Drugs in UK sports....

[Boycey]

If Rudisha was ever found to be dirty, I'd give up on individual sports.

Often thought exactly the same!! I was lucky enough to be in the Olympic stadium the night he set the world record, it was also the night Bolt won the 200m. It was and remains a night that is the highlight of a lifetime attending sporting events.

Maybe I'm naïve but I always believed Bolt to be drug free simply because he's been a freak athlete since was 15 and Rudisha was from a part of the world where they weren't sophisticated enough to take drugs!!! The fact that so many of their peers are being caught always leaves a nagging doubt though.

Here's hoping..

[topcuppla]

I am not going to name anyone, not least as I don't have any proof, but let's say at least one of you lads is on the same wavelength as I am.

Michelle Smith's times went to world class level in her mid 20s. To say that was unusual for a top class female athlete or swimmer, would be understating it. A couple of the British performers peaked well after that.

It is really sad that sport is reduced to this level of suspicion all the time, but until they start outing the obvious cheats, it will go on and on and on. Look how long it took for them to get Armstrong and the damage that did in the long run.

That is very noble of you, let us know when you get the blood and urine results back won't you!

[Pub Bore]

Aged 24 Farah finished 6th in the 5000m in the World Champs in 2007
Aged 25 Farah failed to qualify for the 5000m final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008
Aged 26 Farah finished 7th in the 5000m in the World Champs in 2009
Aged 27 Farah won the 10,000m at the European Cup breaking his PB by 16 secs in 2010
Aged 27 Farah won the 5k and 10k double at the European Champs in 2010
In 2010 Farah broke the British record for 5k becoming the first Brit to run under 13 mins
Aged 28 in 2011 Farah set  British and Euro records in the 5k & 10k
Aged 29 Farah won the 5k & 10k gold at the London Olympics
Aged 30 he won the 5k & 10k gold at the World Champs...

Now there's an argument that Farah is a late developer and none of his gold medal performances were particularly quick. 

However there's one run that does make you sit up...in July 2013 aged 30 Farah broke the British & European records for the 1500m.  The British record had stood to Steve Cram for 28 years and i believe the European record had stood for 16 years.  In fact the self described 10k specialist ran the 6th fastest 1500m of all time.  Faster than Cram, Coe and Ovett.

Not bad for a 30 year old part time 1500m runner.

[muppet]

I am not going to name anyone, not least as I don't have any proof, but let's say at least one of you lads is on the same wavelength as I am.

Michelle Smith's times went to world class level in her mid 20s. To say that was unusual for a top class female athlete or swimmer, would be understating it. A couple of the British performers peaked well after that.

It is really sad that sport is reduced to this level of suspicion all the time, but until they start outing the obvious cheats, it will go on and on and on. Look how long it took for them to get Armstrong and the damage that did in the long run.

That is very noble of you, let us know when you get the blood and urine results back won't you!

I'll tell you what, you post a list of all the athletes you think are taking drugs. Don't worry about being sued, I am sure you will perform brilliantly in court.

[JimStynes]

I have had an interest in this topic for about 6 or 7 years now. The more I've read the more I am convinced that most of the top athletes are doping to some extent. Tennis, Boxing, MMA, Athletics, Cycling, Football, Rugby etc. Cycling is the most well publicised but they're all at it and just as bad if not worse! At least cycling has tried to put some things in place to stop it i.e. Bio Passport. Though they're micro dosing now so the bio passport is useless in that regard! The olympics is now a farce and some of the testing in other sports is laughable.

It's a shame because I watch sports now, with a doubt that the performance I was watching was down to pure natural ability and hard work. More than likely it was due to some sort of chemical or medical help! If it looked too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true.

It has apparently crept into amateur sports as well apparently! I was talking to a fella in Tenerife and he was saying whenever he was at some big amateur cycling event in Europe, the staff at his hotel found shit loads of doping products in the rooms after the guests had checked out.

A few good articles/podcasts/forums here if anyone is interested:
http://www.outsideonline.com/1924306/drug-test
http://www.tracktalk.net/showthread.php?t=7931
http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.letsrun.com/2003/epoqa.php
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cathgh.htm
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/second-captains

[macdanger2]

What's micro dosing Jim? Is it as the name suggests? If so, is there a benefit to a tiny amount?

