Should elite High School runners be drug tested??

My high school routinely performs random drug tests, but I don't think they're looking for the exotic drugs that some top athletes have been using. Probably pot, cocaine and anabolic steroids. The school randomly tests all athletes from what I'm told.

LoneStarXC wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

She ran a 4:58 mile in 7th grade so they got an early start.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s clean... we’d only know if she has a random out-of-season test, and even then some cheaters who can get away with it. This isn’t just for Touhy... it’s any athlete. T&F, unfortunately, has a long history of doping.

So you're the parent of one of the most promising young runners ever, but that's not good enough; you're going to start cheating as early as 7th grade. That's ridiculous. And by the way giving your child a steroid is a criminal act:

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NOpe

hoka guy wrote:

This would be very interesting. Jakob should be tested as well. These times seem like a freak nature type thing, they will probably die off soon. But I would still be curious to see if any young athlete was caught with an illegal substance

AFAIK, Jakob has been in the prioritized testing pool for several years already, meaning he has to provide his whereabouts at any moment, and is subject to frequent random testing by Antidoping Norge, in addition to any in-competition testing.

Jakob has been tested since he was 14.

Runners_Dad wrote:

My high school routinely performs random drug tests, but I don't think they're looking for the exotic drugs that some top athletes have been using. Probably pot, cocaine and anabolic steroids. The school randomly tests all athletes from what I'm told.

What? Randomly testing high school kids? No suspicion or legitimate reason? Just test all athletes randomly? Man...back in my HS days (late 70s) no such thing would have taken place without reasonable suspicion or something along those lines. What a crazy world we live in these days. Government control.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

LoneStarXC wrote:

That doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s clean... we’d only know if she has a random out-of-season test, and even then some cheaters who can get away with it. This isn’t just for Touhy... it’s any athlete. T&F, unfortunately, has a long history of doping.

So you're the parent of one of the most promising young runners ever, but that's not good enough; you're going to start cheating as early as 7th grade. That's ridiculous. And by the way giving your child a steroid is a criminal act:

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4947591&page=1

Maybe she was clean then but isn’t now. Just because a runner was fast in 7th grade, doesn’t automatically mean that they’re going to still be fast in high school. If the testers show up at any elite runner’s house, the runner saying “oh, I was fast since I was 12, so you know I’m clean”, isn’t going to keep them away. My point is, that without testing, you can’t know for sure that Tuohy, or any other athlete is clean. Even then, some cheaters don’t get caught.

one of my high school teammates was on the juice. granted he was a field athlete, not runner, but still set state records and went to nationals and did well there. never tested positive but ended up turning down big school offers out of fear that he couldn't replicate his performances under the scrutiny of drug tests.

While doping can be masked no competitor can be confidently proclaimed to be clean; all we can say is that they haven't failed a doping test. I would expect most elite sportsmen/women now know how to beat the testers, with the advice that is available to them from their doctors, trainers and coaches. The competitor acting on his/her own without expert advice is at the most risk of being caught. That's quite a few college athletes. Because they typically have teams helping them, the big names - if they dope - would be the hardest to catch. WADA says 1% of elites are caught; expert assessments are that up to 40% could be doping. Testing is generally a failure. Except - interestingly enough - lately in Kenya. That speaks more of a practice of simply avoiding testing - which only works if you aren't tested - rather than using products enginineered to avoid returning positives i.e. masked or micro-dosed.

LoneStarXC wrote:

Of course some are but wrote:

which one of you idiots is going to pay for the tests?

That’s up to the state’s high school sports regulating organization (UIL in Texas) and USATF/AAU if it’s their sanctioned meet.

Testers need to show up at peoples’ houses during the summer and off-season to catch people by surprise. No time to hide the blood bags (or whatever shady stuff people find at GNC) now!

You didn't answer the question. A regulating organization would need to be funded. Which one of you idiots is going to pay the organization?

LoneStarXC wrote:

SDSU Aztec wrote:

I believe there is a big difference between high school kids and pros using PEDs because parents would be part of the decision. If a coach suggested to me that my son or daughter use PEDs I would notify the school. For a parent to risk life changing damage to their child's reputation would be unconscionable and unlikely.

There are some crazy parents out there who just want their kid to get a D1 scholarship, no matter the cost.

This correct.

the juice wrote:

one of my high school teammates was on the juice. granted he was a field athlete, not runner, but still set state records and went to nationals and did well there. never tested positive but ended up turning down big school offers out of fear that he couldn't replicate his performances under the scrutiny of drug tests.

This is exactly what I mentioned upthread about certain sprinters, who instead accept the scholarship, but immediately drop in performance or get "injured", etc.. I particularly remember a kid about ten years ago who was jacked like a bodybuilder, ran one of the top ten HS 100s ever, then fizzled out immediately in college.