Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (10 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
I understand your point.
It's true that certain countries appear to have a very systematic approach when it comes to doping. Russia and China certainly come to mind.
But even if there seems to be less involvement of state actors in Europe and North America, there have been countless athletes from those regions who were in fact doping. And let's be frank, in track and field people have been doubting countries like Jamaica, Kenia and Ethiopia for a very long time now because their local anti doping agencies seem reluctant to do regular testing.
Under those circumstances it's a bit odd to single out athletes from a particular region or country and accuse them of doping before there has been a conclusive test. History tells us that pretty much anyone can be doping anyway.
It's true that certain countries appear to have a very systematic approach when it comes to doping. Russia and China certainly come to mind.
But even if there seems to be less involvement of state actors in Europe and North America, there have been countless athletes from those regions who were in fact doping. And let's be frank, in track and field people have been doubting countries like Jamaica, Kenia and Ethiopia for a very long time now because their local anti doping agencies seem reluctant to do regular testing.
Under those circumstances it's a bit odd to single out athletes from a particular region or country and accuse them of doping before there has been a conclusive test. History tells us that pretty much anyone can be doping anyway.
China won 21 gold medals so far. Only 3 of them are in swimming and athletics. The remaining gold medals are in: Shooting (5), Diving (4), Table tennis (3), Badminton (2), Artistic gymnastics (2), Cycling BMX (1), Tennis (1).
Even if we accept that doping is the reason for their golds in swimming and athletics (20km race walk), they'd still have 18 gold medals and they'd be comfortably in 2nd place overall. I think it's unfair to use "doping" as an explanation for their success at the last 3-4 Olympics.
Even if we accept that doping is the reason for their golds in swimming and athletics (20km race walk), they'd still have 18 gold medals and they'd be comfortably in 2nd place overall. I think it's unfair to use "doping" as an explanation for their success at the last 3-4 Olympics.
I don't think everyone is juicing, but a lot definitely are.
Someone like Femke Bol is weird. If you look at the results, she almost has to be on something. She's obliterating everyone else and does so race after race in event after event. But then you look at the way she runs and her composure in interviews and there's just no way I can imagine her cheating. Maybe it's naive, but I hope these freaks of nature exist.
Someone like Femke Bol is weird. If you look at the results, she almost has to be on something. She's obliterating everyone else and does so race after race in event after event. But then you look at the way she runs and her composure in interviews and there's just no way I can imagine her cheating. Maybe it's naive, but I hope these freaks of nature exist.
I do not and I have three reasons for that:
- Bolt dominated Olympic and World Championships from 2008 until 2016. That is a very long timeframe in which he had to have been among the most tested athletes in the world.
- His career was gradual. He was winning international youth championships as early as 2002 and started to fizzle out after 30 (which you'd expect from a sprinter).
- His character does not appear to be that of someone willing to do whatever it takes to get results. His coaches even consistently complained it was hard to get him to train in the first place.
I'd be very surprised if it turns out he was cheating. But you never really know.
- Bolt dominated Olympic and World Championships from 2008 until 2016. That is a very long timeframe in which he had to have been among the most tested athletes in the world.
- His career was gradual. He was winning international youth championships as early as 2002 and started to fizzle out after 30 (which you'd expect from a sprinter).
- His character does not appear to be that of someone willing to do whatever it takes to get results. His coaches even consistently complained it was hard to get him to train in the first place.
I'd be very surprised if it turns out he was cheating. But you never really know.
I have to say, for someone as small as she is is, Simone Biles sure has a lot of bile inside.
She's competing with women, who aren't even earning enough money to live on. Nina Derwael (Belgian gold medal winner in 2021 on the uneven bars) has hardly made a killing. She can just about cover her expenses. Biles in the meantime is sitting on a fortune of several tens of millions of dollars, because she's a tremendous athlete but also due to the fact she happens to be American.
Maybe be a tiny bit grateful?
I appreciate the gesture towards the Brazilian girl, but Biles really misbehaved the last few weeks. Shocking mentality.
She's competing with women, who aren't even earning enough money to live on. Nina Derwael (Belgian gold medal winner in 2021 on the uneven bars) has hardly made a killing. She can just about cover her expenses. Biles in the meantime is sitting on a fortune of several tens of millions of dollars, because she's a tremendous athlete but also due to the fact she happens to be American.
Maybe be a tiny bit grateful?
I appreciate the gesture towards the Brazilian girl, but Biles really misbehaved the last few weeks. Shocking mentality.
