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Drugs
The popularity of the Olympic Games and the prestige the Games bring to
individual successes has led to some serious violation of sports ethics.
Although instances of cheating have been discovered in modifying competition
equipment and other rules violations the most serious threat is now, undoubtedly,
the issue of drug-taking.
It is believed that the use of performance enhancing drugs has long been
endemic in sport. In the early days special diets were the norm for success in sport
and fitness. Nowadays athletes for achieving success use chemical ingestion to
boost performance.
However, as doping was considered a technical matter its monitoring
was largely left to the International Federations. In fact, its operation is still within
the ambit of International Federations with the IOC assuming control during the
Olympic Games.
Although the IOC identified the problem of drug abuse in sport as early as
1937 it was only in the 1960's that the IOC intensified its policing.
Meanwhile athletes were consuming liberal dosages of drugs, as there were
no effective means of detecting drug-use.
The IOC began its first anti-doping measures at the Olympic Games in 1968.
Testing at the Olympic Winter Games in 1968 in Grenoble was undertaken by
the respective International Federations, while at the Summer Games in Mexico
the IOC assumed control.
Since then the IOC has conducted numerous researches to ensure effective
policing and to expand its education programme. But the IOC has jurisdiction only
at the Olympic Games. Therefore testing and policing is left largely to the
International Federations.
The major issues today are that drug intake procedures and effective shielding
of bodily drugs are a step ahead of the monitoring and policing methods. Besides,
litigation measures also seem to halt appropriate measures against drug users.
How effective shielding of bodily drugs is was revealed during an investigation
of the security apparatus of the former East German Government.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was recently established by the joint
efforts of the IOC and world governments to oversee all aspects of drug-abuse and
anti-doping education.
No doubt, drug-abuse is the present major thread to the Olympic Movement
and sport generally.
Sydney Games
Two years before the Sydney Olympic Games were scheduled to
commence there was widespread concern that the organisers will not have
everything in place for the Games. Speculation arose largely from the Australian
media.
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