@Leon Said 
Former East Germany has an even sadder story, as the swim athletes didn't even realize they were being doped...
"It is now known that East Germany was systematically doping its athletes. Many of them did not really understand what was being done to them at the time, but they do now. What are the warning signs that can be seen in meet results? Medals won by East German Women's Swimming in the Olympics: 1964 - 0; 1968 - 6 (2 gold); 1972 - 5 (0 gold); 1976 - 18 (11 gold); 1980 - 26 medals (11 gold); 1984 - did not attend, boycott; 1988 22 (10 gold). When East Germany collapsed and unified with West Germany (now just Germany) the doping files were found, doctors and sport directors were taken to court, and the sad, brutal East German doping stories became public. No medals were adjusted by the IOC."
It's true that China has a history of doping but that doesn't mean they are doing it now. In my opinion it would be better to wait until the IOC have finished testing Ye's sample rather than pre-empting the outcome.
If indeed, Ye is found guilty of doping, then the IOC will, I am sure, take appropriate action. If Ye is to be disgraced in the eyes of the world, it should be by proper procedure and with sound evidence, not by a witch hunt.
Speaking on the BBC less than half an hour ago, Ian Thorpe (an Australian swimmer and multi gold medal winner from the Sydney and Athens Games), who is working for Auntie Beeb as a studio pundit in London said, as best I can repeat:
"Look, whenever an athlete wins by a large margin, the losing team often suspect drugs and whether that is sour grapes or just disappointment I don't know but I think it would be better if they said nothing until the results of the tests are known."
As the conversation went on he also said "Did anybody accuse Michael Phelps of drugs taking in Beijing..? If anybody's performance was out of this world, his was, and yet, rather than cast doubt on his achievements we all applauded him."
Common sense words, but as with all things where human nature is involved, it isn't as simple as that. If Ye's sample comes back clean, the inference will then be that she used methods to conceal the drugs use. Whether she is innocent or guilty, she is now tarnished by accusation alone, and that's not fair.
I think there should be a deterrent in place to prevent these damaging accusations. The IOC should look into the effect of pre-emptive allegations for future games and put in place severe measures. A scale of punishments for bringing the Games, and other athletes into disrepute could see simple fines at one end of the scale, but rising to the ultimate deterrent of removing that coach, and the athletes under his charge from the rest of the Games. If the prospect of that doesn't shut them up, nothing will.
Nothing good is gained from such allegations and I'm sure the individual concerned knew that. Perhaps, with the US team struggling in the pool, in comparison to Games gone by, and seeing the Chinese rising to overtake them in this traditional area of American dominance, he is attempting to put them under pressure and on the back foot.
Perhaps he is simply trying to divert criticism away from the paucity of his own team's performance in relation to the level of expectation back home.
Of course, I'm speculating. Only he knows his real motivationfor doing what he's done. But whatever the reason for this unnecessary and as yet unproven allegation, it's something that simply wasn't needed.
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Jul 31, 2012 @ 07:11:40
