatest amount of risk will cause everyone else to follow suit, or fall out of competition. It may be true that simply competing in some sports causes health problems later in life, but I would pefer that Olympic Champions NOT drop dead from drug use before the next Olympic Games roll around.
Matt
