MJ, Steroids and Skating

[attyfan]

I'm sure many of you have already read about Marion Jones confessing to having used steroids to win her 5 Oly medals in 2000. I understand, however, that the same kind of andro-steroids used by Jones and others, would interfere with things like balance that are essential to success in figure skating, so in this sport (at least), the use of so-called "performance enhancing" drugs is minimized by the lack of motive.

Do you think that TPTB (ISU, Nat federations, etc.) should hype this fact -- sort of advertising that this sport is "unjuiced", and if so, do you think it might help reverse the current lack of interest in the sport?

 

[Taan]

steroids are not the only performance enhancers, there are other ergogenic substances which can give an athlete an unfair advantage in things like stamina and energy, B+S lost a european title for taking a banned cold medicine

 

[Fred Goss]

I wouldnt want to be out on a limb claiming skating as
an inherently "clean" sport...it appears no one has found
a drug that enhances performance in FS...if someone does,
I wouldnt wish to bet against it being used. I've always wondered
about blood doping that skiiers use to increase endurance.

 

[attyfan]

... B+S lost a european title for taking a banned cold medicine

To get disqualified, a skater doesn't have to take something that will actually enhance a skating performance, only something that is on the "banned" list. Whether the chemical in the cough syrup is the kind of thing that would actually enhance a skating performance -- especially in pairs -- is doubtful, since the most common kind of chemical are various pre-cursers to methamphetamine, which could throw off timing, especially in SBS jumps and spins.

 

[Ptichka]

To get disqualified, a skater doesn't have to take something that will actually enhance a skating performance, only something that is on the "banned" list. Whether the chemical in the cough syrup is the kind of thing that would actually enhance a skating performance -- especially in pairs -- is doubtful, since the most common kind of chemical are various pre-cursers to methamphetamine, which could throw off timing, especially in SBS jumps and spins.

ITA. Then again, at least B&S only lost a Euro title; Andrea Raducan lost the Olympic one.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

While I have no information about enhancing drugs for Free Skating, I would not be surprised if it is used by one or more in competition.

Being alone on the ice, in front of a few thousand people, and a dozen judges and officials glaring at you. Those 4 or 4-1/2 minutes can feel like hours and getting up from a sit spin in the latter part of the competition is totally exhausting.

How many skaters run for that citrus slice after skating?

Joe

 

[layman]

It's not cheating at all...but rather smart strategy....many skaters have trained at altitude to gain an advantage on the competition training at sea level.

 

[sillylionlove]

correct me if I am wrong but wasn't one of the reasons that Ina and Zimmerman turned pro was becuase Kyoko missed a drug test and they were going to ban the team? I think that they came to her home or something unannounced and she was unable to provide a sample or would not provide a sample? Does anyone remember this story?
I don't think that they were using steroids at all. It is just such a shame that so many sports and so many athletes are using steroids and performance enhancing drugs now a days. It really ruins sport!!

 

[JonnyCoop]

Do you think that TPTB (ISU, Nat federations, etc.) should hype this fact -- sort of advertising that this sport is "unjuiced", and if so, do you think it might help reverse the current lack of interest in the sport?

I'm sure that it's enough of a given already that it wouldn't make much difference. I'd be willing to bet that if there ever was a steroid scandal in skating (say, for example, Johnny Weir got suspended for being all 'roided up) [Can you just IMAGINE?? ] the late-night talk show pundits would have a FIELD DAY with it. They already had a bit of one when the Russian Mafia/SLC Pairs Scandal connection came to light; I can imagine what they'd do with THAT. And I don't think people who are into the "steroid sports" (track, baseball, football) are going to be that much into skating anyway, at least not in general.

 

[Mafke]

Warning: Possibly infuriating comments ahead.

I think that the anti-doping movement has gone too far.

In purely pragmatic terms, there's a point at which anti-doping policing hurts sports more than it helps them and we've passed that stage long ago.

The problem is that athletics (to attract audiences) have to engage the spectator emotionally and the current state of anti-doping checking discourages that emotional investment since a test taken two hours, two days, two weeks, two months or even two years from now could render that emotional reaction that made the original even so exciting null and void. Most viewers will not respond with gladness that no drug-taking athletes will keep their medals but by withdrawing from watching and/or caring at all.

And, does anybody really believe that there are athletes in certain sports that aren't drugged up? I'd rather keep the memory of an exciting victory than have to continually recalibrate the podium because one medal winner was less adept at covering their drug use than another. I assume that all cyclists, swimmers and track and fielders are juiced up to some extent. And, I don't especially care.

I also think that having blanket rules covering all sports are bogus since for certain sports (including figure skating) most kinds of performance enhancing drugs are more likely to do more harm than good (split second timing is not helped by rapid muscle gain).

 

[blue dog]

i think the only way to solve doping is to allow it. allow steroids, but only a certain amount. then monitor the amount that athletes take. the reason why i believe this is because of an article i read a while back on newsweek where high school students are taking and abusing steroids for sports. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18758620/site/newsweek/

I know it sounds like a drastic or radical stance, but if they allowed and monitored it, it could at least create a fairer environment. Not to mention, high school athletes who are unaware of what they are taking will at least not run the risk of taking some unknown drug.

 

[rain]

i think the only way to solve doping is to allow it. allow steroids, but only a certain amount. then monitor the amount that athletes take....
I know it sounds like a drastic or radical stance, but if they allowed and monitored it, it could at least create a fairer environment. Not to mention, high school athletes who are unaware of what they are taking will at least not run the risk of taking some unknown drug.

