It damages hugely the reputation and image of track and field. It would decrease the popularity of the sport in Russia. Kids would not want to do it." A response to the ban currently in place on Russia .. how many "kids" would have made it if the Russian government hadn't interfered with their progress by drugging them up to succeed.. like most things from that part of the world they are see no evil hear no evil whilst doing evil! ... if they are allowed to take part then they should be openly tested for 2 or 3 times in the 6 weeks up to the event ALL should be tested before their event and just 1 positive test ban the whole team for 2 years and individuals for 5 or life
JG - I would change the general rule so that anyone with a standard positive test (A&B samples) are banned for 4 years. This means the individual would miss a complete cycle of Olympics/World's etc Anyone failing twice should get a life ban. There will of course be exceptions, but the general rule should be 4 years
All this nonsense is a waste of time because they (drugs) will always be in any sport. Best drugs win if you want it that way and to hell with the sportsmanship.
Where do you draw the line with all of this? Historically all the world was suspicious that CCCR and East German athletes were major transgressors. The rather 'masculine' Press sisters (hammer and/or shot) 'retired' immediately there was a sniff that they would be subject to testing. Let's not assume that the major use of illegal drugs is the domain of the Athletics community. You can betcha that all sports are at it. How about considering the misuse of small children's lives. Conditioned training for swimming, gymnastics et al, when they should be having a real life at play in the kindergarden. My relatives lived opposite Sharron Davies' family in Plymouth. As a small child she was subjected to the most severe training routine by her father. Olga Korbett................. I could go on........
the human species is unique, you could say why aren't all children subjected to the opposite of what they born into! Example 2 coach loads of children were taken at the age of 11 or 12 into the country and on to a farm their belief's of what produced the breakfast on their plate in morning to some caused stress .. bacon from peppa pig, eggs from chickens milk from cows, wandering in knee deep cowsh and picking up lumps of poo was to much for some ..... a return trip, by a fewer number into the inner city saw a similar but lesser reaction lights noise, crowds and these children were up to 13 or 14 ! AS kids we used to play from age 3 -10 in groups.... school holidays summer ... on the river bank making dams and rope bridges swings about 2 miles from where we all lived, climbed tree's to probably 20 or 30 ft ..at least twice per holiday someone would fall out ...have tins of beans baked potato's ..no tin foil, sausages and bacon cooked on a fire usually in the bottom of a poor Elm tree, play near the railway .. but also we had a daily regime that had to be completed, we had a bakery and café! before we were let out, ok not swimming or weight training but probably just as energetic/boring, and often your friends would bugger off without you and had to catch up ... I was one of the luckier ones I went regularly once or twice a year to Scotland / London, friends and cousins were left school before the delights of the big city traumatised some of them ! I know it is not compulsive training, "misuse" every day .. but it is still deprivation but not really intentional .. just circumstantial .. they still missed out1
Very deep jgf and I reckon if we threw all the instruments of distraction away (smart phones and tablets) p[perhaps the world might have a chance of understanding itself. Life happens more than 3 feet away from the body so get out there and see what it has to offer rather than expecting that infernal phone to do it for you. Bah humbug.
