Dear Editor,
The media globally continues to vilify Justin Gatlin as though he has just been found guilty of doping. While some are still calling for a further ban on him, I think at least one country rescinded his invitation to run at a meet in that country. For Gatlin the principles of doing the crime and being punished for the crime is not enough. What else do people expect? The guy should be left alone and allowed to do his job to the best of his ability, and if he is caught again he is out for good.
There are so many methods of doping that are banned that if someone asked me what are the banned drugs, one would be tempted to say everything. One has to be so careful someone can touch you and transfer drugs through a handshake, go to a club or dance and you inhale ganja-tainted air and you can test positive. The life of a world-class athlete, like Bolt, is like living in a cage, and the admiration and mystique of Bolt is that he makes living in a top athlete’s caged cave publicly look dangerously easy, but he must be careful as I guarantee you he is being targeted while being protected by Jamaicans at home and abroad. A slip in his security or loose move for a second, and there goes a career.
It is my opinion that many or most athletes take some kind of booster/drugs, but if you have a master scientist to work with you won’t get caught, especially as long as you do not take it during the running season which only desperate junkie-type athletes do. There are also “designer drugs”, so called because no test has been found for them yet, because they are unknown to the doping agency. That is why they have now decided to keep samples for 10 years, so we must assume that after that there is a World Anti Doping Agency (WADA)/International Olympic Committee (IOC) statute bar.
However, is this justice or cruel and inhumane treatment? And which court should rule on this? Is it the international court of justice, because in Jamaica the statute bar is six years? The International Olympic Committee could decide to keep samples for 20, 30 or 50 years and a superior body should rule on this even in the midst of people willing to dope for the gold and the glory.
It should be challenged by the Jamaican Olympic Association and the other associations concerned.
Michael Spence
Liguanea PO
micspen2@hotmail.com
The media globally continues to vilify Justin Gatlin as though he has just been found guilty of doping. While some are still calling for a further ban on him, I think at least one country rescinded his invitation to run at a meet in that country. For Gatlin the principles of doing the crime and being punished for the crime is not enough. What else do people expect? The guy should be left alone and allowed to do his job to the best of his ability, and if he is caught again he is out for good.
There are so many methods of doping that are banned that if someone asked me what are the banned drugs, one would be tempted to say everything. One has to be so careful someone can touch you and transfer drugs through a handshake, go to a club or dance and you inhale ganja-tainted air and you can test positive. The life of a world-class athlete, like Bolt, is like living in a cage, and the admiration and mystique of Bolt is that he makes living in a top athlete’s caged cave publicly look dangerously easy, but he must be careful as I guarantee you he is being targeted while being protected by Jamaicans at home and abroad. A slip in his security or loose move for a second, and there goes a career.
It is my opinion that many or most athletes take some kind of booster/drugs, but if you have a master scientist to work with you won’t get caught, especially as long as you do not take it during the running season which only desperate junkie-type athletes do. There are also “designer drugs”, so called because no test has been found for them yet, because they are unknown to the doping agency. That is why they have now decided to keep samples for 10 years, so we must assume that after that there is a World Anti Doping Agency (WADA)/International Olympic Committee (IOC) statute bar.
However, is this justice or cruel and inhumane treatment? And which court should rule on this? Is it the international court of justice, because in Jamaica the statute bar is six years? The International Olympic Committee could decide to keep samples for 20, 30 or 50 years and a superior body should rule on this even in the midst of people willing to dope for the gold and the glory.
It should be challenged by the Jamaican Olympic Association and the other associations concerned.
Michael Spence
Liguanea PO
micspen2@hotmail.com