cannabisnews.com: Olympics-Athletes, Doctors Attack IOC Over Drugs!





Olympics-Athletes, Doctors Attack IOC Over Drugs!
Posted by FoM on March 14, 1999 at 09:32:09 PT

LONDON, Top Olympic athletes and doctors on Monday questioned the ability of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to control drug abuse and corruption. "The IOC do not have my vote of confidence right now," Olympic 100 metres champion Donovan Bailey said. 
"They have to clean this mess up. If nothing is done the ideals of the Olympics are over," the Canadian told a BBC Panorama documentary in the week in which beleaguered Olympic boss Juan Antonio Samaranch faces a confidence vote in his leadership. Samaranch called the vote at an extraordinary IOC session in Lausanne where the fate of members accused of being involved in the scandal will be decided. Although critics believe Samaranch, 78, should take full responsibility for the biggest bribery scandal in IOC history, the membership is unlikely to throw out a leader who has turned the Olympics into a commercial success since he took over in 1980. The athletes and officials interviewed for the BBC documentary were not so supportive. Bailey said: "I am sure there are athletes out there taking drugs. If they want to do it, they are not going to think about getting caught." Ben Johnson, plunged into disgrace after testing positive for drugs at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, said: "All the people who was in my races was on drugs. Everybody was doing it." "There are about 6,000 drugs on the market today...most sprinters, they try different drugs to go with their body and if it doesn't work, they try something else," Johnson said. Professor Arnold Beckett, former member of the IOC Medical Commission, echoed Johnson's charges. "I believe very strongly that drug misuse has increased dramatically because people can use performance-enhancing drugs and not get caught. The system of catching athletes has failed," he told Panorama. Prince Alexandre de Merode, the present head of the IOC Medical Commission, said he favoured lowering the punishment for those found guilty of using drugs from four to two years. "In my opinion to have four years' suspension, this can be compared with death, you know, in the world of sport," he said. "They have to preserve some ability to be reinstated." Canadian Mark Tewksbury, Olympic gold medal swimmer and former IOC member, said the Olympics were run by people who had lost sight of its ethics of integrity and fair play. "The system is corrupt," he said. "The IOC is run by one man, Juan Antonio Samaranch. It is not transparent at all and not accountable at all. "We were given gifts in every city ranging from Mont Blanc pens with our names on them to leather goods, ancient coins, art works, a Tiffany clock...IOC members got their gifts shipped home by UPS, one of the official Olympic sponsors." http://www.cnn.com/
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Comment #4 posted by Mat Bloor on February 14, 2001 at 03:12:37 PT:
Olympic drugs cover-up
I am doing a presentation on an olympic cover-up over drugs. I would appreciate on info in this area that any may have or know of, cheers
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Comment #3 posted by Peter Prescesky on October 22, 2000 at 09:25:09 PT:
drugs in the Olympics
I am doing a paper on the effects of amphetamines(Sudafed) in an athletes body. I am arguing the fact that because so many athletes have abused drugs, an athlete that has become ill prior to the Olympics can not use any medical remedies.Some of these athletes have worked there whole life and because of an illness that could be easily cured they are forced to perform under there abilities. I am looking for an article(s)that holds the same belief as I.I would also like an article on the russian athlete that lost her medal because she had taken a small dosage of Sudafed to remedie an illness..Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that I will receive some info as soon as possible 
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Comment #2 posted by tyson hendrickson on September 26, 2000 at 11:33:16 PT:
olympicathletes busted for drugsthus losingmedals 
i am doing a report in college on olympic athletes failing drug tests and would love if you could give me certain names of athletes failing the drug test. if possible olympic athletes that lost medals because of drugs. Also possible give me any good websites to go to and check it out.thanks,    tyson
drugs and olympci athletes
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Comment #1 posted by Shizuka on August 29, 2000 at 00:07:07 PT:
this is a question.....
dear olympic people.i am doing a project on drugs and i need about 30 interesting fact because i am doing a book called 101 facts and i need about 40 more facts and i will make it into y own words PLEASE!!! help me find some info or tell me a good web site!!!!bye from shizuka sato
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