If it turns out that Bolt is dirty, is our sport ruined forever?

Track is already a dead sport in the US. Few people know anyone but Tyson Gay and Bolt. Those two are about the only names most Americans can cite.

I think the fact that we have to consider the possibility of doping every time an athlete has a great performance proves that the sport is ALREADY ruined. The IAAF and USATF organizations can restore it, but it will take a LONG time, zero-tolerence policies across the board, and rigorous enforcement of those policies.

Track (and all sports, really) should adopt approaches similar to what the Slipstream/Garmin-Chipotle cycling team uses. Not only does the team have an anti-doping mission, but it offers extraordinary media access to team operations.

Threaten athletes will public humiliation AND lifetime bans, and eventually they may clean themselves up.

mother clucker wrote:

jesus - ben johnson was so doped the dude's yellow eyes were bugging out of his big mellon head ... but, that was way back in the time of innocence when there were only steroids ... now you got steroids, hgh, epo, "add drugs", etc. etc.

post of the week for that bit, especially buggin and melon head.

Wither Man wrote:

I think the fact that we have to consider the possibility of doping every time an athlete has a great performance proves that the sport is ALREADY ruined. The IAAF and USATF organizations can restore it, but it will take a LONG time, zero-tolerence policies across the board, and rigorous enforcement of those policies.

Track (and all sports, really) should adopt approaches similar to what the Slipstream/Garmin-Chipotle cycling team uses. Not only does the team have an anti-doping mission, but it offers extraordinary media access to team operations.

Threaten athletes will public humiliation AND lifetime bans, and eventually they may clean themselves up.

POD!

sunday satch wrote:

I THINK sprinting will always be popular, drugs or no. I think , however, it will be even worse than the BEN JOHNSON fiasco.

Why did you put the word "think" and Ben Johnson's name in caps?

The IAAF list tells you more than the fact that Bolt was tested at least 4 times. It shows that the IAAF is suspicious of his performances. The anti-doping forces have gotten very good at targeting particular athletes and it is clear that both Powell and Bolt are targets.

I hope Bolt is clean.... but his blow-the-doors of the comp performances looked a lot like an old marion jones ass kicking, and it makes you wonder. Bolt made the olympics look like a high school race... But since the IOC and the international anti doping agency decided to keep olympic test samples for 8 years instead of 60 days, I think time will tell.

Target Reader wrote:

The IAAF list tells you more than the fact that Bolt was tested at least 4 times. It shows that the IAAF is suspicious of his performances. The anti-doping forces have gotten very good at targeting particular athletes and it is clear that both Powell and Bolt are targets.

It says no such thing. There are loads of athletes on the list being tested the same number of times, including a lot of Americans, such as Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor. It also states that the tests are concentrated on countries without national testing programs so you would expect Jamaican athletes to be tested more.

I personally could care less for sprints, (my experience not yours) BUT if he is found out to be with the "Dark Side" of sports. (I.E. cahoots w/ Victor Conte)

I'd almost say it's a good thing. Why?

If I was an aspiring runner in said event, I would be demoralized at first yes... but it would quickly turn to anger and translate to my training to putting my effort right where it needs to be to snuff out all evidence of his existence (WR or not.)

God turns out freaks of Athletic Nature better than any Drug Cheat, and I love it.

sub 2:00 Marathon, doable

1:39 800, doable again.

Impossible is nothing. ©~Adidas

He's just going to have to be careful and not get caught then.

I'm sure he'll be fine.

Track hasn't got to point where they can feel that they should start testing properly.

Track Fan wrote:

Just a thought.

Nope, it isn't ruined forever. Just like when you got dumped in 7th grade and you thought life was over...it went on...

My problem with Bolt is that half the people who have gone under 9.8 have doped or been connected to drugs. Ben Johnson, Tim Montgomery, Justin Gatlin, and Maurice Green. The ones who are "clean" are Gay, Powell, and Bolt. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

So if half the people who broke 9.8 doped, I have a problem thinking a guy broke 9.7! into a headwind and celebrating.

Then again, maybe there has never been a 6'5" who could turn it over.

MAUI_krazy8 wrote:

I personally could care less for sprints,

The phrase should be "COULDN'T CARE LESS." To say that you COULD care less implies that you actually do care to some degree.

Target Reader wrote:

The IAAF list tells you more than the fact that Bolt was tested at least 4 times. It shows that the IAAF is suspicious of his performances. The anti-doping forces have gotten very good at targeting particular athletes and it is clear that both Powell and Bolt are targets.

So if he is tested many times... you think that means he is being targeted by the IAAF, so therefore a doper....

While if he was tested very rarely, you would say that the IAAF are turning a blind eye to Jamaican doping, therefore Bolt is a doper.

If Bolt's thrilling performance turns out to be doped, instead of ruining the sport, maybe it will save it if it leads us to realize performance enhancing drugs should be legal. People want to see athletes go fast, and truthfully, the whole country's already on pharmaceuticals to feel better, stay younger and perform better, so what's wrong with letting professional athletes use all available means to perform better? It would level the playing immediately, end this tiresome debate over who is or who isn't clean, and produce the performances that people want to see. Imagine someone running the 400 under 40 while holding a Chrysler over their head!

Who cares, the guy could have run 9.52, right?

Is his coach stupid? Sounds like it to me.

It may be obvious to you because you clearly know nothing about the kid Captain Overboard, but for many of us who have been following his career ever since he was a skinny child, it is even more obvious that his talent is what makes him special, not drugs.

Not everyone needs to take drugs to run fast.

Not because you cant explain something does not make it sinister.

As for whether the sport would suffer,it wont because he will never test positive.

Sure, because people with talent don't dope because they don't need to. Nobody with special talent has ever doped, right? If you think I didn't know of Bolt before this year, you're a moron. If you think that Bolt must be above the doping culture of this sport, you're a moron.

Oh, and learn to fcuking write, moron.

If anybody here is a moron, it's you fool. You claim to know Bolt. Was he doped when he ran 19.93 as a junior?

Was he doped when he ran 20.13 as a 16-year-old?

You and people like you can only see the bad in things and that may mean you're either stupid or just basically evil.

You are brave now behind your screen but we could arrange to meet and see just how much guts you have when I kick your low-IQ ass.

Oh why bother, your ass cant get any brighter so why waste time with you.