Doping in sport

[Mr Haematocrit]

I'm shocked to find that a 13 year old swimmer has just been done for doping..

http://swimswam.com/13-year-old-brazilian-swimmer-suspended-4-months-doping/

Very sorry state of affairs, makes you wonder what's going on in other children's sports.

 

[Bollo]

I've just had to sign a form to allow Bolletta (12 this month) to be tested for a skating competition. Apparently they've never tested at that in age in her discipline but they retain the right....

Unfortunately the pressure to succeed in sport at any price seems to be creeping down the age range. I'd be sad but not surprised if it was quite prevalent in some sports.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Good to see that the authorities are being a bit more active about it.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Good to see that the authorities are being a bit more active about it.

Agreed, but I can't help but wonder where the hell the parents are in all this and are they complicit

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Agreed, but I can't help but wonder where the hell the parents are in all this and are they complicit

they might be, but it's the coaches etc who have the influence - I'd ban them not the kids!!!

 

[Salad Dodger]

I guess a PROPER ban would be a good deterrant. Not 4 months, which seems derisory. All that seems to do is to say that competitors have very little to lose by cheating, assuming they get caught in the first place.

I appreciate that I know nothing about the case in the OP, and that there may have been a genuine error (and I don't just mean that the person got caught!) and if so that's just unfortunate. Either way, a competitor in any sport who is caught drug cheating should, in my view, be banned for a LONG time. No excuses, no second chances. It's probably a very naive attitude to have, but it's what I believe.