Doping in other sports

[Hont]

The thing with Bolt is that he does have ludicrously long legs, which is a fact I cling to. (I don't actually cling to the legs.)

It's difficult to know with Bolt. Is he a complete freak or a doper? The following are all generally accepted facts, from which you can probably guess what conclusion I've drawn.

- His record is over two tenths faster for the 100m than the time Ben Johnson ran at Seoul, when there was no out of competition drug-testing.
- Of the top 8 times by runners for the 100m, 5 of them are Jamaican.
- Of these 8, 3 have served doping bans, including 2 out of 3 Americans
- Jamaica has a population of less than 3m people.
- Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed, so the larger the frontal area the harder it is to run faster.
- Nobody wears skin suits in sprinting.
- THG was undetectable until Trevor Graham sent a syringe to USADA.
- The rate of progression of the lowering of the 100m world record is accelerating...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men's...ia/File:World_record_progression_100m_men.svg

It would be really great if he was simply a freak but, as a cycling fan, long experience has taught me a lot of distrust. And it would suggest an awful lot of athletic freaks hailing from one small island in the Caribbean.

 

[HF2300]

- Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed, so the larger the frontal area the harder it is to run faster..

Nitpick, but it's a square law, not an exponential

 

[Citius]

It would be really great if he was simply a freak but, as a cycling fan, long experience has taught me a lot of distrust. And it would suggest an awful lot of athletic freaks hailing from one small island in the Caribbean.

Ganja...

 

[oldroadman]

It's difficult to know with Bolt. Is he a complete freak or a doper? The following are all generally accepted facts, from which you can probably guess what conclusion I've drawn.

- His record is over two tenths faster for the 100m than the time Ben Johnson ran at Seoul, when there was no out of competition drug-testing.
- Of the top 8 times by runners for the 100m, 5 of them are Jamaican.
- Of these 8, 3 have served doping bans, including 2 out of 3 Americans
- Jamaica has a population of less than 3m people.
- Wind resistance increases exponentially with speed, so the larger the frontal area the harder it is to run faster.
- Nobody wears skin suits in sprinting.
- THG was undetectable until Trevor Graham sent a syringe to USADA.
- The rate of progression of the lowering of the 100m world record is accelerating...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men's_100_metres_world_record_progression#/media/File:World_record_progression_100m_men.svg

It would be really great if he was simply a freak but, as a cycling fan, long experience has taught me a lot of distrust. And it would suggest an awful lot of athletic freaks hailing from one small island in the Caribbean.

Which may be entirely possible if you consider history. Slaves stolen from Africa to work on plantations. Only the strongest and fittest survive. Selective breeding by slave owners (vile but it did happen). Result a strong and fit workforce who could produce more work over longer periods. fast forward and the genetics may suggest that within the 3 million are plenty who still have the trends, and may have excellent athletic ability. A culture of excellence and success has been created, just as GB has done.. It may be just possible to account for considerable success from this peer pressure and expectation alone.
This comment is simply to try and balance prejudice and it may well be that there is endemic misuse of substances going on. Until it's proved, it is not happening. Who said that now?

 

[smutchin]

Slaves stolen from Africa to work on plantations. Only the strongest and fittest survive.

I thought that myth had been debunked a long time ago.

 

[Crackle]

Good article on doping in Rugby Union.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34314851

 

[HF2300]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/athletics/34286427

Quelle suprise...

Another perspective on this from Saturday's Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/18/alberto-salazar-uk-athletics-oregon-project

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

More rugby doping: Pierre Ballester being sued by Philippe Sella as a result of allegations made in his book that Sella and others in the French national team took amphetamines in the 80s
http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/dopag...ion-par-philippe-sella_sto4941302/story.shtml

 

[Crackle]

Fascinating breakdown of worldwide testing in sport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/33686397

Ukraine managed two tests, one of which was adverse. Jamaica managed 374 tests, all clean, naturally.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Fascinating breakdown of worldwide testing in sport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/33686397

Ukraine managed two tests, one of which was adverse. Jamaica managed 374 tests, all clean, naturally.

Are the equestrian tests on the horse or rider?

 

[Crackle]

Are the equestrian tests on the horse or rider?

I did wonder that.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I did wonder that.

 

[themosquitoking]

I struggle sometimes getting a spliff in my mouth with opposable thumbs heck knows how I'd manage with hooves.

 

[Crackle]

You actually drew that didn't you.

 

[rich p]

Doesn't a horse use horse?