Thank you for your post! Those details are essential to understanding the decision.
Thank you for your post! Those details are essential to understanding the decision.
LetsRun.com wrote:
To everyone who is outraged that Powell can compete after only 6 months, please read this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/28319312BBC wrote:Tom Bassindale, a forensic toxicologist and doping expert at Sheffield Hallam University, says he has mixed feelings about Powell's return to the track.
"I'm a bit torn," he said. "If people have been taking something like EPO, my heart does sink to see them back in competition because they may still be benefiting from the effects.
"But a mild stimulant like oxilofrine may be less effective than caffeine. I don't like to see people breaking the anti-doping rules, but clearly some substances are more effective than others."
I think the issue is less about the effectiveness of the drug, but whether or not they knew they were taking a banned substance. I don't know if anyone will know for sure, you can't ignore the fact the substance in question is one that could easily have been taken inadvertently. With that said, I believe in punishing inadvertent use, but the punishment has to be measured.