Image: The 100 yards Sprint at the 1896 Olympics (here)
O for Openness of the Drug Scene in ABC of Sports
The Prose
Openness of the drug scene in sports is daringly elusive
There was never a respite ever since sprinter Ben Johnson
was stripped off his Olympics gold medals in 1988
The authorities keep adding to their list of banned substances
while the coaches keep looking for ‘medicines’ not on the list
.
As recently as January 2016 when Meldonium was added to the
list that it resulted in many athletes who were tested positive.
It included Sharapova who had taken it for a decade
According to the manufacturers it would take quite some time
for the drug to be rid off from the athlete’s system. That being
the case some of the 172 athletes caught in the web might
jeopardize their chances of competing at the Rio Olympics this
summer if their bodies still have traces of the drug by then
The Tanka
'Catch me if you can'
Taken ostensibly as
medicine knowing
fully well these are drugs of
a muscle enhancing kind
An interesting subject Hank, I suspect there is more drug taking than are caught which is such a shame because after all sport is there for everyone but to cheatis not what sport is all about.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Sometimes we just never know, but they usually get caught, sooner or later. I like this photo capture too.
ReplyDeleteI can understand why an athlete would take a drug to enhance their performance. However, I wonder about the trade-off to their long term health. I would not encourage any young person to be a professional athlete. To compete may require practices that are detrimental to their health.
ReplyDeleteIronic in that physical activity usually improves health. I was an athletic young woman. As a consequence, I enjoy the benefits of that now.
If you're an athlete with such requirements you or someone you trust, hopefully your doctor, would stay on top of all these requirements and changes. Everyone needs to take medication once in a while but for an athlete getting ready for a competition extra care must be taken. They should be prepared or aware of all of this. Benefit of a doubt for sure, but it does make you wonder if the excuse "I was unaware" is a fair one.
ReplyDeleteTake as few drugs as possible. Although if something was a necessary drug and then it became banned, that's tough.
ReplyDeleteHave to watch what changes come due. But yeah, best to just never take any at ones zoo
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting and edifying haibun - the tanka dovetails perfectly with the prose.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletehttps://ficklemillennial.wordpress.com/
Quite interesting how the banned drugs have changed over the years. The athletes and their trainers really have to keep an eye on these things lest they be disqualified. Will be interesting to see what happens as the Olympics roll closer this summer.
ReplyDeleteThis poem has such wisdom.. love that tanka!
ReplyDeleteYes, this subtle cheating is a scourge of sport.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad we must resort to drugs to win...
ReplyDeleteOh that cheating... and constantly trying to get chemical benefits. But I guess we admire winners so much that it's worth the price.
ReplyDeleteIt is discouraging that the pressures are such that people need or use enhancements, rather than their skilful performance in competition. It takes away from the sport. Interesting topic, Hank.
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't get so hyper about winners and records then there would be less pressure on the athletes to take them I guess. Shudder to think what those chemicals are doing to sportsmen/women long term, Sharapova grabs headlines, but a thousand others don't.
ReplyDeleteWhat a trap the sports people keep falling into...sigh...
ReplyDeletereminds me of armstrong
ReplyDeleteI had no idea the drug and sports issue was this new. I wonder if thinking of 1988 as just yesterday means that I'm getting deliciously old... hm...
ReplyDeleteMay the cheaters not run fast enough... to hide.
Good theme well covered!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder about the athletes (if there are any left) who are not purposely cheating and who are legitimately taking sort sort of drug for a genuine condition but who end up finding out, perhaps too late, that their prescription included some ingredient that actually enhanced their performance. Are there any people left who just want to compete honestly?
ReplyDeleteIt seem steroids are always in the news. Everyone wants to be faster, stronger and bigger. What happened to natural ability? Hank, this is an interesting topic that encourages conversation.
ReplyDeleteFame and reward are great incentives to cheat. All athletes and sports people should be tested and if found guilty banned for life. Any awards and rewards recovered and their names excluded from records for all previous performances and then banned from all association with competitive sport for life.
ReplyDeleteSad fact...but it's important that surfaced - easy to cut. Great work with haibun and tanka!
ReplyDelete