doping

July 28, 2007

Dear Editor,

Excuse me, that’s Tour de France, not “Tour de Farce”. The slanted, critical articles and cartoon are not fair to the sport or the majority of athletes that participate in this great event.

Granted, I am angry and disappointed when I see that a great performance that excited me has been falsely obtained due to the use of illegal blood transfusions or stimulants. It really burns me that a very few idiots have selfishly and desparately enhanced their performance, at the cost of their own integrity, the welfare of their team mates and the reputation of the sport.

The point that the authors of these articles and cartoons is missing is that cycling has been trying hard to clean up the sport, particularly since Floyd Landis was caught after winning the Tour last year. Teams and sponsors have been pulling-out or demanding a clean sport, and it has been working. Apparently a few have not gotten the message.

The real issue here is that cycling is doing something about the drug problem. The increased and improved testing is actually getting results. Offenders are being caught and punished, and that is why it is in the news so much. That is more than you can say about professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey. If they started doing the same intensive testing as cycling, these other Pro sports would be lucky to have enough guys to field a team!

These so-called “sports” in North America are morally bankrupt in this regard and the people in charge do not want to know about the illegal use of drugs, nor do the “fans”.They hang one scapegoat out to dry now and then, to make it look like they’re trying, then it is back to business as usual. It’s all about money and they won’t risk that to catch cheaters. At least Pro Cycling has the guts to do it and risk some bad press to clean-up their sport.

Ken Wilson
Ancaster

Thursday August 19, 2004

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 19, 2004 IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs (2 year old story originally for 2002 Commonwealth Games - cartoon from July 27, 2002 - adapted for 2004 Summer Olympics)Ê The opening ceremonies of the 17th Commonwealth Games will be a chance for host city Manchester to shed its image as a down-on-its-luck industrial city and breed a reputation as a sophisticated sports town that knows how to have a good time.Over 5,000 athletes from 72 Commonwealth countries will march into the new 38,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium tonight to usher in the 17th Commonwealth Games. The opening ceremonies are expected to be a sellout and Mancunians have been advised to allow for at least two hours to get to the stadium and get through security. Since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, large-scale sporting events have been subject to massive security measures and these Games are no different. Manchester was the victim of an Irish Republican Army bombing six years ago in which no one was killed, but about 200 were injured. Multi-sport Games and the days leading into them often breed doping controversies and political intrigue in addition to stellar athletic performances. Two members of the Scottish weightlifting team withdrew yesterday amidst doping allegations. English pole vaulter Janine Whitlock, considered a medal contender, was suspended by UK athletics for testing positive for anabolic steroids and will not compete here. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Athens, Greece, Olympics, doping, nandrolone, ephedrine, tribestan, Creatine, methoxibol, tribolan, xenadrine, chromium picolinate, drug, enhancing, IOC

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 19, 2004

Doping Buffet

(2 year old story originally for 2002 Commonwealth Games – cartoon from July 27, 2002 – adapted for 2004 Summer Olympics) 

The opening ceremonies of the 17th Commonwealth Games will be a chance for host city Manchester to shed its image as a down-on-its-luck industrial city and breed a reputation as a sophisticated sports town that knows how to have a good time.Over 5,000 athletes from 72 Commonwealth countries will march into the new 38,000-seat City of Manchester Stadium tonight to usher in the 17th Commonwealth Games.

The opening ceremonies are expected to be a sellout and Mancunians have been advised to allow for at least two hours to get to the stadium and get through security.

Since the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, large-scale sporting events have been subject to massive security measures and these Games are no different. Manchester was the victim of an Irish Republican Army bombing six years ago in which no one was killed, but about 200 were injured.

Multi-sport Games and the days leading into them often breed doping controversies and political intrigue in addition to stellar athletic performances.

Two members of the Scottish weightlifting team withdrew yesterday amidst doping allegations.

English pole vaulter Janine Whitlock, considered a medal contender, was suspended by UK athletics for testing positive for anabolic steroids and will not compete here. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Thursday August 12, 2004

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 12, 2004 IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs Athletics fans are hoping that this year's Olympic Games will not be dogged by drugs controversies. Ever since Ben Johnson stormed to a drug-fuelled success in Seoul in 1988, worries over the use of illegal substances have become part and parcel of the Olympics. Recent scandals involving a number of athletes associated with banned steroid THG have only increased concerns. Many have been banned after testing positive for THG, including British sprinter Dwain Chambers. Other top athletes have not tested positive, but suspicion still surrounds them as they work hard to clear their names. As the drugs become more sophisticated, so do the tests designed to catch those using them. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Athens, Greece, Olympics, doping, nandrolone, ephedrine, tribestan, drug, enhancing, IOC

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 12, 2004

IOC has zero tolerance for enhancing drugs

Athletics fans are hoping that this year’s Olympic Games will not be dogged by drugs controversies.

