It is quite incredible that I again find myself penning or for more accuracy, typing another blog regarding Drugs-in-Sport.
France is currently a bedrock for everything taking place in the fight against drugs in athletics. The Tour de Farce is over with and now the storm descends on French middle and distance running.
Jolande Ceplak is minute in comparison of the scale of what is taking place now. Recently suspended French athlete, Hind Dehiba , wanted to spill the beans regarding the network of suppliers and athletes all with a Moroccan link. This cannot do the image of North African athletics any good whatsoever and the sooner that these allegations are looked into the better for all involved in the sport.
The main name that has been linked as the supplier is former Olympic Champion Khalid Skah. Skah the winner of the 10000m at Barcelona in 1992 can ill afford to have his name linked with these accusations however this is not the first time the name of a former Olympic Champion has been brought up regarding the promotion of the use of banned substances.
Sadly Said Aouita has been mentioned by Australian athletes for encouraging the use of drugs to enhance their performances. One athlete, 1500m runner Mark Fountain, sent a letter to the Australian Sports Commission regarding this however Aouita was cleared and left his post shortly afterwards.
Harsher sentences are needed for those who supply drugs, as they as a supplier are seeking the financial reward and are no different to those who were recently arrested for possession of the Harry Potter ecstacy tablets.
Only today a former French national marathon champion stated, "One thing that completely beats me is how people agree to take any of this stuff, do they just not understand what kind of state they will be in at 40 years of age if they live that long".
Sadly, the athletes only care about the glory and cannot think further than their own glory.
I keep repeating this, we are making gains in this sport and once the athletes work to eradicate the sport of this evil then the battle of the minds will begin to be won.
Just say No!
TheEd
