shocking news- Floyd Landis tests positive for testosterone

Blob · Post by **Blob** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:01 pm

I would at least hope to believe that, but if it comes out that he once did "do" drugs, than i will lose all hope for cyclists.

In related type topic, Justin "Good Boy" Gatlin has now also revealed he took performance enhancing drugs. As a few years ago he apparently slated all athletes who took drugs, this is just another nail in the coffin for athletics.

westwinds31 · Post by **westwinds31** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:43 pm

Hey.....Armstrong is a legend....I just think that the sport of cycling has been riddled with drugs for years. I've read Armstrongs 'Not about the bike' book which is superb....it just opens the whole debate about who is clean and who isn't ....as in athletics.....in the back of your mind will always be that question....

Jess · Post by **Jess** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:12 pm

I'm sure that if Lance was guilty he would have been found out. Surely over the years that he won he would have had at least one drugs test that would have confirmed anything that might have been enhancing his performance.

it now seems that Justin Gaitlin also tested positive for testosterone earlier this year, and faces a life ban. what on earth is sport coming to......

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:26 pm

Nothing was ever proven against Lance, but he never received the credit he probably deserved back in the USA due to the allegations made against him some years back.

We have almost come to the point where athletes are presumed guilty until proven innocent, which is why I pretty much only follow team sports now (I would rather not support just the one pharmaceutical company !).

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:00 pm

Wow.... a lifetime ban for Gatlin seems to be on the horizon. Thats a serious shock to the athletics world.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:06 pm

That's right - he failed a test some years back, but was given a 'second chance'. And this is how he pays everyone back.

I think Ben Johnson recently said that sponsors and fans, ultimately, are more interested in medals and records than whether or not an athlete is 'clean'. As a result, plenty of athletes will continue to cheat and we had better just get used to it.

Which is why I have lost all interest in athletics.

Blob · Post by **Blob** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:14 pm

Yeh, but you also need to realise that the last time he failed a durgss test that was apparently because of the medicine he was taking for his Attention Disoder or something similar. His team hadnt realised that they would need to tell the athletics board about it :?

WharfedaleTiger · Post by **WharfedaleTiger** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:08 pm

WHO??!?!?!

Blob · Post by **Blob** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 3:42 pm

Who do you mean?

Llody Flandis or whatever his name is is a cyclist who came first on the final day of the Tour de France, after performing awfully the day before...

Justin Gatlin is the world champion and olympic gold medallist, and holds the world 100m sprint record with Asafa Powell at 9.77 seconds. He has recently been pulling up in a lot of races, which is apparently because he didnt want to perform hen he was "drugged up"...

WharfedaleTiger · Post by **WharfedaleTiger** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:41 pm

I was talking about the 1st one.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:05 pm

Blob wrote:Yeh, but you also need to realise that the last time he failed a durgss test that was apparently because of the medicine he was taking for his Attention Disoder or something similar. His team hadnt realised that they would need to tell the athletics board about it :?

Hi Blob

But, to quote (summary) from the IAAF Council:

"Gatlin had commited a doping offence, and any repetition would result in a life ban" ..... "The IAAF will not grant exemptions to athletes with ADD who wish to use amphetamines".

Under the strict liability rules that govern the sport he had cheated (the first time) and, arguably, was fortunate to be dealt with leniently. One can argue whether the rules are 'fair' or not, but I stand by my comment about how he pays everyone back.

mrsmoody · Post by **mrsmoody** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:52 pm

yeah but we cant lose gaitland he's too good!

Blob · Post by **Blob** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:53 pm

I'm not arguing it, if the drugs test are true, he deserves to be banned for life. The Athletics board need to show 0% tolerance of drugs if they are to regain a slim control of the almost unstoppable downwards spiral to drugs and no ppublic support.

However, to possibly combat this epidemic, how about a vast overhaul of the way sport is run? How about a drugs olympic-so comptitors can take drugs, but they will be monitored by the Athletics board and so it would be sfer than taking them on their own, and then having a non-drugs olympic. Perhaps the penalty for takingdrugs in the non-drugs olympics could be public flogging and 5 months work in a inner-city drugs rehabilitation unit? :twisted:

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:03 pm

Hi Blob

Yes, some commentators have talked about a monitored sport where drugs are allowed, but (not surprisingly) everyone has balked at the concept. But given the public perception that some sports are so tainted (cycling and athletics being examples) maybe that is the future ? Maybe Ben Johnson is right after all, ultimately we care more about performance than ethics ?

Or maybe individual sports will lose all mass appeal, becoming minority interests only. I heard that interest in the Tour this year was way down, which will surely have a negative impact on future sponsorship etc. I don't know the answer, but some sports in the future may end up being viewed in the same way as we view the 'sport' of bodybuilding today. :(

IsraeliTiger · Post by **IsraeliTiger** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:40 am

Of course interest in the Tour was down. People wanted to watch Lance Armstrong. Its like the way people only watch MotoGP for Valentino Rossi, or a few years back, F1 for Michael Schumacher.