In USAW's High Performance Plan it reads, "USAW decided to do the right thing with regard to doping nearly 20 years ago, by building, with the help of the USOC and then USADA, one of the strongest drug testing programs of any sport or nation in the world. That effort has produced the cleanest athletes anywhere and places us on the moral high ground with the public in this area. But our forward looking policy has cost us as well, as our athletes have had to struggle for years against the athletes of many nations who have not taken
the issue of doping control seriously."
the issue of doping control seriously."
I agree 100 % with this statement.
At the World Championship's there were two athletes on the woman's side that recently came off of two year suspensions for doping.
 |
| Tatianna Kashirina 75+ |
She was born in 1991 and she got popped in 2006. She was 15 years old. After her suspension she lifted at the 2009 World Championships and broke the Jr. World records in Snatch, C&J, and total, and beat Olympic Champion Jang Mi Ran in the Snatch.
 |
| Svetlana Podobedova 75 |
At back to back World Championships she broke the Sr. World records in Snatch, C&J, and Total.
Recently, we have had one positive test for performance enhancing drugs and one positive for THC in competition. Both of these have been met with suspensions. Athletes that get tested positive in the United States are shunned, looked down upon, and sometimes even face jail sentences! (Marion Jones)
 |
| Nationally and internationally even though athletes have been tested positive, they are still applauded for their efforts and all seems to be forgiven. Tatianna still received "Best Lifter" |
U.S. athletes are struggling to keep up and people wonder why. They blame it on bad coaching, bad athletes, etc. I think many of us are doing the right things. There is a lot of excellent, high caliber coaching and lifting going on in the U.S. Given an even playing field, we could be in the top with everyone else.
There are athletes you come in contact with that give you legitimate suspicion and question the World Anti Doping Agency and foreign National Governing Body's testing procedures.
 |
| Meline Deluzyan a 69 kg woman |
One of the athletes spoke to Svetlana and she said that her voice was 4 octaves lower than my coach's. He's a 6'1" man! When I was in Guatemala, I was using the restroom when I heard a man speaking. I thought, "Why is there a man in the restroom? Creeper." When I get out to wash my hands, I see a little 48 kgs girl.We have had foreign athletes come into the US to train and requested to go to nutrition stores to get testosterone.
When looking at 2010's WADA list of who got tested at meets:
Meline was tested once in April and didn't compete again til worlds 5 months later.
Svetlana was tested once in February and Worlds was 7 months later
Tatianna was tested once in March and Once in April. Nothing until worlds which was 5 months later
The drug testing from worlds is still pending. I don't know who has gotten tested. I also don't know if their National Doping agencies have tested them or if any of them are currently doping. Just from these statistics I can see that there would be plenty of time to cycle onto performance enhancing drugs and cycle off in enough time to not get caught at Worlds. In the U.S.A. we get tested randomly and quite often. I've been drug tested nearly once a month in the past year and once internationally.
Say someone does get popped internationally and gets a 2 year suspension. What's so horrible about that? That's two more years being on drugs but not getting caught because you're not competing, two more years of training (they don't suspend you from training,) and two more years of time to figure out how to be sneakier about doping. I personally think if you're suspended for performance enhancing drugs, you should get suspended for life. If you're willing to do it once, you're willing to do it again. Athletes that cheat, rip the glory away from those who work hard and compete honestly.
Sport is defined as: "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature..." It doesn't say that sport is an athletic activity requiring syringes, pills, and doctors. If you're better than me, prove it with your strength, your athleticism, and your technique. Not with drugs.
My bishop asked me one Sunday how I felt competing against athletes that cheat. I told him "I'd rather get 20th place and know I'm clean, than win being dirty." Some of us are able to break the top 10 at Worlds, medal at Pan Ams, break American records, and be in contention for breaking world records all while being clean. So we're still out there doing amazing things. Being an honest and clean athlete you might miss out on a lot like Olympic medals, or World Championship titles but, having integrity, being healthy, and doing your absolute best is what's more important in life.
3 comments:
I thought about it, using anabolic steroids, and even taking testosterone enhancers...but the effects I've seen aren't so lady-like.
I have to compete sometimes against girls who are currently taking them, and in some of the competitions there's no budget for anti-doping tests, so they get away with it.
I have to compete against girls who dope and there is funding for testing. It's very difficult. I'm glad you chose not to dope. Being on drugs and winning is never better than compromising your values and character, and most importantly, health.
It's really hard and this is across every sport. I hate when people give the answer that everyone should be allowed to do drugs because we can't keep up with those who are. But that's not right. There are people including myself who continually go out to training every day and do it right but because we can't keep up with the cheaters, we get even less help to support our clean training!
Post a Comment