There is evidence to suggest there is no such thing as a level playing field

[fez]

I didn't think that anyone in the last 100 years had suggested that we are all built equally. Look at certain sports and where the athletes come from. You will see very high numbers of top sprinters in Jamaica etc.

Most top sportsman say that most people barring injury or illness can reach the top level in a sport. Its once you are there that your genetics, sports scientists etc give you the edge.

I'm sure that I could get to a similar level to some of the weakest tour de france cyclists if I trained my **** off for a good few years but I would never have the capability to get near the top guys.

A lot of athletes do high altitude training which gives them the edge. The effects of high altitude training are the same as taking certain drugs which is where I think a bit of ambiguity comes in.

 

[Weebull]

A lot of athletes do high altitude training which gives them the edge. The effects of high altitude training are the same as taking certain drugs which is where I think a bit of ambiguity comes in.

Funny, I was just about to mention this myself. There was an interesting article with Paula Radcliffe on the BBC site that mentions how she does altitude training as much as possible, because it stimulates the red blood cells more. Which is exactly what the banned drug EPO does.

Which does kind of beg the question - why is one allowed and the other not?

 

["andy"]

With Messi, the drugs didnt give him the skill. They just give him the much more rugged physique he has for a small guy that he wouldnt have had sans drugs. therefore he'd weigh much less, have much less mucle mass and be unlikely to be able to produce the same skill literally bouncing off pother players to retain the ball and be as effective.

Now say you started to give the same drugs to christiano ronaldo on top of his diet then he'd be Uberonaldo. where should it stop?

messi had drugs as a medical treatment because his own natural levels where below 'normal' , hes one of hundreds of thousands of children who go through the same sorts of process. including my brother

its nowhere near the same as taking someone whos body is acting perfectly fine (or more than fine in the case of many athletes) and then adding the drugs on top of that

 

["andy"]

did anyone ever see that documentary about worlds strongest children ? the ukranian (i think) ex body-builder who tied tiny weights to his daughter from a young age and trained and trained her

she didnt take drugs but they decided it was still wrong and she was banned from the national team even when the other ukranian weightlifting women all looked and sounded like men

 

[semi-pro waster]

Funny, I was just about to mention this myself. There was an interesting article with Paula Radcliffe on the BBC site that mentions how she does altitude training as much as possible, because it stimulates the red blood cells more. Which is exactly what the banned drug EPO does.

Which does kind of beg the question - why is one allowed and the other not?

Presumably because some people will naturally live at altitude so replicating the conditions isn't deemed unnatural/unfair, I don't think extra EPO from outside sources is something that would normally be expected to occur without intervention.

 

[Vonhelmet]

Funny, I was just about to mention this myself. There was an interesting article with Paula Radcliffe on the BBC site that mentions how she does altitude training as much as possible, because it stimulates the red blood cells more. Which is exactly what the banned drug EPO does.

Which does kind of beg the question - why is one allowed and the other not?

Because one requires effort and one doesn't.

I would have thought that was obvious.

 

[Morba]

1 is natural. Be it genetically advantageous or not, it is natural.
The other is scientifically advantageous, this comes at a cost which a lot of lesser athletes wont be able to afford, so it wont be equal.

Another thing to consider.
Imagine genetically disadvantaged white boy from home counties in the UK gets on the gear legally and beats Usain Bolt at the 100m.
Usain says he's having none of it, so gets on the gear too and then regains his greatness.
What have we achieved when everyone is on the best gear they can be on? Nothing. It's the same multi level performance from everyone, just a bit faster or stronger or whatever.

 

[ethan]

Imagine genetically disadvantaged white boy from home counties in the UK gets on the gear legally and beats Usain Bolt at the 100m.
Usain says he's having none of it, so gets on the gear too and then regains his greatness.
What have we achieved when everyone is on the best gear they can be on? Nothing. It's the same multi level performance from everyone, just a bit faster or stronger or whatever.

Well we would have what we got now except that things would be faster or stronger and out in the open.