Doping in other sports?

[Andynonomous]

I disagree. It is normal, it's just a new one.

This is largely attributable to the effect of nutrition science on prenatal care. People are just bigger now as a consequence of having growth potential optimised while in the womb. The Netherlands was one of the first countries on earth to have national dietary supplementation for pregnant women. An unexpected consequence, today they are the tallest country on earth, their men on average 5cm/2" taller than American men.

USA didn't pass its national law supplementing the diet of pregnant low-income mothers until 1972. This socioeconomic group tends to have children younger than others so it stands to reason that the second generation beneficiaries of this policy now would be in their early 20s, possibly even mid-20s.

Just a few years ago, The University of Kentucky's (American) football team had a 320-lb quarterback. The NBA is awash with 6'10" guards. Americans on the whole are just a lot bigger than when the Fridge was making headlines.

The average sized male was about 5' 10" in the 60s in the developed world. It's about 5'10" today. You may be able to make that argument for countries that have vastly improved economies like Japan, but not in North America, or Europe.

The athletes, on the other hand, ARE getting bigger. In the 60's the average NHL player was about 5' 10", today it is about 6' 2".

Since many former NHL recruiters (ie. Bill Waters, Gord Stellick,...) that became television commentators have admitted that the recruits height is an important factor in deciding who they recruit, the young players must know it is an advantage to be bigger. Since making the pro's is everything to the teenage players, it is reasonable to assume that if there is a way to become bigger, without getting caught, that a significant percent would use it. This is why I believe that there are a significant percent of teenaged hockey players that are using HGH, or similar substances.

It is likely the same in other sports.

The use of "better nutrition", or "better training" is the same old BS that young people are fed. Of course they believe it, because they are in denial (nobody wants to believe that their "hero" is a fraud, like Ben Johnson, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong, Carl Lewis, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams,...).

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Former European steeplechase champion Jiménez Pentinel arrested over drug trafficking

According to Marca, the 37-year-old was taken into custody at the Blas Infante National Police headquarters in Seville, after police raided his home and found syringes, vials of growth hormone and bags of blood ready for self-injected transfusions.

...

A number of athletes, coaches and doctors in Madrid, Las Palmas, Alicante, Segovia and Palencia were taken into custody after large amounts of steroids, hormones and medication including erythropoietin (EPO), along with bags containing blood and documents about doping practices were found.

Dominguez, a double European 5,000m champion, was suspended as vice-president of the Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) following her arrest but she was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a Spanish court.

A year earlier, European cross-country champion Alemayehu Bezabeh was suspended for two years after he was caught carrying a bag of his own blood for a transfusion, which he claimed was being used to analyse a liver problem.

That arrest was part of an alleged doping ring among athletes in Spain, which was said to be controlled by controversial sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was implicated in the 2006 Operation Puerto anti-doping probe which uncovered systematic doping of cyclists, footballers and tennis players.

 

[Merckx index]

New Major League Baseball Anti-Doping Agreement

The enhanced testing procedures

-The number of in-season random urine collections will more than double beginning in the 2014 season, from 1,400 total tests to to 3,200 [roughly an average of 3 per player];

-Blood collections for hGH detection will increase to 400 random collections per year, in addition to the 1,200 mandatory collections conducted during Spring Training;

-Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry tests will be randomly performed on at least one specimen from every player. Basically, this is an enhanced analysis of blood samples which are considered more effective in detecting hGH in blood and are tests endorsed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The enhanced punishment

-A first-time violation of the Joint Drug Program will now result in an unpaid 80-game suspension [half of a season], increased from 50 games. A player’s second violation will result in an unpaid 162-game suspension[full season], increased from 100 games. A third violation will result in a permanent suspension from Baseball.

-A suspension of 162 games will result in 183 days worth of pay docking, to account for the fact that players are paid based on a 183-day schedule as opposed to being paid per game. This was implemented in reaction to Alex Rodriguez still receiving some pay this year despite a 162-game ban.