[barelegs]

Micro dosing is when drugs, in sport usually EPO or steroids are given in small quantities allowing it to pass through the system in around four hours. The effects are almost as effective. When you're talking about elite athletes they only need a 1-2% of benefit.

On Panorama last week the BBC presenter micro dosed on EPO that he'd sourced from China on the internet. His biological passport result came back clear and his performance in a VO2 max test increased by 7%. If he could do it easily without a team behind him there really is very little stopping any organised, professional team from doing the same thing.

The reality is that the thresholds for some of these substances are so high that it gives coaches and doctors targets to aim for in terms of getting these substances into the body.

I've a right interest in this myself. Reading papers you'd think this was confined to cycling but to be honest I'm fairly sure that the biggest stories over the next decade will be in football. Given the money in the game and the benefits of greater fitness it only stands to reason that coaches and doctors would want to push the limits. That some of Europe's top players have played almost every minute for their club teams this season is a little too good to be true as far as I'm concerned

[macdanger2]

Seems like a winner of an idea tbf, lower cost, lower risk, decent results.

Would be very surprised if it's not rife in soccer, rugby & gaa

[macdanger2]

Seems like a winner of an idea tbf, lower cost, lower risk, decent results.

Would be very surprised if it's not rife in soccer, rugby & gaa

[LeoMc]

Micro dosing is when drugs, in sport usually EPO or steroids are given in small quantities allowing it to pass through the system in around four hours. The effects are almost as effective. When you're talking about elite athletes they only need a 1-2% of benefit.

On Panorama last week the BBC presenter micro dosed on EPO that he'd sourced from China on the internet. His biological passport result came back clear and his performance in a VO2 max test increased by 7%. If he could do it easily without a team behind him there really is very little stopping any organised, professional team from doing the same thing.

The reality is that the thresholds for some of these substances are so high that it gives coaches and doctors targets to aim for in terms of getting these substances into the body.

I've a right interest in this myself. Reading papers you'd think this was confined to cycling but to be honest I'm fairly sure that the biggest stories over the next decade will be in football. Given the money in the game and the benefits of greater fitness it only stands to reason that coaches and doctors would want to push the limits. That some of Europe's top players have played almost every minute for their club teams this season is a little too good to be true as far as I'm concerned

Here is a summary from the Panorama reporter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32983932

[thebigfella]

Linford Christie, case closed.

[Minder]

Things could get sticky for Farah now, Daily Mail reporting that he missed two drugs tests the year before London 2012 Olympics

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3128695/Mo-Farah-missed-two-drug-tests-London-Olympics-putting-2012-double-gold-risk.html

[ballinaman]

Things could get sticky for Farah now, Daily Mail reporting that he missed two drugs tests the year before London 2012 Olympics

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3128695/Mo-Farah-missed-two-drug-tests-London-Olympics-putting-2012-double-gold-risk.html

Only a matter of time before he gets caught. Always came across as an arrogant bollox.
Seems like Rupp has been on the juice for years...and still couldn't beat a "clean" Farah. People need to get heads out of the sand.
As Jimstynes has said it...professional sport is rife with it.
Juventus admitted to taking EPO in 1988.
Spain World Cup 2010 were juicing, all the files and blood work "disappeared".

[JimStynes]

Things could get sticky for Farah now, Daily Mail reporting that he missed two drugs tests the year before London 2012 Olympics

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3128695/Mo-Farah-missed-two-drug-tests-London-Olympics-putting-2012-double-gold-risk.html

Only a matter of time before he gets caught. Always came across as an arrogant bollox.
Seems like Rupp has been on the juice for years...and still couldn't beat a "clean" Farah. People need to get heads out of the sand.
As Jimstynes has said it...professional sport is rife with it.
Juventus admitted to taking EPO in 1988.
Spain World Cup 2010 were juicing, all the files and blood work "disappeared".

Spanish testing is a joke! The blood files that went missing contained a lot of very famous sports men!

http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/curious-case-of-rafael-nadal.html

[JimStynes]

Froome under a lot of pressure at the minute with suspicious data files