Is everyone doping?

Okay believe me if you want or not, but as this is anonymous I have no reason to lie.

I am a current "average" pro, in that I get some start in DLs, mostly gold and silver meets. I expect to be at most major championships and hope to make the final if I have a good race. I am not doping and I truly believe *most* of my competitors are also clean.

So no, to answer your question - not everyone is doping. But some athletes are

Do you believe Katir has doped?

I do not know. But I trust the antidoping system, and I believe that Shelby Houlihan doped. I thought before she was caught that there were enough red flags about her performance and progression and why she raced that I was not surprised she eventually tested positive. Perhaps other athletes that are doping will soon test positive.

So there is no "joy of sports" if you have to consider the possibility of doping? Best not to think about it, then. That's the usual approach.

and way* that she raced (not why)

Exactly. Everyhing has it's time and place.

Don't be that person that goes to a restaurant only to point out to everybody, who is eating meat, that it's murder.

The question might be rephrased: how can we be confident anyone isn't doping?

A few uncomfortable facts:

- As far back as 1996 it was estimated that up to 80% of participants at Atlanta would be doped. (There was also no test for EPO then, so it would have been present in running).

- Only 1-2% of tests produce a positive. Confidential athlete surveys have proven that doping far exceeds the numbers caught. Ergo, most dopers are not caught. In the words of a former WADA head, "only the dumb and the careless are caught".

- In the words of another former WADA head, David Howman, "doping is more sophisticated than antidoping". Hence, doping remains ahead of antidoping.

- It is found in all sports. According to antidoping expert Renee Ann Shirley, "doping is present in all sports in all countries at elite levels, with the frequent collusion of sports governance bodies". It has been found in championship darts, curling and chess.

- Doping is not confined to elites and professionals. It is known to be present in schools and colleges.

- The question every athlete is faced with today is whether they are prepared to use everything available to them to succeed - which, for many, includes doping. They will know that many of their competitors will dope. In some countries we have seen that doping is about 99% at the top - as in Russia, where it is state-sponsored. How many athletes are prepared to lose to those they believe are dopers?

Since those are just some of the factors that indicate the likely prevalence of doping today, the question remains - how confident can you be that any athlete (and especially your favorite) isn't?

How about that it isn't actually meat but fake?

Two questions: Firstly, can you tell who is likely doping? Secondly, if you doped do you believe you would be faster?

I have no more insight into who might be doping than the casual fan does. Fans often seem to think in the call room athletes discuss all their pharmaceutical habits, but those that are doping tend to keep that stuff private.

Yes, if I doped, of course I would be faster. That's a stupid question

Nope, i don't dope.

I would never inject myself with chemicals just so i could win.

I find glory in my suffering, i find satisfaction in beating others fairly.

If i doped, it would be boring. I look at it like video games, as soon as you introduce cheat codes, it loses its charm.

You are Armstronglivs also appear to find glory in causing my suffering through your posts.

You and Arnstronglivs

You're being very unkind to rekrunner, who has argued for years that doping for distance runners tends to have at best a placebo effect only.

- If you do you believe you would be faster then you would undoubtedly be more successful. So why haven't you doped, when others will?

- There are athletes who show a number of red flags - like showing dramatic overnight and even cyclical improvements. There are sometimes doping rumours. Do athletes not sometimes talk about that or is the question of doping simply avoided?

You appear to be a little confused, to add to your suffering.

Typical narcissist, trying to make others feel bad about themselves, trying to humiliate others...

That isn't narcissism. It's wanting to feel good about yourself, against the evidence. Familiar to you?

He's a troll, not a top athlete.

I ran in college. Decent D1 runner. The FB players were openly taking steroids. Back then I didn't know anything about doping in track but if I had been exposed or someone would have approached me I am about 90% sure that I and my teammates would have doped. Maybe 100%? So.. that's my baseline on whether athletes dope