like i am really going to pass on names. take it as rumor if you want
How much testing for banned substances is done in Triathlon? I remember that DeBoom was tested after his wins in Hawaii, but what about other IM and non WTC events? It’s well known that baseball has a rampant drug problem, and several television programs have interviewed American football veterans who have spoken about steriod usage in their sport. While it’s a problem in those sports, I’m more interested in Tom’s original post about the use in triathlon. Cycling seems to have a much more active testing and screening program, but are any of the folks on this forum knowledgable in the WTC and (for the US) the USAT testing and screening for this? We KNOW its banned, but do they do anything about it? And to answer Tom’s question, I wouldn’t even consider it if it would take me from MOPer to winning in Kona. It’s just not worth it. That’s like saying if you could know for sure that no race marshalls would see you, would you intentionally draft for 50 miles on the bike. Just my 2 cents.
2 triathletes got busted recently - http://www.duathlon.com/articles/2625
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It a very interesting but sad question and it comes up again all the time.
Let me give you my personal opinion, which by no means is tied to any data whatsoever.
First about the Europe vs. America question. That’s total BS, athletes fly all over the world to race and train, to find the sun in the winter and the cool in the sumer or altitude at night. So do you really think that they wouldn’t for drugs if they where willed to take em?
An why do you think they all went to San Diege in the 80’s, because it’s so far away from Canada or so close from Mexico?
Now about the real issue, how many are there? Difficult to say but it seams obvious that there are. A few points to consider:
The times at Ironman races have not come down at all since 15 years. In sports like sprinting you can show a direct correlation between times where people got busted for drug use and big jumps in world records. Taking that to triathlon, it lets us hope for the good.
On the other hand we have to admit that swimming, cycling and distance running are sports that have quit a history off drug use, so do you really think triathlon is clean?
A good point made by Tom further up, is the short-term push athletes get from drug use. I believe, if you use drugs, you will have an engine that is too powerful for the rest of the race-car and if you do that too long something will break, knees, back …
So the only way for me to make up my decision weather an athlete is clean or not, is to look at his steady improvement over the years and how his whole body evolved with him.