Criminals!Drug cheats could mar Athens 2004
BY HENRY OKODUWA
Saturday, August 21, 2004

The unabated resort to the use of performance enhancing drugs is threatening the credibility of the Olympics. If the malaise was hitherto unnoticed, Canada’s Ben Johnson made sure it did when he spiced his system with drugs at the Seoul ’88 Olympics.
He had sensationally been stripped of his 100m gold after he was found to have cheated. It was the first time the world woke up to the reality of cheats in sports. Ever since, the trend has been institutionalized despite stringent laws established to rid sports of drug cheats.

But at no time has drugs use been as pronounced as it has been in recent times. If there were scandals at the last Olympics in Sydney, this edition in Athens certainly takes the can.
Prior to the 28th Olympiad, cases of drug use hit the airwaves, leaving a lot of people to worry about the credibility of records created or broken at the Olympics.

More than anything else, the urge to excel and make some name has been pushing some athletes into the dishonourable act of drug use.

Days to the Olympics, the American media was abuzz with reports of how some athletes rose to fame, immersing themselves in drugs.

World record holder, Tim Montgomery, father of Marion Jones’ son, Monty had been banned after he was discovered to have taken drugs.
So was another US sprinter Jerome Young and female 100 metres champion Torri Edwards.
The scandal was hardly settling in when British sprinter, Dwain Chambers was also found to be have cheated and was consequently banned.

Experts believe the increased awareness of doping as well as better techniques at detection is what has opened the can of worms much more than expected.
But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) insist that it’s imperative they clean the Augean stables even though it will slow down the pace at which world records tumble.

Dick Pound head of World Anti-do-ping Authority says sports will never regain its credibility if tougher measures are not applied.

"Doping is the single most important problem facing sports today. If we don’t win the fight, the Olympic standard sport will not survive-because the public will have no respect for it.
"Cheats make what should be a triumph of human achievement into a hollow pretence," he says.
Only last week, the drugs issue took another twist with the discovery that the Greek duo of Costas Kenteris and Katherine Thanou had cleverly dodged a routine drugs test.

The scandal would prompt the Sydney 2000 200 metres gold medallist to miss out of lighting the Olympic torch to signal the opening ceremony penultimate Friday.

Already doubts are being cast over their participation in the on-going tournament.
But it does seems the ruling bodies for sports across the globe may be fighting a lost battle. But how far they go in stopping drug cheats is greatly going to affect how results and achievements of performing athletes will be viewed in the nearest future.