Primo Numero Uno
Frustrated Observer wrote:
100's of runners who have been intentionally doping for years were notified months before the drug would trigger a positive test now get off the hook? What about the athletes that have lost prize money, team births, and contracts to these cheaters? This is exactly what's wrong with our sport. People intentionally dope with a drug off the radar and their given no penalty. They should have been banned before the drug was even put on the list because they were only taking it for a performance advantage.
What is wrong with WADA. They should have been able to ban these athletes before 2016 with the fact that the athletes, coaches, and doctors were all breaking the ethics of sport by taking it in.
Here's my solution to this issue. Athletes must declare to WADA all medications, supplements, any non natural recovery aid. If WADA finds an athlete is taking something for performance enhancement they aren't declaring then they would be punished even if it wasn't a banned substance. If Wada could have seen the trend of Melodonium use years ago they would have banned it then.
You can't just ban athletes for taking something that wasn't banned. But I agree that they were cheating. Making athletes declare is the most fair solution. And WADA could notify athletes a drug is going to banned if they athlete is currently taking it while it is legal. So we don't see this ridiculous trainwreck again.
I have no sympathy for anyone who tested positive and think they should all be punished. It was made clear this drug would be illegal months before 2016 started and the athletes had plenty of time to stop taking it before then.