General Chat

Once again the subject of state approved doping of athletes has raised it's ugly head.

The most recent revelations about the Russian Sporting Federation colluding in the doping of athletes and the extraordinary lengths they went to ensuring no doped athletes were caught immediately post race come as no surprise.

The notorious East German regime of doping was finally exposed once the Stasi papers were published and the swimmers who lost out to cheating 'wundermadchen' and had spoken out were at last vindicated.

The astonishing world record times posted by Chinese swimmers were simply unbelievable and at least the dramatic change in body shape was a red flag to the swimming world that something was very, very wrong and so blatant that there could be no doubt that the records should be negated and quickly.

Of course none of the subsequent disqualifications and stripping of medals could possibly compensate for the clean athletes who missed out on their greatest achievements being recognised by a world wide audience.

Currently Russia's track and field athletes are banned from Rio and the Olympic committee are seeking legal advice re banning the whole Russian team from competing in Rio.

I have witnessed the host country stretching the long jump measurements to ensure their athlete won medals. This was pre gizmo and it was plainly obvious that the distance had been exaggerated.

As an 'athletic nut' I find it all just so sad, disappointing and an insult to both fellow athletes and spectators that drug cheats think it acceptable to gain unfair advantage using more and more sophisticated techniques.

As much as I feel sorry for clean Russian athletes who have qualified to compete at Rio I do think the whole team should be banned and that should serve as a warning to other countries that continue to enable cheating.

I know there are concerns in connection with other sports but they hold little interest for me so I cannot offer an opinion........

The above just my thoughts on the issue.

Would you ban the entire Russian team?

Sue

No I wouldn't.
There are so many areas of life where individuals are punished because of miscreants.

That said I also feel that many nations could be guilty so banning one nation isn't going to solve the problem.

I feel that if an athlete can prove that they are drug free over a period of time then they should be allowed to compete.

We have lost the ethos of the Olympics IMHO and winning and being the so called "best" is all we seem to admire or making the most money. Taking part counts for nothing. :-(

Sport long ago stopped being sporting. Make it all professional and let them take whatever drugs they want.

And stop pouring public money into it.

I am sitting on the fence on this one.

It is harsh on individual athletes to be banned when they may have had little option but to comply with what they were told to do. In that sort of regime/culture, say no and your sporting career is over. But now the extent of the Russian cheating is known, there must be some come-back. A gentle slap on the wrist is not enough.

All the national and international athletics federations, including our own, must tighten their procedures and any athlete found cheating should get an automatic lifetime ban.

Guinevere, what do you mean by "stop pouring money into it"? If you mean sport generally, then I would argue for more public funding at starting levels - sports facilities for schools, local clubs etc. and then support for those youngsters showing promise. My own grandson is a rising young archer. His parents struggle to meet the costs incurred and they, for want of better words, are middle class professionals. Had he be born into a less affluent family, he would probably have had to gove up some time ago.

It seems that no generation of sport participants has found success possible without some mental or physical stimulant.

"Guinevere, what do you mean by "stop pouring money into it"?"

I mean spend public money on sporting facilities that everyone can use and enjoy not on elite athletes who end up making a tidy living out of their sport but don't pay the money back.

I don't care how many medals GB win or football tournaments or any sort of competitive sport. Let those who want to do it find private sponsorship or pay for it themselves, as your family is doing.

Thank you Guinevere. I thought you probably meant something like that. I certainly agree with public funding going to provide sporting facilities for all.

I'm afraid it's put me right off watching most sports.

If they're caught they should be banned for life because it is so unfair on the clean sports people.

I'd advocate the first six in anything be escorted immediately, each to a separate room and a test done under supervision.

I may start watching sports again if they're cleaned up.

Strikes me, there are certain factions in society who believe they have the 'right' to kick over the traces, but if the majority try the same stunt, they're trodden on, and punished severely, and I don't just mean in sport :-|

Thanks for replies.

I have to disagree re the funding of sport. Most professional athletes receive their money through the lottery and sponsorship.

What does irk me is the obscene amounts paid to elite athletes at charity events funded by runners like my hubby who not only raise money but have to pay to enter races in order to do so.

I'd include lottery funding as "public money". It shouldn't go to individuals. It should fund community sport.