Athletes will do anything to win – including risking health

Athletes ‘risking health to win’

Athletes are taking ever more health risks as they seek performance enhancing drugs that will not be picked up in doping tests, scientists say.

Experts say professionals are favouring substances such as growth hormones over easily-traceable anabolic steroids, the New Scientist reports.

Many Winter Olympic competitors have taken illegal drugs at some point in their careers, experts said in Turin.

Athletics chiefs admitted many drug users were going undetected.

They’ve shown they are willing to take the risk

Chris Butler, of the International Athletics Federation said: “It’s clear to everyone that athletes are willing to go that extra step.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at anything they are taking – they’ve shown they are willing to take the risk.”

Yawn …

This is really an old story. It parallels these previous rants:

More on the athletes and steroids controversy

On Steve Bechler’s death

As I said previously in the steroid story:

Put yourself in the athlete’s position. He (she) is young and talented. This is the one time that they can profit from their talent. Once you reach a certain age, no more profit will exist.

They live for athletic success. One can view this much like the story of Dr. Faustus.

The name ‘Faust’ has become deeply rooted in European mythology as the name of a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for earthly power and riches. The Faust legend has been embellished and retold in many formats but its origin appears to be centred around a man who called himself Dr. Johann Faust, living in Heidelberg and employed as a calendar-maker during the early sixteenth century.

This story should not surprise anyone. The athletes are young, immortal and will do anything for success. They will obviously risk their health. And some chemists will create chemicals for them. Follow the money!