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news
David Howman on BBC's HARDtalk10 per cent of athletes could be doping says Wada chief – but he has ‘great respect’ for UCI’s anti-doping programme
World Anti-Doping Agency director general, David Howman, believes that as many as 10 per cent of elite athletes could be doping. However, he said that the numbers of cyclists doping has fallen "majorly" in recent years and added that he had ‘great respect’ for the way in which the UCI carries out its anti-doping programme.
Appearing on the BBC’s HARDtalk, Howman was asked how prevalent drug use was in elite sport.
“We have guesstimates, based on some research that has been undertaken over the last year and it’s far more than we would wish it to be. The guesstimates have been over 10 per cent. It varies from sport to sport, but that is of concern because those who are being caught by the system as it currently runs – it is far lower than that.”
Asked whether he believed the opinion of one “respected former professional” who told the Cycling Independent Reform Commission earlier this year how they thought 90 per cent of pro cyclists might be doping, Howman said he didn’t. While suggesting that the number had fallen ‘very majorly’ since the Lance Armstrong era, he said the question was to what level it had dropped.
Howman says his job is not to say whether individual athletes are doping, but to ensure the programmes are in place to catch anyone who does. Of professional cycling, he said: "I have great respect for the way in which the UCI are now running their anti-doping programme."
Earlier this year, fears were raised that doping was becoming more common among Britain's amateur cyclists due to a lack of testing. Howman said that promising youngsters in many sports may dope in a bid to reach the elite level.
"The area of most concern for us is the level of young athletes who have not broken through into the elite who are trying to get that breakthrough and are susceptible to taking drugs because that's a shortcut.
"Not only are they susceptible to taking drugs, they are being encouraged to do so by any one of a number of people that surround them - coaches, trainers, even parents - because it's way to make a lot of money."
However, it seems the biggest challenge for Wada is its relative lack of resources. Howman compared the organisation’s budget with the money being earned by top sports stars.
"When I started at Wada, Wayne Rooney was being paid $4m a year by Manchester United. He's now being paid something like $30m.
"We were getting $20m when he first started, we're now getting $30m. Sport is saying to us [your money] should be increased but they are not doing it in the same proportion. That probably is not a good way of addressing the issue."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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An article about the possible effects of performance-enhancing drugs - PEDs in a highly skilled sport - basketball.
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/54045/three-nba-doping-myths
This one does not need any explanation:
http://www.4dfoot.com/2013/02/09/doping-in-football-fifty-years-of-evide...
Legin, add further to that that a certain tennis star was also involved. So Fuentes was charged, went to court and all his files regarding non cyclists were sealed, wonder why eh ?
(remember Real Madrid are owned by the state - well some claim it haha)
But I was at a David Walsh event when he landed 7 deadly sins and I asked Walsh about this. His answer was that the names he had heard connected with Fuentes included many world famous stars in football and tennis and not just those in Spain.
Many journalists were desperate to see the file but as of now under lock and key.
Not conspiracy stuff is it.
Did the Spanish authorities destroy all the samples from Operation Puerto about when there was call to consider other sports such as tennis and football?
I seem to recall one of the cyclist caught up mentioned prominent Spanish footballers and tennis players had been spotted at the clinic...does seem more than a touch suspicious.
It would be good if WADA could help implement a universal anti-doping programme which would place all sports on the same level as cycling. I would love to see how rugby, tennis, football all stands up to such scrutiny...
I think the opposite. Football is an endurance sport as well, playing 3 games a week if a top player at a top team then internationals etc.
If you are a Barca player then amazing how fresh they looked at the end of the season. Skill only takes you so far if you are shattered, for example Messi was totally fit at the end of this season, contrast to last.
I think it is unlikely that footballers are (or were) using EPO; football is a skill, having a high VO2 is a 'nice to have' and would not allow you to kick a ball harder or with more skill.
EPO may be useful to improve and in particular, maintain stamina during a big championship like the world cup but I would suggest that the benefit would outweigh the risk.
I would suggest that testosterone, clenbuterol and human growth hormone would be of more use to footballers.
There is a site called, "Tennis has a steroid problem" that details the lack of testing in tennis, I would suggest that an aspiring football doper would follow a similar protocol to a tennis doper!
The first case of blood doping in sport was believe to be by the West German football team back in the 60s.
Physical stamina has a very significant impact on football. Players are fitter than ever. As for the risk, what risk? there's no bio passport, blood testing is scarce, the chance of being caught for taking quantities of EPO which would have a significant impact on physical performance is virtually zero.
As the article says, there's huge amounts of money now in football. A 1% fitness boost across a team will mean better results and more revenue. It's a pretty cheap way to get the best out of your resources and I would be amazed if it's not happening at most of the top clubs across Europe.
I suggest you are deluded about EPO. When Operacion Puerto first came to light it was alleged than Spanish Football was heavily involved...... then it all went quiet and people only talked about cycling. Testing in football is lamentable.
I think you are deluded if you think that the only drug out there is EPO; EPO is a drug that is perfect for cycling and the particular challenges of a 'Tour'. Not so useful for a 'Classics' rider even.
Doping is a science with a myriad of products available, not just EPO, getting away with it is a further science.
Then you have to remember that there are new products coming to the market all the time.
This is one of the biggest slight of hands that football has managed, the idea that skills cannot be complimented by additional fitness is a myth. If I can run faster without getting out of breath, I can not only press the opposition higher up the pitch, but I can also arrive on the ball more relaxed and able to use my skills....sound a bit like a popular Catalan team perchance? If you go back to 1994 when AC Milan beat Barcelona Marcel Desailly was destroying the Barca team almost single handedly. AC Milan said they did altitude training, but given the massive change in performance they'd either being playing atop Everest or they had doped (given the time EPO was probably the key, rather than blood doping). So the history is there....it also explains why English teams dropped off in performance around the early nineties. If you remember both Edgar David's and Jaap Stam were both popped for EPO back in the day.....so that rather puts water on that theory.
It was nandrolone, which works a bit like anabolic steroids.
In cycling, the athletes have to contribute to funding, it comes out of their winnings. In football they get paid 50 times as much and get to slash is up the wall on bentleys, hair transplants and pensioner hookers. I despair. Spanish football were on EPO, convinced of this. Their dominance fits in well and operation Puerto (the one the Spanish judge wants to hide) allegedly had footballers on the books.