My view on Australian athletes and PEDs

Ekkart Arbeit, Said Aouita, Maurie Plant, Werner Reiterer, Jane Fleming, Gael Martin, Dean Capobianco, Sue Howland, Josh Ross, Anthony Alozie, Jessica Peris, Sarah Klein, Cassie Fien, Melanie Panayiotou

what an appalling, cheap, talentless article.

you knew cheats - what did you do about it?

you are clearly part of the problem.

Woahhh...you leave out El G when he won double gold in Sydney? And how could you leave out Cronulla Sharks' Bronson Xerri for his testosterone bust? Woahhh...newbie detected. Australian distance running has been filthy for years.

Ah yes, I remember very well.

He he he!!

Oh Jeez, I must be a newb.

How could I possibly forget all of those High Profile... Australian... Distance Runners?

Interesting comment. cheers

what are you even trying to say in the article?

Reads like it written by a high schooler who just started their first investigative journalism class.

I don't get the obsession that all Australians think all other Australians are clean. They certainly don't, or at least not in the groups I mix in.

And before stating allegations of doping you have to make it more clear you are talking about SPRINTERS, otherwise you are running the risk of misinterpretation and damaging the reputation of the Australian distance running culture of the 80s that Chris Wardlaw, Pat Clohessy and others worked so hard to build.

3 letters - AIS

id say aussies know their drugs and know how to get away with doping,through decades of practice.how else do you think they do so well in swimming,cycling,rowing and other sports?they dont get there by eating porridge and yams.And with olympic qualifications so high,aussie athletes(and everybody else) have no choice but to cheat.

Outdoor sporting culture helped by wall to wall sunshine and high temperatures. Obsessive need to outdo the Poms. 33% higher GDP per capita than GB. Evolutionary bottleneck of adventerous, dedicated souls moving to the other side of the world for the last 200 years.

Your argument boils down to :

premise : everybody is doping.

conclusion : everybody must be doping because everybody (else) is doping!

I agree that, with respect, the OP's article is brief and simplistic to the point of pointlessness. Saying that " Aussies may be tempted to cheat' is a bit of a nothing statement by virtue of the word 'may. And of course what is tempting isn't, thankfully, what is then actually done.

"Most I knew who were cheating were not bad people." Well, what would have made them bad then? The argument that 'everyone was doing it...' is dubious. That view wasn't held in much of 'Western' Europe T+F at the time so I don't believe that sensible Aussies would have held an opposing view en masse. That's not the same as believing that there was a widespread doping 'issue' in the sport.

Not the OP's comments but there are posts that indicate that EITHER East Africans from altitude have some genetic advantage in longer endurance running races OR they are just like everyone else but often cheat their way to success. Surely there's the possibility that both are the case? That's what I think anyway.

Maurie Plant wasn't a competitor since the late 60s after he got a severe case of Glandular Fever. He was still a high schooler.

The only thing he mainlined was potato chips.

As an opinion piece by a nonprofessional, it's not that bad. It's not super compelling or thought provoking for anyone who has thought about the issue, but no need for abuse.

I like how this article led people to say it was about how "no aussies dope" and "all aussies dope" in the same thread

if I wanted to write an article detailing drug use in Australia since the 1980s I would. I could include testimonies from many, many Australians without using their names, assuming they would be interested.

But, I would not. I was merely letting the reader know that i am aware of extensive drug use in 1980s when it was pretty easy to cheat.

The article is not meant to denigrate anyone, or undermine any track and field event.

The article merely reflects my belief that cheating is indeed likely to still be considered by some Australians. It is commonsense really,

The neutral approach taken by professional journalists in Australia reporting the news over the recent adverse test is their business. I am an opinion writer, whether people appreciate my efforts or not.

Do I personally think some longer distance Australian runners cheated in the past. Absolutely, but it is merely an opinion with only second hand news provided to me.

Australia is no different to any other western nation that has a long history of cheating in sport.

You can never win with opinion pieces. Being thick skinned helps when some say "u r useless". For those who read the piece, especially the On LIne Opinion version which was not watered down, thanks for reading.

WTF, I merely suggested that it is likely that "some" Aussies would be tempted to cheat. Why link this assertion to anything about distance running efforts by a few people as if they speak or act for every single Aussie runner?

The reality is that EPO and blood doping has long been very hard to detect in endurance sports, and many know this.

As recently as 2011, an Australian study pointed out how you could still pass the EPO test, although i am aware that testing since has improved.

"Current markers of the Athlete Blood Passport do not flag microdose EPO doping - PubMed (nih.gov)"

Just look at the Aussie cyclists that have admitted cheating and were never caught for many years.

I am sure that cyclists were not the only aerobic fitness relevant athletes tempted to cheat.

If you want question the quality of my assumption that some Aussies maybe still tempted to cheat, keep it relevant. After all, mine is indeed a primary school type of assumption, but one I felt like airing as is my right.