Drugs in Sport

**Mr A** · 12/12/2013, 3:27 PM

A piece on Pro Boxing. Not a pretty picture: http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-bo...-mess-part-one

**Real ale Madrid** · 12/12/2013, 3:40 PM

Paul Kimmage Tweeted today that Erik Morales and Alberto Contador must have the same Butcher!

**Mr A** · 07/07/2014, 3:49 PM

Kimmage asking the questions the vast majority of sports journos simply won't. http://www.independent.ie/sport/inhe...-30409273.html

**BonnieShels** · 07/07/2014, 9:55 PM

The willingness to look the other way is quite staggering.

No one can tell me that Barca and Real aren't dealing in some nefarious chemical activities? That's not to mention other teams.

And even closer to home there is of course a couple of inter-county players who we all know have suspicion hanging over them. One in particular's renaissance in 2009 still annoys me because of the shirt he was wearing was my own county's.

If Dublin's regime isn't clean I would want it exposed. So all the All-Ireland's in the world would never make it worth it to me.

Those willing to look the other way are always the cause of most societal problems. Drugs in sport is another example of this.

**BonnieShels** · 28/07/2014, 8:26 PM

Rough Rider starts in 10 mins...

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/roughrider.html

**Mr A** · 12/08/2014, 2:00 PM

http://www.goal.com/en-ke/news/4528/...ing-fight-wada

Some very worrying stats.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) did more blood tests on footballers than any organisation in 2013 with 232 in-competition blood tests out of a total of 2896 doping tests conducted in total - just over 8%. Organisations in top football countries like Spain, the Netherlands and Brazil, meanwhile, failed to conduct any.

Basically you could be doping away with EPO, HGH and transfusions in those countries with very little prospect of testing catching you out.

**Mr A** · 19/08/2014, 4:41 PM

At least there's always tennis to make football look good.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/i...925-2uczb.html

**BonnieShels** · 19/08/2014, 7:58 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

At least there's always tennis to make football look good.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/i...925-2uczb.html

Originally Posted by Sydney Morning Herald via Bloomberg

Cilic was handed a nine-month ban by the ITF for testing positive for the stimulant nikethamide, which a panel found he took inadvertently in tablets bought by his mother.

How does a professional sportsman, who is meant to be subject to drug-controls inadvertently take his mother's drugs?

I have never ever managed to inadvertently take a drug in my life and I'm not subject to any limits. Absolute farce.

With Nadal pulling out again for the US Open you can't but help wonder at all.

**Mr A** · 19/08/2014, 8:32 PM

Yes, such explanations are generally absolute horse poo- better to look stupid or naive than actually admit cheating. It's their responsibility to control what they ingest, even if you believe them.

Jonathan Tiernan Locke's defence recently was inventive at least- he claims his abnormal bio passport reading was due to getting absolutely hammered. 2 days before riding the world championship!

**Mr A** · 10/12/2014, 12:06 PM

A piece on the joke that is testing in the NFL: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/.../#article-copy

More on Padova investigation in cycling: http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/12/pa...ematic-doping/

**Mr A** · 10/12/2014, 1:14 PM

Meanwhile- things are not looking great in Russia, to understate things massively: http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/...ssia-with-dope

**Spudulika** · 10/12/2014, 2:48 PM

The German documentary on Russian sports was a shocker, but it's nothing new. They also revealed a number of other athletes that are high profile and dodgy. In Kenya and East Africa it seems pretty rampant, and I still feel sick from the Late Late Show (okay, it's Tubridy, so it could be any) when Usain "I'm clean" Bolt's agent was on and not a single question was asked about doping - just when the scandal about the lack of testing in Jamaica broke. Kimmage is right to talk about journo's being fans with typewriters, worse is when a government facilitate (like Russia and the USA).

But nothing will be done. I reported my suspicions about a tennis player, for her own good, and I ended up getting threats and told to shut up by the authorities. Nothing new, but it was so clear that they were out to protect the good name and the other players she was in training with. When you see body changes in a person that go far beyond natural training, it's a joke.

**Mr A** · 10/12/2014, 8:42 PM

And yet more on athletics: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...g-scandal.html

**Crosby87** · 13/12/2014, 6:15 PM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

But nothing will be done. I reported my suspicions about a tennis player, for her own good, and I ended up getting threats and told to shut up by the authorities.

Really? Are you in the sports biz or just a random fan?

**Spudulika** · 13/12/2014, 6:54 PM

Originally Posted by Crosby87

Really? Are you in the sports biz or just a random fan?

I was in the sports biz, now thankfully just a fan. Don't really want to go back into the business as the more you think you're making a difference, the worse it gets.

There are far worse things than drugs in tennis, but it is rampant. I know it sounds a bit twee, but it is almost impossible to break the top-50 women's without doing something. And as for competing at the top level, it really is something amazing. The sheer science of it, timing, reactions, stamina, they have moved to a point like cycling did/has.

**Crosby87** · 13/12/2014, 7:11 PM

So you might think that Serena for example is someone you would question? What about Venus though? She's a twig.

**Spudulika** · 13/12/2014, 9:00 PM

For the forum's sake I'd not name any people directly, there was the strange episode with Serena where she locked herself in her panic room and refused to be tested, and nothing happened. There are many suspicious performers, a lot of players changing bodyshape, especially when they train with, or in, certain clubs. Players like Kuznetzova failed numerous tests, other players have failed but gotten let off by their national organisations, or been let off. There are coaches still sought out, like Van Harpen, who have been banned from some countries for being caught with illegal substances. The ITF are a sketchy bunch, so nothing gets said.

One small thing that has had me wondering for a few months. Why did Paul Kimmage really pull out of writing a certain book. Was it really over an article, or something he found out? A player beefing up can be natural, but.....

**Charlie Darwin** · 14/12/2014, 12:07 AM

I dunno, if Kimmage had found something out he'd come out and say it or at least make it clear what he couldn't say.

**Spudulika** · 14/12/2014, 4:57 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I dunno, if Kimmage had found something out he'd come out and say it or at least make it clear what he couldn't say.

I thought the same Charlie, at the time. It didn't make sense, but....it just seemed very sudden. I watched the docu-film of Kimmage going back to the TDF and was both impressed and worried by him. I remember reading his book in a couple of days and it was just sad. The sad thing is that only the weakest or least profitable get thrown under the bus, or the ones bet protecgted by buddies in the meeja.

**Crosby87** · 14/12/2014, 1:38 PM

But wouldn't players in the WTF for example who clearly based on body type like say Sharapova are clean looking try to rat out the ones who dope to the press? I mean if there were concrete evidence here in the states that a certain someone was doping reporters like Filip Bondy for example would be all over wanting to print it...After Lance it all changed. Everyone knows Clemens is lying for example.
With MLB they aren't even voting in guys like Mike Piazza who is getting so screwed if he never did steroids.