Issue 31 Spring 2012 - Bases

Right: The British Olympic Association
bylaw, which enforces a lifetime Olympic
ban on drugs cheats such as Dwain
Chambers, will soon face legal scrutiny
by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Whyte answer!
The wait is almost over: Delivering
the toughest targets remain!
The 6th July, 2005 and the historic words flowed from the President
of the IOC, Jacques Rogge’s, lips; “…… the Games of the 30th
Olympiad are awarded to the city of…….. London.” That date has
become a ‘JFK moment’ as we all remember where we were when
the announcement was made. History was made that day as London
will become the only city, to date, to host the Olympic Games on
three occasions.
Since that historic day the UK has been watching on as the
plans of LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic
Games) and the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) unfold
under the closest of media scrutiny ready to pounce on any
semblance of underachievement. Much to the disappointment of
the press however; there has been little to criticise regarding the
infrastructure; the ODA have delivered on time and to a level of
Olympic excellence, despite being in the midst of a global recession
(ironically the 1948 Games was dubbed the ‘Austerity Games’).
Despite sporadic media condemnation of the ticketing process
LOCOG appear to have been equally successful however; their job
has only just begun! With such apparently strong foundations the
stage is set for the greatest show on earth. To cement the London
2012 Olympic Games in UK history, two key deliverables remain:
(1) Performance; and (2) Legacy.
Performance appears to be ‘on-target’ according to those in
the know: the funding agency (UK Sport) and the team leaders
(BOA). The prediction of fourth place on the medal table (the
same as Beijing, 2008) is the projected aim for Team GB and given
the continued success of British athletes in major championships
around the globe it would appear that this is a realistic target.
Whilst you would be forgiven for believing that only the male half
of Team GB will be mounting the podium following the 2011 BBC
Sports Personality of the Year Awards; there are likely to be a
wealth of British female athletes mouthing the national anthem as
the Union Jack is unfurled.
Team GB will be better prepared than ever before with much
of that preparation due to the unprecedented funding for elite
sport; £660 million since 2006. Fortunately, the cost of hosting the
Olympic Games will be forgiven as the debacle of Wembley Stadium
eclipses the cost of any future sporting infrastructure project in
the UK (the sliding roof doesn’t work despite £798 million!); and
as long as Team GB perform at, or close to its projected target
the investment will be regarded as a success. I for one am looking
forward to the greatest show on earth coming to the UK, and
whilst I will be watching much of it from the comfort of my sofa
– tickets are rarer than a Research Council grant to a non-Russell
Group University! – I am certain that the BBC, the ruler of sports
broadcasting, will provide the ultimate viewing experience.
There is only one Olympic topic that is likely to take
precedence on the tabloid back pages: doping; which is sure to take
centre stage pre-, during, and post-Olympics. The insatiable appetite
of the press to report on those in the sporting community who
have failed to understand the concept of fair play will undoubtedly
provide sustenance for hungry hacks. But never fear; we have the
invaluable input of athletes who have been found guilty of antidoping
offences and served bans from their sport telling us to
‘just say no’! Do I really have to listen to drug cheats spouting
the virtues of ‘drug-free sport’ and the appropriate sentences
for contravening anti-doping regulations? Most irksome of all are
the drug cheats who tell me there should be no life ban; I don’t
remember asking murderers how long their sentence should be so
why should the thoughts of those that contravene the laws of the
game be extolled as the voice of reason.
When I was the Chair of the BOA Athlete’s Commission from
1997-2000 we voted on the by-law upholding a life ban from the
Olympics for doping-positive athletes aka. CHEATS; the result was
unanimous support for a life-ban. Whilst this position is likely to be
overturned by CAS prior to London 2012 it provides a clear and
certain reminder that athletes with integrity wish to keep sport
pure. WADA recently reported that 10% of athletes are taking
performance enhancing drugs; a sad indictment on modern sport
that is sure to tarnish both the London 2012 Olympic Games and
the true Olympian alike. My only solace in this sad affair is that the
cheats will be hunted down like vermin and, when caught; punished.
My fear is that the sophistication of anti-doping evasion and new
drug development may continue to provide a hiding place for those
bereft of moral and ethical boundaries. Whilst capital punishment
for offenders may be a stretch too far, my vote remains for the
life-ban.
On the second, and some would say most important London
2012 deliverable we have an area that has created an acrimonious
debate that is sure to gain in volume as we approach 27 July: Legacy.
From the government to LOCOG, no-one appears to want to
take responsibility and there appears to be little palpable evidence
of any lasting legacy for the UK. Whilst the Queen Elizabeth
Olympic Park will provide a world class sporting facility for future
generations, how many amongst us will have their lives transformed
by the availability of a velodrome in East London? I may have
misunderstood the promise of ‘Legacy’ promulgated by LOCOG
throughout the bid process, but given the focus on young people I
was expecting a flood of initiatives to enhance the physical activity
and health of young people through exercise and sport: I was wrong.
The dichotomy of thinking on the topic of legacy will be
demonstrated at the ICSEMIS Congress in Glasgow, 19-23 July, with
a keynote presentation from the IOC on the ‘Health Legacy of the
Olympic Games’ juxtaposed to a number of symposia reporting
the abject failure of the Olympic movement to deliver legacy: light
the blue touch paper and stand back! In concluding this rant let me
share a recent headline that provides the perfect definition to the
all too often misused word; ‘irony’: ‘London 2012 Olympics: Legacy
Chief Baroness Ford to retire after Games.’ (www.telegraph.co.uk/
sport/olympics/9068934).
words: Prof Greg Whyte FBASES
Prof Greg Whyte FBASES is Professor of Applied Sport and
Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University. As an
Olympian, former Chair of the BOA athletes’ commission and
Director of Research at the Olympic Medical Centre, Greg has
a close affinity with the ideals and responsibilities of the Olympic
movement.
8 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 31 n Spring 2012 n www.bases.org.uk