Ever since Ben Johnson stormed to a drug-fuelled success in Seoul in 1988, worries over the use of illegal substances have become part and parcel of the Olympics.

Recent scandals involving a number of athletes associated with banned steroid THG have only increased concerns.

Many have been banned after testing positive for THG, including British sprinter Dwain Chambers.

Other top athletes have not tested positive, but suspicion still surrounds them as they work hard to clear their names.

As the drugs become more sophisticated, so do the tests designed to catch those using them. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Saturday September 9, 2000

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday September 9 2000 The race against cheaters The International Olympic Committee has devoted more resources in its war against performance-enhancing drugs. Two Canadian athletes tested positive this week, and Olympic officials don't believe Olympians will begin taking the high moral ground and turn away from drug use.Some of the world's doping cops may point to the glut of recent positive drug tests -- two involving Canadians bound for the Olympics -- to claim the war on performance-enhancing drugs is working. People on the inside know better. This is a rearguard action at best. "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has finally devoted a lot of resources and tools to detection through the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), " says Hamilton-born Richard McLaren, but "it will never catch up" with all those trying to escape detection. McLaren is the only Canadian on the IOC's Court of Arbitration, a body that rules on disputes involving the Olympics. He is a London, Ont., law professor connected with the University of Western Ontario's International Centre for Olympic Studies. He says the caseload involving doping that the Court of Arbitration has heard this year indicates more drug use and more detection -- but no evidence that global athletes are seeking high moral ground by turning away from steroids, stimulants, blood doping and human growth hormone. "We have heard as many cases in eight months as we heard all last year.Ó McLaren, who grew up in Westdale, says policing is only a Band-Aid. "The root of the problem is in cheating, and in the long-term it will take a widespread program of education about ethics in sport.Ó He says there is just too much information available for anyone who has decided to cheat. "In a half day on the Internet, you can get a good start on a regimen of drugs to improve performance.Ó The bigger war to be fought, reasons McLaren, is the one for minds and souls

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 9 2000

The race against cheaters

The International Olympic Committee has devoted more resources in its war against performance-enhancing drugs. Two Canadian athletes tested positive this week, and Olympic officials don’t believe Olympians will begin taking the high moral ground and turn away from drug use.Some of the world’s doping cops may point to the glut of recent positive drug tests — two involving Canadians bound for the Olympics — to claim the war on performance-enhancing drugs is working.

People on the inside know better. This is a rearguard action at best.

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has finally devoted a lot of resources and tools to detection through the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), ” says Hamilton-born Richard McLaren, but “it will never catch up” with all those trying to escape detection.

McLaren is the only Canadian on the IOC’s Court of Arbitration, a body that rules on disputes involving the Olympics. He is a London, Ont., law professor connected with the University of Western Ontario’s International Centre for Olympic Studies.

He says the caseload involving doping that the Court of Arbitration has heard this year indicates more drug use and more detection — but no evidence that global athletes are seeking high moral ground by turning away from steroids, stimulants, blood doping and human growth hormone.

“We have heard as many cases in eight months as we heard all last year.”

McLaren, who grew up in Westdale, says policing is only a Band-Aid.

“The root of the problem is in cheating, and in the long-term it will take a widespread program of education about ethics in sport.”

He says there is just too much information available for anyone who has decided to cheat.

“In a half day on the Internet, you can get a good start on a regimen of drugs to improve performance.”

The bigger war to be fought, reasons McLaren, is the one for minds and souls, the one that stops aspiring athletes from doing that Internet search.

Others, like the chairman of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, say millions more must be spent on testing to stamp out drug-cheating.

Frank Shorter, a one-time gold-medal marathoner, believes every endurance athlet e competing in Sydney will be suspect because IOC testing is not extensive enough.

“Things have to change or we’re going under, ” he said. “The Olympics will be a freak show.”

Even more blunt is Penn State professor Charles Yesalis who has studied drug use by athletes.

“If this was a football game, the cheaters would be leading 84 to 3.”

Even Denis Coderre, Canada’s secretary of state for sport and the WADA delegate for the Americas, sends out a warning.

“If WADA doesn’t work, I believe the Olympics are finished. This is our last hope.”

The current Games will likely have a strain of cynicism that runs deeper than any other, given recent events such as the positive tests this week of Canadian hammer-thrower Robin Lyons for steroids and equestrian Eric Lamaze for cocaine. Both athletes are appealing. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)