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.
Former Member
Hate to chime in, I was perusing the board, I would bet USMS is not in fact as clean as you think. Just from observations at upper level masters meets.
While I don't agree with it, I think I understand the use of performance enhancing drugs. It's not the win that's being sought, but the edge, and the feeling you get when you approach it.
You know that feeling. It's the same one you get when you ride a motorcycle the first time. It's the same one you get when you ride a faster motorcycle. It's the same feeling that compels teenagers to see exactly how fast their cars or motorcycles will go out on the freeway, to push right up against the edge and look over. It's in the blood of base jumpers. It's the same thing that makes those guys on the MTV show Jackass do the whacked things they do, and the same thing that makes that show a hit.
For that matter, it's the same thing that drives serious recreational drug users to see how far they can push it. For the athletes, speed is the drug. Power is the drug. Knowing that you just went faster or lifted more than human beings are supposed to be able is the drug.
The gold medal is only a reminder that you went right up to that edge. You're not really competing with the other athletes to see who is better. The only reason you don't want to lose is because losing proves you didn't find the edge, that there's further you can go. It's the absolute limit of human endurance that's being sought, even if it takes a drug to get there.
And morality is not an issue in that mindset. You don't think of it as cheating. You think of it as doing what you have to do to find the limit. Never mind that you and your competitors are working toward slightly different goals.
I also think the reason people get so bent out of shape about it is that at some level they understand the motivations behind it. Even when the first place finisher gets disqualified and the second finisher is declared the winner, the win is tainted. That winner always knows that there was somebody faster, that somebody pushed that edge even further out there. It hurts to have to qualify your world record as the fastest person on earth "without steroids."
There's a lot of motivation to use drugs. The East German women now in their 40's and late 30's are a prime example of how too much steriods can mess up the body. In their case, that was a government that of course did things at almost all cost to get their results. So, many of the East German swimmers who were as young as 10 excepted the drugs as vitiams. If you are 10 are you going to doubt what adults told you. Also, the state would make it easier for you and your parents and sibings to get into a better apartment. So, of course the East German women would not question the program. Many of them end up with bad livers and when they had children, the kids had club feet.
Courteous,
The guy you were refering to is Dr. Ron Karnaugh. He's competing in the 35-39 group, and trains like an animal. (upwards of ten to twelve thousand yards per day.)
I'ld say that some people have the genetic make up which allows them to defy age. And for that matter most highly active people such as USMS swimmers are living proof that not everyone gets hit with the age stick. Maybe the ugly stick? But definitely not the age stick.
Dr Ron k is able to do it because he didn't take a 10 year or more break like the rest of us. He is use to doing 10,000 yards a day because he has been doing that for almost 20 years. Also, he has enough free time to workout that much.
cinc310, I'm glad you brought the German swimmers--many of those women have not only serious health issues now, and they also live life in complete despair. One woman acutally now lives as a man, and has actually spend time living in the mountains far away from society.
It is a very sad, extremem story of desperate inhuman desire to win. There were actually records of how the hormones/steroids effected the girls--and the scientists were able to predict when they would begin to grow facial hair, etc.
As for these athletes pushing and seeking the edge, Shaky, I think what you had to say was interesting--but also I think there is huge ego involved.
Plus, these athletes do hurt more than themselves--they hurt the image of sport in general, and if they do test positive, and are disqualified, then the person coming in second was not granted the victorious moment they deserved.
Winning a big win is so emotional--and it is an experience like nothing else.
Just say no to juice!
Jerrycat
;)
Thorpe was so roided up at Barcelona, he had to wear a bodysuit.
God, he was just huge.
As far as Masters, I've never seen anyone in the mags that looked to be on the juice. The most muscular guy I've seen is that guy from NJ who is an attorney or doctor, and was featured on the cover of SWIM a few issues ago. Kavanaugh or something like that. But who knows. Athletes have been known to take steroids that can really help your performance(equibolin), without making you huge.
I think that some people labour under the misconception that those abusing performance-enhancing drugs are necessarily LARGE. This simply isn't so. Endurance athletes (runners) were among the first to abuse steroids in the 70's in lesser dosages to enhance their ability to train more & blood doping to increase red-blood cell capacity & they have never been built like Lou Ferrigno. Swimming has been clouded by materiels advances in swimsuits & technical gains exploiting rule changes but there is no question that there has been abuse in open swimming (Chinese swimmers etc).
Masters? Regretably, yes. And I do mean substances banned under Open competition. However, I have stated repeatedly, taking substances like creatine (scary for the lack of human testing) is almost as bad. So what if it isn't illegal? If it is truly performance-enhancing (as I was assured it was by several swimmers at Baltimore LC Nats) then it can & should be banned. Am I alone in finding this sort of experimentation disgusting in Masters?
Sure it's disgusting and stupid too, but I wouldn't want any testing requirement. Those who do it know they're getting an unfair advantage, and the rest of us can just be satisfied to know we're doing the best we can to improve on our own merit. It's not like there's any money in it. It's just a great sport and lots of fun. I say, ignore those who have to cheat to win. It's really their loss, and I feel sort of sorry for them.
