Drug Cheats

After seeing today's article in the Gleaner, "US Sprinter Dunn Out Of Olympics After Doping Test" http://bit.ly/Mu9cCN, I was reminded of a piece I wrote last year and posted to another blog. I've decided to re-post to my blog with the approach of the London Olympics. My sentiments are no less strident and I expect Dunn will not be the only (alleged) drug cheat unearthed before long. Since then Mullings has been slapped with a lifetime ban from athletics.

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Doping in Athletics

August 14, 2011

When athletes take banned performance enhancing substances, they cheat. They cheat those athletes who work hard and endure the tough and, sometimes painful journey. They cheat the families of those who rely on good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears to find success. They cheat communities of the pride and joy of seeing their sons and daughters compete among the very best. They cheat nations of the positive representation on the world stage. They cheat themselves.

In the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, the world watched in awe as one Marion Jones won the women's 100 metres sprint, with a most convincing lead. Jamaica was represented by the pair of Merlene Ottey and young Tayna Lawrence. As it turned out both Jones and the silver medalist Ekaterini "Katerina" Thanou of Greece, were stripped of their medals for doping offenses; which later landed Jones in jail. 

Sure, Tayna and Merlene later had their medals "upgraded" to silver and bronze respectively, a decision that came nine years after the event. Those two cheats not only robbed Tayna Lawrence and Merlene Ottey of their well earned medals at the time; they robbed our athletes of the grand honour of standing on the podium. They robbed Tayna Lawrence of her place in history as the gold medal, which she should have won, was not awarded to anyone in that “upgrade”. She would, at the time, have been the first Jamaican woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres sprint; a distinction that later went to Shelly-Ann Fraser. They robbed Jamaica of the joy of victory that we all proudly share when our very best are on show for the entire world to see and the emotional charge of hearing our national anthem played.

For his sake I hope Mr. Mullings' name is cleared very quickly. Observers and enthusiasts are less generous in extending the benefit of the doubt the second time around, and will wonder if he’s stupid or just barefaced having already served a two-year ban for doping. He knows firsthand that Jamaica has no shortage of qualified, disciplined and clean replacements. Yes, when athletes take banned performance enhancing substances, they cheat themselves and everyone else who cares about their sport.