THERE鈥橲 something compelling about watching an athlete put in a supreme effort to beat an opponent or break a world record. Years of effort and dedication come together in a few fleeting moments of competition to decide who is remembered and who forgotten. Pierre de Coubertin, father of the modern Olympics, talked of members of an egalitarian elite striving for perfection. And as the World Championships in Athletics began last week in Edmonton, expectations were high of more tales of great feats.
But alongside the heroes, we鈥檝e got used to hearing about the cheats caught by drugs testers. Some people will do anything to get their hands on gold-not only the medal but also the millions to be earned in sponsorship deals and product endorsements. The number of cheats is not huge-studies show it鈥檚 consistently about 1 per cent of competitors at the top level. Yet that 1 per cent attracts a disproportionate and unwanted amount of publicity to sport.
The temptation is all too understandable. The prize for winning is greater than it ever was, and in many events athletes are pushing up against biological barriers. It is mind-boggling to think of anyone ever shattering Maurice Greene鈥檚 world record 9.79 seconds for the 100 metres. If the public wants to see records broken over and over again, perhaps the use of drugs by athletes is something we鈥檒l have to live with.
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But for now, we test and try to weed out the cheats. And the job of drugs testers is growing more difficult. With so much at stake, athletes are fighting harder in court as well as in the arena, so bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) must ensure that their scientific tests stand up to the fiercest legal scrutiny.
In this area, it must be said, these bodies do not help themselves. The IAAF is on the brink of approving a single urine test to replace a dual blood and urine test for erythropoietin (EPO), a protein that boosts the number of red cells in blood. But if it is so important in the race to catch the cheats, why not fast-track the research into the test so it was ready before the Edmonton games-the biggest sporting event in the world bar the Olympics and football World Cup?
The use of EPO is part of a trend for boosting the body with natural proteins, which are harder to detect. The IOC and IAAF still have no test for growth hormone, for example, which some athletes use to build up muscle. The task facing the testers is immense: levels vary widely across ethnic divides, and even in the same person the hormone can spike at different times of day and night, after meals and training. A skilled cheat can use these patterns to disguise its use. Worse, there鈥檚 a growing list of compounds that stimulate the release of a person鈥檚 own growth hormone, so there鈥檚 no evidence that an artificial hormone has been taken. Despite such difficulties, 快猫短视频 has argued in the past that as long as the drugs testers are determined enough, they will continue to prevail (16 September 2000, p 3).
But a new trend forces us to question that assertion. Insulin has long been used by body builders as a way to build muscle and boost energy levels. There鈥檚 now growing evidence that mainstream athletes are starting to use the hormone (see 鈥淩ace to the death鈥�). It has the added bonus of disappearing from the body within minutes, which could make it impossible to detect.
How should we respond to this? Athletes are already told not to take it-unless, of course, they鈥檙e diabetic and the drug is their lifeline. But patently some people will. And they will get away with it. One option is to give up the fight and open up competitions to anybody, regardless of what they鈥檝e taken-turning athletics into the best combination of human plus pharmaceutical. But this would also be irresponsible. There are signs, for example, that growth hormone can do damage if taken long-term, while too much insulin can kill very quickly. By carrying on testing, we can at least stop most of the rot, and perhaps save a few cheats from harming themselves.
But we must not delude ourselves with notions that athletes are all motivated by high ideals. It鈥檚 a shame for those competitors who decline to take drugs, but a question mark must hang over every gold medal: was it achieved with the help of an undetectable pharmaceutical boost? So much for de Coubertin鈥檚 vision. From godlike beings, athletes are being demoted to mere entertainers.
