I posed the question about doping in the world championship thread because the Tour de France just started. Anyone who follows professional cycling knows how incredibly widespread the issue has become. Nearly all of our most respected cycling stars (Basso, Ullrich, Landis...) have come under suspicion, and many of them have already admitted it. Several of the Tour's previous winners have also just admitted to years of doping (e.g., Bjarne Riis), and admit that they should be stripped of their yellow jerseys. If doping has been this widespread in professional cycling all along, what other major European sports has it trickled down to? I mention European because neither cycling nor freediving are very large sports in the U.S. (yet), so I don't expect that significant doping development has been occurring in these sports on the American front (yet it certainly has here in America's more popular sports, e.g, football and baseball).
It is unfortunate, but now we have to question anyone who is dominating in their respective sport. I haven't followed the world championships closely, but there are definitely a few stars who appear to be dominating convincingly, and I wonder... In my post in the world championships thread, I asked if there was any drug testing being conducted. I was told by cebaztian to check the AIDA website for information, but I could find none. So could anybody inform me if they actually are doing any testing at these championships, and how thorough it is? (only testing the winner? or all individuals in a final?)
Although I may sound concerned about the doping issue, I actually don't look at the issue of doping in as harsh a manner as nearly everyone does. In some sports it has become so competitive and doping has become so widespread that the athletes probably feel they must dope if they are to hope to be competitive and have a chance of winning. These athletes are not driven by the desire to cheat, but the desire to win, rather. In a way, they are almost admirable for going to whatever length it takes to push performances to the max. It is arbitrary where we draw the line between doping and acceptable supplementation; it is arguable whether supplementing with EPO or accepting additional blood is natural or unnatural. What about caffeine, which I don't think has been banned? I've heard from a friend who is a professional triathlete that before professional ITU (triathlon) races, all the athletes are popping caffeine pills...Which is obviously doping, but still allowed. In spite of my identifying with the pressures on athletes to dope, I certainly don't believe that their performance can be considered for records or in competitions. The only way such individuals could be allowed to compete is if a separate category was developed for dopers.
The recent shocking events in the cycling arena are what made me inquire about doping in freediving. Some professional athletes and trainers I know assure me that anyone at the top of their sport is probably doping in some form. I'd just like to satisfy my curiosity by learning how possible it is for doping to be occurring in freediving.
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