The Olympic Games are one of the world’s most uplifting spectacles. For 16 days, we’ll see something rare: Almost all the world’s nations in agreement, playing the same games by the same rules.
It’s an inspiring, even utopian event. But, increasingly, it’s haunted by an unsettling possibility—that even as athletes from around the world are competing together, they may also be cheating together. At the highest levels of sports, doping is so widespread that, watching the sprinters or swimmers poised on the starting line, it’s hard not to wonder how many have used performance-enhancing drugs. From the Tour de France to the World Series, from the NFL to the NBA, our admiration for the world’s best athletes is increasingly undermined by a single, persistent question: Did they have illegal help, and, if so, how much?
Comments
One of the reasons to be concerned with doping is that some of the substances -- like steroids -- cause other health problems, but if some players use them to excel then others may feel compelled to use them to to be competitive. All sports have some inherent danger, but athletes shouldn't have to unnecessarily risk long-term health problems for our entertainment. We also want to know and honor what people can achieve, not what substances can achieve.
I've always thought the angst over doping was ridiculous and that our descendants years from now will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. Technology, from Nautilus machines to Tommy John surgery has already completely transformed what it means to be an athlete now as compared to just 50 years ago, and drugs are just another part of it. The main concern should be over whether something harms your health, like say steriods. But are steriods as dangerous as the concussions athletes already suffer? I think the great scientist Stephen Hawking hit it right on the head when he was asked whether he thought the Star Trek shows were a realistic portrayal of the future. He said much of the technology seemed possible but the portrayal of the Enterprise crews as being essentially the same as today's humans was off the mark. He said technology would transform humans as well, and we were much more likely to be like the Borg than current-day humans.
I wonder what would be the effect if we said to these athletes: "use any enhancement you want, but those sources must be disclosed as sponsors, who will then share in the prize (money, medals, endorsements)." Those aiding in doping the athletes will have an incentive to come forward, while the athletes will have an incentive to go it alone and be able to prove it. I suppose I am looking at it too simplistically.