Record doping tests carried out at Beijing Olympics

4,770 doping tests were carried out in Beijing in the framework of the largest ever testing programme for an Olympic Games. The tests included 3,801 urine and 969 blood tests. Urine tests included 817 EPO tests, and blood tests covered 471 human Growth Hormone (hGH) tests. All the tests covered the 29-day period from 27 July until 24 August 2008. Athletes qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency and BOCOG under the authority of the IOC. As a general rule, all top five finishers, plus a

 further two, were tested.

Source and full story here.

__________________________

Gary comments:

Of course, this all smoke and mirrors.  The use of performance enhancing substances outside of the Olympics during the athlete's preparations is not addressed by testing during the Games.

Drugs can be used to make an athlete train with greater intensity, to recover faster and grow bigger, stronger muscles and even longer limbs. Evading random testing outside of competition is easy enough.  An athlete with the right resourcing is able to come within .001 of the limit for triggering a positive test and therefore remain "legal".  Others may be using designer drugs that have yet to be "discovered" by the testing agency.

As I have asked before: When there is a positive drugs test, why is there not a lifetime ban for the cheat?  

And I ask this:

Why, also, is there not a proper investigation to expose and prosecute the 'Mr Bigs" behind the elaborate attempts at doping deceloption?

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.

Swimmers expelled from NZ team for 'inappropriate behaviour'

"BEIJING - Olympic swimmers Dean Kent, Corney Swanepoel and Cameron Gibson were expelled from the New Zealand team following an unsavoury incident which embarrassed a teammate.

The three experienced Olympians took a photograph of the drunk teammate sitting on the toilet in a prank at a social function late last week before circulating it to other teammates.

.....New Zealand were rocked in the closing stages of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games by an alcohol-fuelled incident involving cyclists Tim Gudsell, Marc Ryan and Liz Williams.

Gudsell and Ryan were later found to have breached their Cycling New Zealand athlete's agreement and ordered to seek professional help to avoid a repeat."
For the full story, please go here
___________________________
Gary comments:
What a difference when the athletes are no longer needed! Contrast this firm action with the other incident that is referred to in the article above.

I was with the Cook Islands Team at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and learned first hand from the Games Village Police what happened that night by the Duck Pond between the two male cyclists and their unfortunate female team mate. It was disgusting to say the least. Everybody in the Games Village knew the truth; but the public showcase was carefully stage managed. Damage control ruled and no charges were laid.

What was even more disgusting was the actions of the management upon return to New Zealand who, it appears, concluded the male cyclists more essential for future campaigns than the female. While Liz Williams stayed relatively quiet, her mother sure was not; but was quickly put in her place and she shut up. Having a couple of daughters about Liz's age and seriously into cycling I was very interested to see how this business was going to be handled.

Gudsell and Ryan were sent to some counselling course and have continued their international cycling with various successes. Liz? We have no idea what was offered to help this young woman.

Did she get any support?

"Silly question, Gary - She's a girl and she was probably asking for it!"

As predicted at the time of the incident, she has disappeared off the NZ cycling scene.

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.

Rebecca Wardell - NZ Heptathlon Olympian - Some Pictures

Here are several Olympics photos sent to me by New Zealand Champion Heptathlete, Rebecca Wardell. Rebecca finished a respectable 23rd with her 2nd second best score of 5989, an agonising 11 points shy of 6000. I have helped Rebecca in a very small way with her nutrition.

Photo One: Rebecca with Olympic shot champion - NZ's Valerie Villi

Interestingly, the Ukranian woman who got silver in the Olympic heptathlon has failed a drug test. So Rebecca will now be in 22nd spot.

Photo Two: Rebecca and the Olympic Rings

Rebecca is ranked in the top four in the Commonwealth and currently ranked 7th on the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge.

Isn't it wonderful to see these joyous photos of an athlete having an absolutely delightful ball at the Olympics despite not winning!





Photo Three: The Bird's Nest Stadium

Photo Four: Rebecca, family and her coach

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.