This is a terrible idea. First, it would not solve the problem. If you allow athletes to take a little of something, then you would have athletes finding ways to cheat by taking a lot of something — to give them an advantage. Because it's all about gaining an unfair advantage over the rest of the field. Just allowing steroids is not going to fulfill that goal.

Second, it's a terrible idea to condone these substances which can have severe consequences for the longterm health of the athletes. Perhaps what is needed is a long, hard look at the highschool athletics systems that are putting young athletes under such pressure that they are willing to risk their health for a fleeting moment of teenage glory.

Which is one of the reasons that allowing Olympic athletes to take steroids is such a bad idea. Many of them are teenagers, or at least were teenagers when they started. These substances can have huge detrimental effects on their growth and development, particularly in sexual development — for both males and females.

 

[R.D.]

Skating does not have to deal with steroid use, but it has had to deal with crooked and corrupt judging take your pick.

 

[Mathman]

The problem is that athletics (to attract audiences) have to engage the spectator emotionally and the current state of anti-doping checking discourages that emotional investment since a test taken two hours, two days, two weeks, two months or even two years from now could render that emotional reaction that made the original even so exciting null and void. Most viewers will not respond with gladness that no drug-taking athletes will keep their medals but by withdrawing from watching and/or caring at all.

That is the very reason that major sports organizations have to crack down on it with vigor. No one is interested in a contest that only determines which athlete has the better pharmacist.

Look at the zero interest that baseball fans have in Barry Bond's record.

 

[Enero]

Second, it's a terrible idea to condone these substances which can have severe consequences for the longterm health of the athletes. Perhaps what is needed is a long, hard look at the highschool athletics systems that are putting young athletes under such pressure that they are willing to risk their health for a fleeting moment of teenage glory.

Well these days it's not just a fleeting moment of teenage glory.We are hearing more and more about teenage sports stars finishing high school and going straight into the NBA and MLB etc., with million dollar contracts (and eventually go on to get huge endorsement deals etc.,). These kids not only want glory, they want fortune and to have fortune you must be better than the best and you must win.

Another piece to the doping issue is that if there is a significant amount of people that are doping in a particiular sport, it will probably cause others, who aren't, to take up the practice in order to stay competitive. And of course the team owners don't care. They want to make money, and if that means players doing superhuman things (which never fails to bring in millions more fans and revenue) then so be it. JMHO.

 

[rain]

Well these days it's not just a fleeting moment of teenage glory.We are hearing more and more about teenage sports stars finishing high school and going straight into the NBA and MLB etc., with million dollar contracts (and eventually go on to get huge endorsement deals etc.,). These kids not only want glory, they want fortune and to have fortune you must be better than the best and you must win.

It's a myth to say that's any more than a very lucky few. But it's the carrot they hold up to take advantage of the naivete and the overwhelming desire of all of these kids to be famous. The truth of the matter is, most of those in highschool sports will never make it to the pros. Or even college. The big highschool game will indeed be their shining sports moment. And needless to say causing irreparable harm for something that fleeting is downright stupid.

 

[enlight78]

What is magic about any sport is when you see that play or move that makes you say I wish I could do that. You don't say I could do that if I took the right combination of drugs. I think what Marion Jones did is odd in a way. Track and Field is not a money sport. It is a record sport. It is about saying I broke this or that record, not steroids won me this medal and got me this time. To me taking enhancement drugs is basiclly quiting. If you don't think you can do it, see what drugs can. If every body takes drugs the field might be even but the acomplishments will no longer matter.

 

[sillylionlove]

Here is what I find interesting. When the gymnast Andrea Rudcan (sp?) lost her Olympic title, she was still regarded in Romania very highly and everyone loved her. Granted it was only cold medicine (I think).

That's not how it is in the US. But with the death of Chris Benoit and his family from apparently too much steroids and all these athletes losing medal, titles, endorsements, money and respect, why in the world would you think about doing drugs or steroids.

As for Barry Bonds, he so used steroids. Look at his body back about 8 years ago. He was much much smaller then he is now. In fact look at any baseball player from about 15 years ago, they are much smaller then the average baseball player now. Anyway, I think that Bonds breaking Aaron's home run record is a farce!! But that's just my opinion!!

 

[rochettefan]

track and field at the highest levels is very much a money sport. top athletes can get paid as much as 50,000 to appear at a meet in Europe, plus endorsements from shoe companies, etc. The strange thing about Marion is prior to the period she admitted to taking steroids, she was already the undisputed best in the world for several years with a best time of 10.65...far ahead of all her nearest competitors. She really had nothing to gain and everything to lose...as she now has.

 

[Fredegunda]

What about blood doping? I have wondered whether the basic method (not involving synthetic EPO) of re-infusing yourself with your own blood has been used in skating. But since blood doping seems to be used primarily in endurance sports, maybe it is not ideal for skating anyway.

However, steroids in skating seems somewhat unlikely to me - wouldn't there be a need to retrain your jumps after weight changes? That would seem to make steroids inefficient and unreliable. Also don't steroids make you unflexible, therefore less likely to be able to do the contortionist spins and spirals, as well as grumpy/moody? What you gain in physical strength you could lose in mental strength.

As for Andreea Raducan, perhaps because she did not intend to take a banned substance, people found it easier to forgive her. It may be more difficult to tender the same forgiveness towards someone who has knowingly and purposely taken performance-enhancing drugs over a long period of time. Additionally Raducan's teammate and silver medalist Simona Amanar, who was elevated to Olympic champion after Raducan's disqualification, actually gave the gold medal back to her once they returned to Romania. Maybe this gesture influenced public opinion too.