I reckon Australia (over the last 10 years) has lost it's purer than pure image regarding drugs in sport. I'm not talking Warnie's diuretic or Alex Watson's coffee - these are minor (like Andrea Raducan's lost gold medal in Sydney...ridiculous).
I'm talking the big stuff - steroids, human growth hormones, EPO etc. Australia has often critisised the USSR, East Germany, China etc but over the last few years has had many drug problems in cycling, athletics, weightlifting etc.
The USA have only just started to comply with World anti-doping codes (after years of being the only non-signatory). It's amazing how many poor performances they've had recently from elite athletes who are under the drugs microscope.
The history of drugs in sport is interesting and in many ways like modern times.
Doping in sport first occurred soon after sport became more professional in Greece 400BC. Olympic winners in these times were rewarded with the equivalent of $500,000 (todays money), food, tax exemptions, no war service etc. The rewards were pretty great so people began to cheat. This caused the demise of the Olympic Games and sport.
Sport re-emerged in Roman times with both the animals and Gladiators doped up before going out in the ring (you wouldn't do it otherwise). In chariot races the horses were doped to become faster.
Christianity killed sport as physical development was seen to hinder intellectual development. Theodosius (around 390 AD ?) banned all sport other than boxing and wrestling.
Sport was dead until the 19th century when it re-emerged in England (which was then an agricultural rural-based society). These sports were unstructured recreational activities and were "rural" - sack races, leap frog, co(k-fighting etc.
The 1st person in modern times to die from doping was surprise ( a CYCLIST!!) The drug of choice for athletes in the early 1900's was strychnine (often with brandy).
In the 1930's amphetimines replaced strychnine and then in the 50's the Soviets used male hormones. To counteract this, the USA developed steroids for sports use.
Quite a history and nothing new. It all started with the demise of amateur sport thousands of years ago.
Considering the cost to taxpayers, and the fact that only a small percentage of athletes actually get busted, I think all drugs should be legal for the Olympics. If men go sterile, and women grow beards and testicles, well so be it . They may also die early (Flo Jo???) and where has that Michelle Smith (Irish swimmer)gone??
I mean, Ben Johnson's 9.79 seconds in 1988 was brilliant (drugs assisted or not). Just let 'em go for it and whatever happens to them later in life- their responsibility.
I'm talking the big stuff - steroids, human growth hormones, EPO etc. Australia has often critisised the USSR, East Germany, China etc but over the last few years has had many drug problems in cycling, athletics, weightlifting etc.
The USA have only just started to comply with World anti-doping codes (after years of being the only non-signatory). It's amazing how many poor performances they've had recently from elite athletes who are under the drugs microscope.
The history of drugs in sport is interesting and in many ways like modern times.
Doping in sport first occurred soon after sport became more professional in Greece 400BC. Olympic winners in these times were rewarded with the equivalent of $500,000 (todays money), food, tax exemptions, no war service etc. The rewards were pretty great so people began to cheat. This caused the demise of the Olympic Games and sport.
Sport re-emerged in Roman times with both the animals and Gladiators doped up before going out in the ring (you wouldn't do it otherwise). In chariot races the horses were doped to become faster.
Christianity killed sport as physical development was seen to hinder intellectual development. Theodosius (around 390 AD ?) banned all sport other than boxing and wrestling.
Sport was dead until the 19th century when it re-emerged in England (which was then an agricultural rural-based society). These sports were unstructured recreational activities and were "rural" - sack races, leap frog, co(k-fighting etc.
The 1st person in modern times to die from doping was surprise ( a CYCLIST!!) The drug of choice for athletes in the early 1900's was strychnine (often with brandy).
In the 1930's amphetimines replaced strychnine and then in the 50's the Soviets used male hormones. To counteract this, the USA developed steroids for sports use.
Quite a history and nothing new. It all started with the demise of amateur sport thousands of years ago.
Considering the cost to taxpayers, and the fact that only a small percentage of athletes actually get busted, I think all drugs should be legal for the Olympics. If men go sterile, and women grow beards and testicles, well so be it . They may also die early (Flo Jo???) and where has that Michelle Smith (Irish swimmer)gone??
I mean, Ben Johnson's 9.79 seconds in 1988 was brilliant (drugs assisted or not). Just let 'em go for it and whatever happens to them later in life- their responsibility.
