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from the amateurs-doping-like-the-pros dept.
After disclosures of an extensive, state-run doping program in Russia, sports officials have been retesting urine samples from the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, in Beijing and London. Their findings have resulted in a top-to-bottom rewriting of Olympics history.
More than 75 athletes from those two Olympics have been found, upon further scrutiny, to be guilty of doping violations. A majority are from Russia and other Eastern European countries. At least 40 of them won medals. Disciplinary proceedings are continuing against other athletes, and the numbers are expected to climb.[...]
The drugs were not detected by the Olympic committee's drug-testing lab years ago, during the Games, because the science at the time was not sensitive enough to detect such small residual concentrations,[...]
"This completely rewrote my Olympics story," said Chaunté Lowe, an American high jumper who participated in four Summer Games but had never won a medal.[...]
Accompanying the joy of her belated recognition, she said, was an awareness of the opportunity costs she suffered. In 2008, her husband was laid off. The couple's house in Georgia was foreclosed on that year, something Ms. Lowe said would not have happened had she distinguished herself in Beijing. I was really young and promising at that point, and sponsors were interested in me," said Ms. Lowe, now 32. "A lot of interest goes away when you don't get on that podium."
Should the Olympics require countries to post a bond if their athletes win a medal, so that if they are discovered to have cheated the people most affected can receive compensation?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by turgid on Saturday November 26 2016, @12:08AM
They should have a separate Olympic Games where the contestants can take as many drugs as they like, and bionic enhancements. That would be cool. Then the old-fashioned sporting amateurs could have the original games to themselves
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 26 2016, @01:31AM
Jack Lambie, one of the founders of the International Human Powered Vehicle Assn., proposed that the club recognize two classes -- normal using IOC doping rules....and "top fuel" with all performance enhancing substances allowed. Sadly, I don't believe that his comments made it into the official rules of the club. His position was that some people have addictive personalities/body-chemistry and should stay away from various drugs. Others don't have this problem and should be allowed to dope if they want.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record_%28recumbents%29 [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 5, Informative) by caffeine on Saturday November 26 2016, @01:51AM
They have done that for years in Bodybuilding and still have a problem with drug cheats entering the natural competition because they can win there. They are cheats and having their own competition does not stop them cheating.
(Score: 4, Funny) by opinionated_science on Saturday November 26 2016, @01:56PM
Red Dwarf - "Genetic engineering got out of control, and teams started fielding candidates that had been mutated for specific sports. Ten foot basketball players. One world cup qualifier Scotland fielded a goalkeeper that was a slab of flesh 8x23 and still lost two-nil".
From memory so missing subtleties - brilliant book BTW!
(Score: 1) by EETech1 on Saturday November 26 2016, @03:38PM
To see what could go wrong:)
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/update-all-drug-olympics/n9691 [nbc.com]