Marion Jones did it, now it is time for the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
Burdened by her conscience over her use of performance enhancing drugs, Jones finally gave in and admitted that despite earlier denials, she had in fact used substances prohibited by the IAAF, in her quest for glory and its ultimate financial rewards at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Now that Jones has unburdened her conscience, now it is the IAAF’s turn to `come clean’ and admit that, despite their pronouncements, they have lost the battle against drug cheats and seek help to clean up the sport once and for all.
Prior to this year’s World Championships in Osaka, Japan, German anti-doping campaigner Dr. Werner Franke had stated that this year’s world championships would be the dirtiest since the 1990s.
The statement brought a stinging rebuke from the chairman of the IAAF medical and anti-doping commission Dr. Juan Manuel Alonso, who questioned Franke’s credibility.
“This man is absolutely misinformed and I don’t believe his statements have credibility,” Alonso had said.
Only the dumb ones are caught
Franke also criticized the IAAF testing policy stating that if the IAAF does not conduct drug tests at least two to six weeks before competition then there was no use in testing during the event itself.
“Today, athletes use drugs which leaves no trace only two days after they are used. Only the dumb ones are caught,” Franke said.
This fact was borne out by the IAAF’s press release which stated that there was only one positive drug test during the World championships.
“I am pleased to report that the testing programme in Osaka was the largest ever conducted by the IAAF with even more tests collected than we had initially planned. I can confirm that we have found only one positive test case from the testing in Japan.”
Yeah, right! And they did not find Marion Jones guilty either. Jones had to “fess up”. Maybe the IAAF would have had better results at the `Worlds’ if they had asked for confessions.
It is clear that those who use performing enhancing drugs are way ahead of those who are trying to catch them.
It is also time, too, that the IAAF stop deluding themselves and the public and admit that there is widespread use of steroids and that athletes who move from whom? to zoom in the twinkling of an eye just might be on `roids.
Looking ahead to Beijing
Looking ahead to next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the IAAF’s objectives are clear: They need to provide a level field for the best athletes in the world to compete.
But in order to do that the IAAF must improve on the drug testing capabilities.
It means listening to and working with people like Franke, not trying to negate the messages they are sending.
Franke claims that there was a world-wide EPO boom and that the substance was used in the training programnme of sprinters and jumpers.
He also claimed that the male sex hormone testorone was being used together with plasters and ointments and that the top athletes were able to escape being caught by using expensive methods to mask the drug use.
To their credit the IAAF has implemented stiffer penalties (four years instead of two) for first time offenders but there is one catch – not too many athletes have swum into the IAAF anti-doping net.
If the IAAF is serious about its drug fight then they will need to look into the allegations raised by Franke.
Or maybe their way of unmasking drug cheats is to wait until the drug cheats decide to “fess up.”
