Drugs are seldom far from the headlines
By Graham Morrison
Wednesday February 8, 2012
Drugs, it seems are seldom far from the headlines.
Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador has been banned for two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld appeals by the world cycling governing body and the World Anti Doping Agency over failed doping tests. Although the ban is backdated, he’ll still miss the Olympics. Previously a Spanish cycling tribunal had acquitted him. Contado has also been stripped on his 2010 Tour de France title. The tribunal rejected his clam that the positive test for clenbuterol was the result of eating contaminated meat.
Doping and cycling are no strangers, as witnessed by the Contador case, and in the past it was tolerated. But when 29 year-old Tommy Simpson died attacking the 6,000ft Mount Ventoux in the 1967 Tour de France attitudes started to change; amphetamines were found in Simpson’s blood and pockets, and subsequently the International Cycling Union banned the use of performance enhancing drugs.
Lance Armstrong has been haunted for years by allegations of drug use. But after a near two year investigation by the US federal authorities, an investigation according to the New York Times that delved into possible crimes of defrauding the government, money laundering, drug trafficking and conspiracy, has been dropped. No reason was given. Whether or not the US anti doping agency comes to a different conclusion is unclear. Armstrong has always strongly refuted the allegations.
But whatever the ramifications of such a murky affair, Lance Armstrong’s record of seven consecutive outright wins in the Tour de France after a close call with cancer has to stand. The Tour is arguably the toughest sporting event in the world, making colossal demands on cyclists’ physical and mental stamina. Whatever the truth history will probably leave Armstrong’s legacy intact as the world’s greatest cyclist. Importantly, the dropping of criminal charges will let him get on with his cancer charity work. And in this particular case, I think I’ll get through the day better without any more news on it.
The issue of ending fourth, missing a medal by the smallest of margins, is exercising the BOA according to Chief Executive Andy Hunt. And rightly so. One comment heard sometimes is that whereas a bronze medal is a winning medal, to win silver you need to lose. Unfair maybe. Some sports have done away with the fight off for third place and award two bronze medals. But not the Olympics Games. It seems team GB is predicted to be equal first with Russia on the number of fourth places secured this summer. Hunt’s priority then is to turn all those predicted fourths into medals. Catch Andy Hunt’s thoughts here (opens new window).
Meanwhile, some 10,000 Olympic volunteers and Games-time employees were given an introduction to the Olympics last week; job-specific training comes later. Altogether some 70,000 people have to be trained. It seems volunteering has proved popular as a quarter of a million people applied. “Today marks a significant milestone in our preparation for the Games.” Said LOCOG chair Seb Coe at the event. “Our Games Makers will contribute a total of around eight million volunteer hours during the Games and simply wouldn’t happen without them.”
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
