Wiggins (again)

[Markman]

Funny thing is - I have had asthma all my life and whatever they give me has not turned me into a super being - cheap skate NHS! (attempted levity - I respect the NHS)

[marshy]

20 hours ago, Odysseus said:

https://www.propublica.org/article/elite-runner-had-qualms-alberto-salazar-asthma-drug-performance

Good article from a runner who worked with Salazar on the process. Mentions how athletes are exerted to the point of an asthma attack and rushed off to doctors to fail a test. Even if like Wiggins they tend to only suffer from summer allergies. They're then encouraged to abuse the drug to the maximum, against the doctors recommendation. 

And in general the battle between humans and genetics. The sense of entitlement that in some way we all have the right to bridge that gap through science. 

I agree that we should learn from this and end the culture of celebrity worship in sport and other avenues of life.

 

Good luck with that, getting rid of the TV would be a start.

I rather like this quote from I'm not sure when:

''https://www.etymonline.com/word/celebrity''

'When the old Gods withdraw......almost any perishable bag of bones may be hoisted into the vacant seat.''

[Esmond Million's Bung]

How about this:-

The cyclists are obviously willing participants, so why not let them be the world's window into new drug trialling, let them take whatever they want?, who knows there might even end up being some benefit to the world at large.

The problem is this not new, the infamous 1988 Olympic 100 metres final dubbed the 'dirtiest race in history', prompted a quote similar to this after Ben Johnson had his gold medal removed and Carl Lewis promoted to gold and Linford Christie to silver, "7 of the 8 athletes in that final were 'dirty' and the clean one was not on the podium".

Just to widen the discussion last the chairman of the UCI has called a full investigation into this allegation by the world sport anti doping organisation and also said that Chris Froome having failed a drugs test should be suspended from competing pending a final outcome to that failed test.