The issue of doping has attracted widespread media coverage in the last decade. Athletes convicted or accused of doping often invoke boundless disdain. It is difficult to articulate why the public feel so passionate about the subject. Often, in the post World War Two period, athletic achievement has become synonymous with national prosperity. Sport can provide a form of escape for the sometimes harsh realities of life. In times of economic recession or hardship the social utility sport provides should not be underestimated. Examples are plentiful: Football in Brazil provides identity to the people, offers hope for a better life and instils national pride in a country where the distribution of wealth is wholly inequitable. Similarly, the success of African middle and long distance runners has been inspirational for certain African regions. The athlete who cheats by using performance enhancing substances has defrauded the sport in which they participate, duped their fellow athletes and also betrayed the support of the wider public. Public policy considerations compel authorities to attempt to alleviate the problem.
In my forthcoming posts I will analyse the document which represents sports solution to the threat posed by doping; the World Anti Doping Code.
The World Anti Doping agency was established with the express aim of preserving the spirit of sport. The publication of the World Anti-Doping Code received almost world wide approval but the policies contained within the document have since been much maligned. Over the coming posts I will consider the merits of Article 2 (Strict Liability), Article 7 (Provisional Suspensions) and Article 8 (Right to a fair hearing).
Albert Einstein once famously proclaimed, ‘Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value’. Unfortunately, some athletes have abandoned the sentiments expressed by Einstein and seek success at all costs.
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