Wednesday 25 May 2011

Can the drug problem ever be solved?


The issue of drugs in sport is back in the headlines after two high-profiled sportsmen failed doping tests. Both are at the top of their professions and not only have they enjoyed considerable recent sporting success but have also made large amounts of money from their achievements.
Justin Gatlin, the joint 100m world record holder and Olympic and World champion, and Floyd Landis, winner of this year's Tour de France, tested positive for testosterone and are likely to lose their titles, records and the huge endorsements they receive from companies eager to share their success.
But while athletics and cycling are two sports more commonly tainted with revelations of drug abuse, almost every professional sport has been affected at one time or another.
The latest results lead many to argue that we must be prepared to accept that drugs play their part in sport reaching the ever elusive “faster, higher stronger” motto of the Olympic Games.
But is this fair? Are we being cheated if we watch, or pay to watch, these specatcles, or simply being naive if we expect them to be clean?
Can we really expect elite athletes to resist the temptation of performance-enhancing substances when they may see others succeeding by using drugs and when the rewards are so great?
And how can we possibly eradicate the problem if it is so widespread, and when even the most outspoken athletes against drugs often come under suspicion themselves?
Maybe the number of positive tests we are hearing about doesn't mean more people are cheating but that the authorities are getting better at catching them.

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