10 August 2016

Sport, drugs and rock and roll

| John Hargreaves
Join the conversation
10
Performance enhancing drugs

How about those Russians thinking they can hoodwink the anti-doping authorities in the lead-up to the Olympic Games?

How many undetected athletes are there who are ingesting performance enhancing drugs?

Hey, wait a minute! What about all the other performance enhancing aids that are there at the Games? Or in sports generally?

As I have been led to understand it, there were no performance enhancing anythings at the original Olympic Games. In fact, they were played in the nuddy! Talk about the all-time equalizer!

I seem to be one of the few people who think that drugs should be allowed in sports.

Now I draw the line at the use of any aid or substance which will have a detrimental effect on an athlete’s health in the short, medium and long term. Just to clear the air.

But as I understand it also, WADA et al, have a list of substances which can’t be injected, taken orally, rubbed into the skin or in fact, any way of finding its way into the body. To have such a list would suggest that there are other substances and aids which CAN be used.

But let’s look at some of the other non-drug-related performance enhancements which are legal. They give an advantage to athletes but are ok.

sport 2

What about the technology in cycling? My bike just wouldn’t cut it. The air-resistant helmets look really silly next to the basket on the front of my bike. But the guy in lycra on his specially designed treadly can leave me sitting stationary! Talk about performance enhancing advantage!

When I was ten I played Aussie Rules in WA. I didn’t have any footy boots and neither did most of the guys but those who did had a distinct advantage not only in kicking the footy but in the pack. I tread very warily. I know a country rugby team who come to Canberra to play and get smashed every time largely because their training and gym facilities are mostly non-existent compared to the Canberra teams who have high-tech gyms and dedicated training staff.

Have a look at the diets that athletes have. In fact, their diets are tailored for peak performance, to gain an advantage. Old fat guys just don’t cut it! And they ingest all kinds of quackery like added vitamins and minerals.

Have you ever seen a wrestler who is a skinny little kid or are they huge people who have been to a gym regime tailored to strength? The same for weight lifters. Notorious drug takers in many cases, they nonetheless have legal strength enhancing regimes denied to the rest of us. And Dean Lukin still needed to take drugs to enhance his performance even though he chucked huge tuna fish around his boat in South Australia!

sport 4

I had a round of golf the other week and I dusted off my old clubs and put my buggy together and off I went. My playing partner had this amazing set of designer clubs and outdrove me by a country mile, then added more misery by sinking putts which were not humanly possible using his specially designed putter. Talk about a technological advantage!

And have you seen the canoes the rowers use? They didn’t come from the bark of some tree. They are made of lightweight fibreglass and slice through the water.

Let’s just look at athletics. Spikes, blocks, special diets, Cathy Freeman/superhero suits, lycra all add an advantage to the wearer over someone who has less or none of these enhancements.

When Australia won the America’s Cup, in ’88, there were accusations of cheating in the sport of yachting because of the winged keel. The losers complained that technology had been introduced to bring an unfair advantage.

I’ve only scratched the surface of the number and types of enhancements which make a mockery of the assertion that drugs in sport give an unfair advantage.

Back to the original point. I reckon if it was allowed that all athletes could take as many legal drugs as they liked, the playing field would be a bit more even.

And remember, sport is an entertainment industry. Participants are not lily-white super heroes, they are entertainers, nothing more.

As long as the enhancements don’t deliver health risks to these entertainers, where is the problem? Since when has WADA et al, been the arbiters of what will detrimentally effect people? I trust the medical profession not a bunch of bureaucrats.

Maria Sharapova was dealt with badly. She was taking a substance to address a health issue not one to enhance her chances of success, but she was still pilloried and penalised. If she was a musician or a film star, no one could have cared less. Hypocrisy!

Join the conversation

10
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

rommeldog56 said :

MonarchRepublic said :

rommeldog56 said :

gooterz said :

creative_canberran said :

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

Yes, it is.

So you are saying because Australia has a (BS) AAA credit rating makes the fact that we have the highest household debt in the world insignificant?

Well, I wasn’t saying that no, but since you ask, yes I will accept that premise. We can more than afford to pay back all that debt in plenty of time, we are very well off currently compared to Globally, especially after the excellent job Labor did of protecting us from the GFC.

Hilarious!

MonarchRepublic said :

rommeldog56 said :

gooterz said :

creative_canberran said :

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

Yes, it is.

So you are saying because Australia has a (BS) AAA credit rating makes the fact that we have the highest household debt in the world insignificant?

Well, I wasn’t saying that no, but since you ask, yes I will accept that premise. We can more than afford to pay back all that debt in plenty of time, we are very well off currently compared to Globally, especially after the excellent job Labor did of protecting us from the GFC.

rommeldog56 said :

gooterz said :

creative_canberran said :

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

Yes, it is.

So you are saying because Australia has a (BS) AAA credit rating makes the fact that we have the highest household debt in the world insignificant?

gooterz said :

creative_canberran said :

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

Yes, it is.

gooterz said :

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

I see your point there Dungers:

12th in the world in National Income per Capita (top 6%), 10th inGDP per capita (top 5%), 12 largest economy by GDP, 15 largest by contribution to world economic growth (top 7%)

Simple calling Australia a “rich” nation doesn’t go far enough..

This could be the least informed opinion piece I’ve ever read on here.

Katastrophie11:50 am 09 Aug 16

How can you support the use of banned substances when you also indicate you don’t support those that have a detrimental impact on health – that appears to be an oxymoron.
The staff at agencies such as WADA, ASADA, USADA etc are scientists, doctors and specialists who have research and evidence on the use of the banned drugs on the human body, they don’t just ban substances for fun. USADA has a great explanation of the physiological and mental impacts of taking the major types of performance enhancing drugs if you’re interested (http://www.usada.org/substances/effects-of-performance-enhancing-drugs/).
And if a doctor believes that there is a good reason why his patient needs a banned substance, it is possible to issue a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate. They may be temporary for a single spell of illness or specific issue such as painkillers post surgery or of longer duration such as a heart condition. In Australia TUEs are administered by the Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee (ASDMAC) and they can help in avoiding a ban if people test positive.
That isn’t even going into the links between organised crime and drugs in sport.
And if people want to compete in a dirty sport try unnatural bodybuilding but I hope I’m not covering their medical bills later on.

creative_canberran said :

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

Is Australia a “rich” nation Mordd?

Mess said :

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

I don’t disagree, but aren’t the richest countries already massively advantaged in all the other areas? Equipment, training facilities, special gear/uniforms, sponsorships, etc….? Would adding drugs to that mix really make that much of a difference? I think the effect might be quite minor compared to the advantage rich nations already have anyway.

A laissez-fare attitude from a labor man ! May the smartest & richest win. The gap between rich & poor athletes & nations will widen

The richest athletes will be able to afford the best drugs & their development.

Betting agents with insider knowledge will make a killing

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.