Official London Olympics Doping thread

[Dead Star]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/oth...hy-demands-action-to-stop-cheats-3190062.html

In a week when the achievements of 16-year-old Chinese double gold medallist Ye Shiwen were questioned, Murphy called on swimming authorities to follow the lead of cycling and introduce biological passports. "There are certain things going on in the sport and you can almost go into the locker room back there and point out who is doing it," Murphy said after his elimination from the 50m freestyle last week. "Just by their physique, and the way a swimmer races, you can tell who's at it."

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I'm no long distance running expert but the guy since moving to Salazar has had some progress:
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=gbr/athcode=179892/index.html

Same for his buddy of course:
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=usa/athcode=196507/index.html

Must be home advantage, for both that is...

Rupp has been with Salazar since his teenage years, more or less. Its a rare example of real long-term development and planning.


Watching womens super heavy weight lifting... I think thats all that needs to be said

 

[JimmyFingers]

Jimmy, to back up your point I have done some analysis of hime country places in the medal tables since 1968. Obviously this won't be perfect due to i) the boycotts of '80 and '84, and ii) the merging of East and West Germany (where for the sake of analysis I only used West Germany to begin with).

Mexico: 15th in the medal table at their home games. Have averaged 40th place since then, with a spike of 17th in 1984 (where, arguably, LA could be considered as near to home as they will get)

(West) Germany: improved from 8th in 1968 to 4th in 1972. Have actually averaged 4th since then, but of course have been a unified Germany since 1992. Actually dropped off slightly since 2000

Canada: this one doesn't work. Since 1968 their worst actual showing was 27th at their home games in 1976

Russia: 1st in Moscow (no USA etc), but actually first at all games they were in from 1972 to 1992. Thereafter they have been Russia as opposed to Soviet Union or CIS. Averaged 4th since 1996

USA: 1st in LA and Atlanta. Prior to LA averaged 2nd

South Korea: 4th in Seoul. Prior to this their best was 10th in 1984, but averaged 23rd. Following Seoul they improved to an average 8th whilst never bettering the home score. Proof of home advantage, and a legacy in sport of hosting the games, arguably

Spain: Prior to Barcelona their average position was 28th. They were 6th in the 1992 medal table. Averaged 22nd thereafter

Australia: 4th in Sydney. previous average was 13th. Average 5th thereafter suggesting strong legacy (excluding current London table as only 19th so far)

Greece: 15th in Athens. Averaged 27th prior to this. Improvements started in 1992. 58th and 50th subsequently

China: 1st in Beijing. Average 10th before this. Currently 2nd in London

Great Britain: Currently 3rd in London. 4th in Beijing. Average of 14th prior to this, including the 36th place in Atlanta


Whilst not definitive proof, the above would suggest that home territory helps in the Olympics, and in many cases provides a legacy for better sporting performance in the future. Oddly Canada the only country to have underperformed at home

Thank you, that is precisely what I was driving at, and it illustrates it perfectly. Canada obviously is the exception, but certainly the exception rather than the rule.

As the reasons it is difficult to quantify but certainly increased funding and facilities is significant. I stand my argument that part of it is greater than usual motivation to perform in from of your home crowd in your home games. It is a rare event in a career and while Olympic gold is the pinnacle of most sports and all athletes are massively motivated to win one, given the low frequency of games and short athletic career, but I would say home athletes are even more so.

Slightly ethereal of course but I do believe it is a factor.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Murray annihilates Federer

Now Murray has just ANNIHILATED Roger Federer - what is going on ?????

John McEnroe happened to say that Murray had left Wimbledon to go to the Olympic Village - well that is where the SMARTIES are being given out.

 

[Bala Verde]

Now Murray has just ANNIHILATED Roger Federer - what is going on ?????

John McEnroe happened to say that Murray had left Wimbledon to go to the Olympic Village - well that is where the SMARTIES are being given out.

Nothing.

If you look at the match statistics, Federer just played way below his normal level. Unforced errors, points on first serve, points on second serve %, conversion of break points (0 I think). He just didnt play well at all, anyone could have beat him today. He also played that, perhaps exhausting, match against del Potro with the 7-6 and 17-19 sets.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Nothing.

If you look at the match statistics, Federer just played way below his normal level. Unforced errors, points on first serve, points on second serve %, conversion of break points (0 I think). He just didnt play well at all, anyone could have beat him today. He also played that, perhaps exhausting, match against del Potro with the 7-6 and 17-19 sets.

Disagree - yes I saw the match stats and yes Federer had made 31 unforced errors - he wasnt playing badly - he wasnt being allowed to play. When did anyone beat Federer in straight sets in less than 2 hours ? he was playing like Djokovic when he started juicing.

 

[2008885]

So do you think that Murray has taken the "better tennis" pills, or had Federer run out of them??

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Now Murray has just ANNIHILATED Roger Federer - what is going on ?????

John McEnroe happened to say that Murray had left Wimbledon to go to the Olympic Village - well that is where the SMARTIES are being given out.

That is also probably where he is staying.

Regardless of which what makes you think that if he was taking SMARTIES that

i) He would suddenly decide to start taking them at the Olympics and not at the previous grand slams he was in?

ii) Or if he was already taking them that somebody suddenly gave him extra special SMARTIES that he could not get else where?

