Solution for Doping?

Problem is, these over-the-counter supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so there is no means of ensuring their contents. It would not be possible to regulate what is in a GNC product, and producers of these supplements and/or PEDs are ahead of the testers anyway.

If you think that this is the only thing that was being taken, then you are fooling yourself. How about this, they were offered a "plea deal". Fess up to this lesser charge, do your time or else we drag your name/reputation through the mud. This allows the athlete to be busted for something, but also doesn't tarnish the overall reputation of the "sport" - which by the way, has an ever dwindling fan base.

Drug testing is big business. The powers that be don't really want a solution. Not that there is one anyway.

The solution for athletes is not to get involved with the wrong people, which really comes down to luck mostly. If you are surrounded by drug believers, you will become a drug believer. If you are surrounded by the right people, you won't be so easily misled.

those of you who think this is all about money are wrong. If everything were about money, then we would have no public defenders, no prosecuters, etc. they would all be in private practice making much more money. That's just an example - people are motivated by more then just money.

jono wrote:

Drug testing is big business. The powers that be don't really want a solution. Not that there is one anyway.

The solution for athletes is not to get involved with the wrong people, which really comes down to luck mostly. If you are surrounded by drug believers, you will become a drug believer. If you are surrounded by the right people, you won't be so easily misled.

You mean idealism?

I think some of the rules should be relaxed. Certain otherwise-legal stimulants should have a higher threshold.

Top tier athletes should be required to be under much higher frequency of random testing for 3 months before any major competitions. With indoors, this will results in at least 9 months of a random testing window.

All recreational drugs should be removed from the list. In my mind, there is not difference between marijuana and caffeine with regards to sport.

Any failed drug test should result in a lifetime ban, regardless of any excuses about putting your trust in somebody, etc. The only excuse for a reduced sentence should be if you have a prescription from a doctor for a documented medical condition.

Associating with any banned or suspended coaches should result in a 2 year suspension for the athlete.

Since doping periods take place out of competition the solution is simply to force the sprinters to compete all the way up to championsships and be tested every week, let's say they all have to compete at least once a week over the last three or four months before worlds just to be qualified.

Lower the qualifying time to 10:00 or 10:05 and enough with all these 11:50 guys from Lower South-East Timor and The East Gagnam Peoples Democratic Republic, if there's just 10-15 guys remaining to begin with come final day at Worlds that's just fine.

Sub-10:00 sometimes over the last two years and you're qualificed for and obligued to join the pre-champs circus, No result sub-10:00 over the last two years, sorry then...

You don't see football teams sit out the early season and decide they don't wanna face serious competition before the playoff/superbowl. They play the qualifying weeks or they don't get to go.

Hell, Japanise Sumo Wrestling has SIX world champs a year (ok, they don't call them that, but that's what they are) and each one lasts for two weeks - champs actually has to pull off the equavivalent of a 10 seconds max effort 6x15 times a year!

That's a second possible solution, have World Championships every other month! It could be done by separating all the events to play down this totally unnecessary "host city" for all the events at once every second year BS

Just imagine, we'd probably have at least one Track and Field Worlds champs somewhere every weekend!).

the solution is don't cheat. That is the only solution. The problem will not be solved until every single drug cheat has a lifetime ban from Track & Field.

jono wrote:

You mean idealism?

in a word.

People like fighting for causes. Tens of thousands volunteer to put on the olympics just to be a part of something great and to do the right thing.

Sports attracts idealists - I suspect wada is full of idealists

um ok, so what's your solution?

thissolvesnothing wrote:

um ok, so what's your solution?

cut down the list of banned substances to hardcore obvious PEDs like HGH/EPO/Steroids to remove any potential gray area involving "accidental" use of obscure substances that are common in legal performance supplements ....increase thresholds for such stimulants/remove recreational drugs. Lifetime bans for those caught.

Encouraging whistleblowing seems like a nice attitude. We probably cannot rid all drugs, even if the sport goes amateur. Enough people seem to know things the WADA does not.

There's no solution. This will always be an issue.

comedo wrote:

Encouraging whistleblowing seems like a nice attitude. We probably cannot rid all drugs, even if the sport goes amateur. Enough people seem to know things the WADA does not.

that's one of the tools, sure.

Ultimately, it has to come from the national federations rather than WADA - WADA can't possibly have the money and resources to test everyone everywhere - the national federations have to step up.

Not sure how to make them do it - probably something that really scares them - like losing access to the diamond league, or maybe the WCs or Olympics.

Someone once suggested that athletes from nations judged to be doping nations have to wear a big 'D' on their jersey. Obvi that would be embarassing and unfair to the distance runners. but it might encourage whistleblowing.

I don't like collective punishment, but the sport needs a big hammer and national embarassment and punishment is a mighty big hammer.