-Every Player whose suspension for a performance-enhancing substance is upheld will be subject to six additional unannounced urine collections, and three additional unannounced blood collections, during every subsequent year of his entire career.

Here is the full agreement- http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpre...am_0328141.pdf

Also being discussed is banning players from the postseason in a year in which they are suspended for doping, even if the suspension ends before the end of the season.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

The average sized male was about 5' 10" in the 60s in the developed world. It's about 5'10" today. You may be able to make that argument for countries that have vastly improved economies like Japan, but not in North America, or Europe....

I'm guessing you've not spent much time in Holland.

Anyway, ...

"Americans are growing up and out, according to a new report on changes in height and weight since 1960.

Both men and women in the United States are roughly an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier than they were in 1960, the study concludes...."

http://www.livescience.com/49-decade-study-americans-taller-fatter.html

 

[oldcrank]

Yet another American Olympic legend tarnished.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m...p-lee-evans-banned-coaching-article-1.1741476

 

[The Hitch]

http://www.swimmersdaily.com/2012/0...trol-during-olympics-is-a-waste-of-resources/

 

[Justinr]

I pictured Carl Lewis from the description

Or possibly Michael Johnson?

 

[mikeoneill]

Or possibly Michael Johnson?

johnson didn't touch the stuff

only the slow guys trying to keep up with him needed it

 

[neineinei]

http://www.swimmersdaily.com/2012/0...trol-during-olympics-is-a-waste-of-resources/

In Saltin’s point of view, there are only two ways to fight doping: One is to look at the effects of doping, the other to work on significant changes in attitudes in sports culture. WADA’s biological passports introduced in 2009 is a big step in the right direction, able to determine if an athlete is using performance-enhancing substances and in principle even blood doping by monitoring changes in the period leading up to a competition, but unfortunately there are problems with having these tests taken, with lack of national interests and lack of support from WADA itself. The way the system is built up now, it is up to every individual country to get these tests done on their athletes during the year, but almost no elite athletes stay in their home country all year.

Mads Drange writes in his book ''Den store dopingbløffen'' that he was called in by UK Anti-doping in 2008 to help them set up their ABP testing. He told them that in his view it was important to just get going with collecting samlpes and testing them as soon as they could, for then learn and make the system perfect as they were going, because the dopers adapted to new reality quickly by adjusting their doping or ending the doping. The early data was important because it gave a better picture of the real situation, even if they couldn't use them to sanction anyone, only to target further testing. But the Brits did instead opt for a slower approach where they wanted the system to be perfect from the start. That might have been the reason for UK Anti-doping only doing 161 ABP tests in 2012, the year of the London Olympics, adn five years after they started setting up their own ABP system. According to Drange you need at least 5 ABP tests from one year to be able to make a blood profile. That means that the Brits had blood profiels for ca. 30 athletes in 2012, while they had 540 athletes in the Olympics, where at least 150 of them were competing in sports where blood doping/EPO would give one a great benefit.

Would Sky have had the JTL case if UK Anti-doping had been doing as much ABP testing as the Russians? Maybe not.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Jamaican Olympic medallist sprinter Sherone Simpson has been suspended for 18 months after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

(link)

Allison Randall was suspended for 2 years.


Asafa Powell's verdict due on Thursday.



What I don't understand is why the leniency for Simpson, logically she should be banned for 2 years.

 

[martinvickers]

Jamaican Olympic medallist sprinter Sherone Simpson has been suspended for 18 months after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

(link)

Allison Randall was suspended for 2 years.


Asafa Powell's verdict due on Thursday.



What I don't understand is why the leniency for Simpson, logically she should be banned for 2 years.

They've bought into the idea of '****-up' not conspiracy.Essentially cleared of 'intent' but found guilty of 'gross negligence'. Pretty likely Asafa Powell gets the same, but we'll wait and see.

 

[Cyivel]

18 months for Powell as well.

 

[Catwhoorg]

18 months for Powell as well.

Was unlikely to be anything but after the Simpson verdict.

Still SHOULD have been 2 years IMHO.

