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Chinese Swimmer Banned: Evidence of Anti-Doping Effort or the Tip of the Iceberg?
Just 42 days before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing, one of China's swimmers, Ouyang Kunpeng, has been banned for life after testing positive for anabolic steroids. 
Given that the test was conducted out of competition, in China, this would appear to be a postiive sign that the Chinese authorities are making an anti-doping effort. I myself have wondered whether they would really follow up on their pledge to weed out drugs cheats in the run up to the Games. This test implies that the Chinese Swimming Association, at least, is making an effort. You may recall that Chinese swimming has a poor record, having produced a number of top females in the 1990's only to have four swimmers banned for positive tests, and another (and her coach) banned as they tried to bring human growth hormone into Australia for the 1998 World Championships. Funnily enough, their performance levels fell away again after that.
The athlete himself was not considered a medal contender, despite winning medals at World Student and Asian Games. Perhaps it is me, perhaps the secretive nature of the Chinese authorities, but I still can't help feeling slightly ill at ease. Is this really a "weeding out", an athlete that the Chinese were prepared to sacrifice to look more credible, or just someone that caught caught because they or someone they were working with slipped up?
I know that sounds awfully cynical. I really hope that if the Chinese have a great Olympics, that it's because of hard work and talent. Of course, I hope that's true of everyone that wins Olympic medals this year.......
Will this year's games be the dirtiest Olympics yet?
Rob Robson
iStadia - Networking for Sport & Exercise Community
Given that the test was conducted out of competition, in China, this would appear to be a postiive sign that the Chinese authorities are making an anti-doping effort. I myself have wondered whether they would really follow up on their pledge to weed out drugs cheats in the run up to the Games. This test implies that the Chinese Swimming Association, at least, is making an effort. You may recall that Chinese swimming has a poor record, having produced a number of top females in the 1990's only to have four swimmers banned for positive tests, and another (and her coach) banned as they tried to bring human growth hormone into Australia for the 1998 World Championships. Funnily enough, their performance levels fell away again after that.
The athlete himself was not considered a medal contender, despite winning medals at World Student and Asian Games. Perhaps it is me, perhaps the secretive nature of the Chinese authorities, but I still can't help feeling slightly ill at ease. Is this really a "weeding out", an athlete that the Chinese were prepared to sacrifice to look more credible, or just someone that caught caught because they or someone they were working with slipped up?
I know that sounds awfully cynical. I really hope that if the Chinese have a great Olympics, that it's because of hard work and talent. Of course, I hope that's true of everyone that wins Olympic medals this year.......
Will this year's games be the dirtiest Olympics yet?
Rob Robson
iStadia - Networking for Sport & Exercise Community
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