Masters Swimming and Illegal Supplements

Originally posted by Bob McAdams ... But this is clearly not going to be the case for USMS. Unless USMS is prepared to have a full-time review board consisting of doctors who have the expertise needed to second guess the treatments of doctors all over the country, USMS would be well-advised to stay away from banning substances (except, perhaps, for those that are illegal even with a prescription). Bob That might come. The F.I.N.A. web site has international Masters rankings, meaning Masters swimming is under the F.I.N.A.'s umbrella. In meets held in meters, U.S.M.S. already obeys to F.I.N.A. in many rules (for example in defining the age of competitors before their birthday, in defining the standard of the pools that hold races, in strokes and technique allowed), but not on a banned list yet. F.I.N.A. doesn't pressure U.S.M.S. to have a list of banned products, because there is no outcry from Olympic and U.S. age group swimmers about performances in U.S.M.S., yet. Yet. For example, in the late 90s, Jessica Foschi (U.S.) -who was knocking at the door of the international stage with 2:03.xx in 200 free Long Course- was banned from the U.S. Swimming for two years for use of a steroid, she competed in U.S.M.S., and all was 'dandy' and 'peachy'. F.I.N.A. was lax even at the Olympic level -never mind the U.S.M.S. level- when East Germans and Chinese were systematically cheating with illegal performance enhancements, and only outcries did make F.I.N.A. act against the widespread use of illegal performance enhancements at the Olympic level. At the Masters swim level, performance enhancement steroids that veterinary doctors prescribe to racing horses or that medical doctors prescribe to humans recovering from cancer and A.I.D.S. -products that are illegal by F.I.N.A. but are legal by U.S.M.S.- are being used and abused in my opinion. I saw swims in all kinds of age groups in U.S.M.S., young and old, -but not direct instances of the act of doping, just swims- that defy the nature in mind boggling ways. A few years ago, in the U.S.M.S. one hour swim, a known triathlete -who I saw starting swimming from zero in another country at the grand age of 22, and is mannish looking now- did 5,050 yards. Only 100 yards less than a recent N.C.A.A. Division I swimmer, who was then in the shape of a 49.3x in 100 yards fly in U.S.M.S. that year, and a 56.xx in 100 meter fly Long Course. That's impossible naturally without illegal -by F.I.N.A.- performance enhancements. And other examples, at U.S.M.S. meets.

Originally posted by Bob McAdams ... But this is clearly not going to be the case for USMS. Unless USMS is prepared to have a full-time review board consisting of doctors who have the expertise needed to second guess the treatments of doctors all over the country, USMS would be well-advised to stay away from banning substances (except, perhaps, for those that are illegal even with a prescription). Bob That might come. The F.I.N.A. web site has international Masters rankings, meaning Masters swimming is under the F.I.N.A.'s umbrella. In meets held in meters, U.S.M.S. already obeys to F.I.N.A. in many rules (for example in defining the age of competitors before their birthday, in defining the standard of the pools that hold races, in strokes and technique allowed), but not on a banned list yet. F.I.N.A. doesn't pressure U.S.M.S. to have a list of banned products, because there is no outcry from Olympic and U.S. age group swimmers about performances in U.S.M.S., yet. Yet. For example, in the late 90s, Jessica Foschi (U.S.) -who was knocking at the door of the international stage with 2:03.xx in 200 free Long Course- was banned from the U.S. Swimming for two years for use of a steroid, she competed in U.S.M.S., and all was 'dandy' and 'peachy'. F.I.N.A. was lax even at the Olympic level -never mind the U.S.M.S. level- when East Germans and Chinese were systematically cheating with illegal performance enhancements, and only outcries did make F.I.N.A. act against the widespread use of illegal performance enhancements at the Olympic level. At the Masters swim level, performance enhancement steroids that veterinary doctors prescribe to racing horses or that medical doctors prescribe to humans recovering from cancer and A.I.D.S. -products that are illegal by F.I.N.A. but are legal by U.S.M.S.- are being used and abused in my opinion. I saw swims in all kinds of age groups in U.S.M.S., young and old, -but not direct instances of the act of doping, just swims- that defy the nature in mind boggling ways. A few years ago, in the U.S.M.S. one hour swim, a known triathlete -who I saw starting swimming from zero in another country at the grand age of 22, and is mannish looking now- did 5,050 yards. Only 100 yards less than a recent N.C.A.A. Division I swimmer, who was then in the shape of a 49.3x in 100 yards fly in U.S.M.S. that year, and a 56.xx in 100 meter fly Long Course. That's impossible naturally without illegal -by F.I.N.A.- performance enhancements. And other examples, at U.S.M.S. meets.