 

[Benotti69]

If anyone watches the 100metres Olympic final thinking it is anything but a pharmaceutical race is out to lunch!

 

[the sceptic]

If anyone watches the 100metres Olympic final thinking it is anything but a pharmaceutical race is out to lunch!

Pretty much. I would be shocked if there are clean athletes in 100/200 finals.

 

[oldcrank]

If anyone watches the 100metres Olympic final thinking it is anything but a pharmaceutical race is out to lunch!

I think I read recently that Canadian anti-doping crusader
Ben Johnson has joined forces with the colourful Mayor of
Toronto, Mr. Robert Ford, who is seeking re-election.

 

[martinvickers]

Was unlikely to be anything but after the Simpson verdict.

Still SHOULD have been 2 years IMHO.

Well, I'm for life bans generally, but you know, then's the breaks.

That said, both Simpson and Powell are angry and appealing - Powell in particular has set down a pretty long, detailed account that ought, in the particulars, to be 'verifiable' - if (big If) his account were actually true, he's unlucky not to get six months for mere inadvertance.

The VCB 'walk' worries me rather more.

 

[Benotti69]

Athletics sprinters. These guys are walking chemical dumps FFS! They are so doped they dont warrant discussion.

 

[Alphabet]

Bolt's superiority over fellow Jamaicans and the rest of the sprinting world indicates, to me, that either he is the best super responder in the history of all sport (probably unlikely); or that doping isn't state sponsored/subsidised - it's every man for himself, and Bolt simply has the one of the best doctors around in that German bloke, which is responsible for his massive advantage.

I would frankly be disgusted if it turned out that the Jamaican government actually spent taxpayer money on funding doping, while horrible places like Waterhouse and Mathews Lane remain in the thrall of gangsters. Talk about priorities.

 

[masking_agent]

Bolt's superiority over fellow Jamaicans and the rest of the sprinting world indicates, to me, that either he is the best super responder in the history of all sport (probably unlikely); or that doping isn't state sponsored/subsidised - it's every man for himself, and Bolt simply has the one of the best doctors around in that German bloke, which is responsible for his massive advantage.

I would frankly be disgusted if it turned out that the Jamaican government actually spent taxpayer money on funding doping, while horrible places like Waterhouse and Mathews Lane remain in the thrall of gangsters. Talk about priorities.

I think you better be prepared to be disgusted then. His time is coming

 

[Briant_Gumble]

I think you better be prepared to be disgusted then. His time is coming

Who's time is coming? Bolts?

 

[Alphabet]

I think you better be prepared to be disgusted then. His time is coming

A Bolt positive doesn't necessarily mean his programme was paid for with taxpayer money.

Are there any precedents of underdeveloped/developing nations (apart from the so-called 'communist' nations) ignoring serious issues that money should be spent on, and instead wasting it on trying to win a medal or two?

 

[blackcat]

anyone in an olympic final in cyling and track and field and swimming. might qualify for the olympics clean, sure, but then when you arrive, out in first round

 

[The Hitch]

A Bolt positive doesn't necessarily mean his programme was paid for with taxpayer money.

Are there any precedents of underdeveloped/developing nations (apart from the so-called 'communist' nations) ignoring serious issues that money should be spent on, and instead wasting it on trying to win a medal or two?

I remember spain offered their footballers the highest potential prize money in the last world cup, even though it was by far the worst off of all the European countries. This got some minor attention in the Spanish press Casillias was asked himself about it but seemed to suggest it was deserved because he knew people in recession too (does that mean he gave them his prize money?)

Anyway, according to studies, the life expectancy in this country rose by a year due to the Olympics. That's the optimism it created. Medals like bolts for great reactions in Jamaica. It raises the optimism of countries and governments think that is worth it.

 

[sniper]

Are there any precedents of underdeveloped/developing nations (apart from the so-called 'communist' nations) ignoring serious issues that money should be spent on, and instead wasting it on trying to win a medal or two?

Kenya
North Korea
Great Britain