 

[sniper]

in my view, federer was not performing at his best all week long.
he got rather lucky a couple of times.
perhaps Fed wasn't juiced up as normal, to avoid a positive.
Murray on the other hand appeared fully loaded.

Something tells me GB has been given carte blanche these olympics. That could for instance explain the cycling results Sky are having, as IOC and UCI are in close contact.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Something tells me GB has been given carte blanche these olympics. That could for instance explain the cycling results Sky are having, as IOC and UCI are in close contact.

They must have had the same go-ahead in Beijing as well then, right?

 

[sniper]

They must have had the same go-ahead in Beijing as well then, right?

carte blanche during, and in the run up to, the olympics. it would perfectly explain sky's dominance during this years TdF.
Not hard to imagine an IOC gettogether (including Hein and/or Pat) where such decisions are made.

 

[poupou]

They are under an unusual anti-doping process, so it could be more difficult to have nice ricovering after a difficult match.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

carte blanche during, and in the run up to, the olympics. it would perfectly explain sky's dominance during this years TdF.
Not hard to imagine an IOC gettogether (including Hein and/or Pat) where such decisions are made.

I think you might be right. They must have given them agree rein in 2007 WTC as well. If nothing else the UCI are forward thinkers.

 

[saosinfangirl]

perhaps Fed wasn't juiced up as normal, to avoid a positive.

wtf?? Federer is the greatest ever tennis player. Olympic tennis is a 2nd Tier event.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Now Murray has just ANNIHILATED Roger Federer - what is going on ?????

John McEnroe happened to say that Murray had left Wimbledon to go to the Olympic Village - well that is where the SMARTIES are being given out.

His SMARTIES appear to have a short shelf life.
After winning the 1st set, GB now appear to be cruising to defeat in the mixed doubles final.

Perhaps he'd given the rest to del Potro, who, after playing that mammoth set against Federer, blew Novak Djokovic away in straight sets.

Then again, it could all be about who wanted the win more.

 

[2008885]

carte blanche during, and in the run up to, the olympics. it would perfectly explain sky's dominance during this years TdF.
Not hard to imagine an IOC gettogether (including Hein and/or Pat) where such decisions are made.

It's possible to imagine anything, as the Clinic often demonstrates.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Something tells me GB has been given carte blanche these olympics. That could for instance explain the cycling results Sky are having, as IOC and UCI are in close contact.

Highly possible. It´s all mixed up business, politics, sports, corruption at the highest level, both at IOC and UCI with the connection trou Heini.

They must have had the same go-ahead in Beijing as well then, right?

I think you might be right. They must have given them agree rein in 2007 WTC as well. If nothing else the UCI are forward thinkers.

Why you take Sniper for a fool here, hiding it behind sarcasm? Think about that old saying: The biggest fools are those who thought they are wise...

Of course, it takes time to built teams until they reach the highest possible level (training + doping + not ending flow of cash). But in that way there happens some good results too. Isn´t it funny their domination started well after London was announced olympic city in 2005?

Sorry that we are not as naive as you. It just happened too much $hit that hit the media. And that´s always only the tip of the iceberg.

 

[roundabout]

His SMARTIES appear to have a short shelf life.
After winning the 1st set, GB now appear to be cruising to defeat in the mixed doubles final.

Perhaps he'd given the rest to del Potro, who, after playing that mammoth set against Federer, blew Novak Djokovic away in straight sets.

Then again, it could all be about who wanted the win more.

Or maybe you mean that an unseeded pair put up a fight against number 1 seeds.

Had they won, it would have been because they wanted it more, right?

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Shane Stokes cycling ‏@SSbike
@FatManonaBike Murray, who called a guy giving tip offs about dopers in tennis 'a snitch'?

http://twitter.com/SSbike/status/232140027470163968

He really did say that.

http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.se/2012/07/andy-murray-and-omerta.html

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Isn´t it funny their domination started well after London was announced olympic city in 2005?

Well, they topped the WTC medal table in 2005 before the announcement and were second in 2004 so seemed like they were doing well before. Anything is possible but how is it the UK get special track dispensation. Wouldn't China be given it for 2008?

 

[cycladianpirate]

Does anyone else think that Ed Clancy's performance in the Omnium pretty much sums it up?

Superb in the timed events.

Awful when it comes to "injecting" (pun intended) a bit of tactical nous?

 

[the big ring]

Does anyone else think that Ed Clancy's performance in the Omnium pretty much sums it up?

Superb in the timed events.

Awful when it comes to "injecting" (pun intended) a bit of tactical nous?

5th in the elimination after unclipping mid-race was pretty darn impressive.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Does anyone else think that Ed Clancy's performance in the Omnium pretty much sums it up?

Superb in the timed events.

Awful when it comes to "injecting" (pun intended) a bit of tactical nous?

You could also read it as he did well in the short to medium events and struggled in the endurance events.

 

[will10]

Gatlin. Yes. This could be fun. Imagine the headlines if he beats the Jamaican golden boys.

 

[will10]

Does anyone else think that Ed Clancy's performance in the Omnium pretty much sums it up?

Superb in the timed events.

Awful when it comes to "injecting" (pun intended) a bit of tactical nous?

Bunch racing ain't his thing. Which is odd considering his huge engine.