Sport must do more to combat drug cheats

The handling of doping irregularities by athletes was put into sharp contrast today. Chinese swimming star Sun Yang received an eight-year ban for a missed test, having previously served a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking a prohibited stimulant. Hours later, the head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Brett Clothier, warned that the high-profile cases his team are investigating would “shock people”. In particular he referred to marathon runners, who he said were rarely, if ever, tested. Clothier stated, “in 2018, of all the marathon races around the world outside of the six major marathons, something like 70% to 80% of the podium finishers didn’t have any out-of-competition tests in the nine months leading up to the race…not only that, but the athletes weren’t in a testing pool so they knew no-one was going to test them.” Clothier added that, without action, the sport may have faced “rampant, unchecked doping” by marathon runners.

The sport is already attracting more scepticism than ever before due to athletes’ record breaking achievements, and Eliud Kipchoge’s sub two-hour marathon, fairly or otherwise, has only heightened such suspicions. Certainly, it is astounding that an endurance event where competitors can gain such an edge by taking drugs has, for so long, had such a lackadaisical approach to testing. The same is true of boxing. The sport may remain a sweet science, but fighters stand to gain a lot by increasing their strength and hitting power. Boxing authorities are slowly increasing their anti-doping programme, but, as Saul Alvarez’s paltry six-month ban for two failed tests in 2018 shows, there is still much to do.

In comparison, swimming’s hardline approach is to be applauded. However, it is a travesty that Sun will keep all 11 of the world titles he has won since 2011. He will do so because he has not tested positive for doping (since 2014). Many of his competitors have long suspected he was cheating (see Duncan Scott’s reaction on the podium in Gwangju last year), yet Sun will be able to keep hold of his medals. Many of his clean rivals will have only their memories.