I read somewhere recently that Biondi was a doper and experimented with creatine.
Alison Fortress:
Are you sure it was Matt Biondi doing this. The reason I say this is because he was one of the athelte leader/supporters of all world drug testing that was not being done back in the middle 1980's. In fact I believe it was Michael Gross that took up this initiative in Europe and asked Matt to do the same in the Amercia's to have on the spot testing and the athletes fully support this measure regardless of the lack of privacy issues in the swimmers lives. Matt and everyone else sign petitons to FINA and got behind this measure because they really wanted to clean up the sport of swimming because at that time it was tainted and was moving slowly to solve this world problem.
When I saw Matt Biondi talk in 1994 at the USAS convention he said this was one of his most proud moments because he got behind this initiative and there was worldwide support for this even in countries like East Germany and Soviet bloc nations. Eventually FINA did adopt worldwide unannounced drug testing but it was nice that the swimmers stood up and fought for this along with coaches and administrators in the world of swimming.
Now about the use of creatine, I don't know about that. I don't even know if its on the banned list today or in the past. I know as a master swimmer I use to get information mailed to me on how to order it and use it to get advantages in athletic performance, but I never used the stuff. Mr. Goodsmith has stated he has used it and found some disadvantages with its use. Now, don't get me wrong I am not making this up because I read it here on the discussion forums a couple of weeks ago. I don't think its illegal but maybe I am wrong because I have not been keeping up with the drug scene lately in swimming. Meaning I don't know what is banned and what is not and whats legal on therapeutic use forms submitted to the NGB and FINA.
I read somewhere recently that Biondi was a doper and experimented with creatine.
Alison Fortress:
Are you sure it was Matt Biondi doing this. The reason I say this is because he was one of the athelte leader/supporters of all world drug testing that was not being done back in the middle 1980's. In fact I believe it was Michael Gross that took up this initiative in Europe and asked Matt to do the same in the Amercia's to have on the spot testing and the athletes fully support this measure regardless of the lack of privacy issues in the swimmers lives. Matt and everyone else sign petitons to FINA and got behind this measure because they really wanted to clean up the sport of swimming because at that time it was tainted and was moving slowly to solve this world problem.
When I saw Matt Biondi talk in 1994 at the USAS convention he said this was one of his most proud moments because he got behind this initiative and there was worldwide support for this even in countries like East Germany and Soviet bloc nations. Eventually FINA did adopt worldwide unannounced drug testing but it was nice that the swimmers stood up and fought for this along with coaches and administrators in the world of swimming.
Now about the use of creatine, I don't know about that. I don't even know if its on the banned list today or in the past. I know as a master swimmer I use to get information mailed to me on how to order it and use it to get advantages in athletic performance, but I never used the stuff. Mr. Goodsmith has stated he has used it and found some disadvantages with its use. Now, don't get me wrong I am not making this up because I read it here on the discussion forums a couple of weeks ago. I don't think its illegal but maybe I am wrong because I have not been keeping up with the drug scene lately in swimming. Meaning I don't know what is banned and what is not and whats legal on therapeutic use forms submitted to the NGB and FINA.
