Michael Phelps testified before the House Energy & Commerce Committee on Tuesday, February 28th, about clean sport. “Even the suspicion of doping is disillusioning for clean athletes,” Phelps told Congress.
Phelps said he is often asked if he thinks anyone will surpass his Olympic achievements. “I hope so,” is his answer, but, he testified, “I’d like to think there’s some little boy or girl out there with an even bigger dream, an even stronger drive to work harder than I ever did, to do something that’s never been done before. But for that to happen, he or she must believe they will get a fair opportunity to compete. If we allow our confidence in fair play to erode, we will undermine the power of sport and the goals and dreams of future generations. The time to act is now. We must do what is necessary to ensure the system is fair and reliable so we all can believe it it.”
Watch the full hearing here:
Man, I watched this on Youtube and pretty much all of the comments said “Pot smoker.” Disheartening.
I can’t watch that opening c-span title and not think SNL anymore…
At the very least, there needs to be a lifetime ban on the first offense for epo, hgh, testosterone, and any other hormone manipulators like estrogen blockers, ect…That would be a good start. I don’t see what is so difficult about that. Being tough is the only way it’s going to get better.
Russia should have been banned from RIo. Crying foul and saying that it is not fair because probably every other country has cheaters and they are getting singled out. That excuse shouldn’t hold up. I get their point about not being the only one, and “everyone is doing it”. I can’t think of any where else where this excuse holds up. It’s like getting pulled over… Read more »
It isn’t difficult. Too many politicians involved. I think athletes and coaches should have more influence on outcomes. It was interesting to watch the British coverage of the Olympics. The commentators were ex-swimmers and they refused to even say Efimova’s name because of her second positive drug test. They were furious she was allowed to compete. Efimova denied clean athletes an Olympic medal and Olympic final.
Yeah but I expect they said track doper Mo’s name and their cycling crew on the telecast- they stopped other althletes as well. I could not believe that the Russians were allowed back- but it looks like lots of people/countries are TUE doping it up from the fancy bears leaks.
Phelps is the greatest swimmer ever, but he is not the one who should be the figure head of this- doping/drinking driving are both poor decisions. Bowman or someone else should drive this. Phelps though should be lauded for his performances in other areas of need.
Looks like you’ve bought the dummy Skipper. First, there is no evidence whatever that Farah is a doper. Secondly, I agree that TUEs are sometimes on the edge, but very often there are very far from it. Most TUEs are entirely legitimate. At the very least the TUE regime brings things to the attention of the authorities, who we then have to trust to deal with things properly. When they don’t do so, that’s the scandal, but its also many many steps away from systemic doping in national programmes.
Have you seen the latest re the investigation of his coach in 2012 salazar that concluded that he was using unpercribed percription medication with mo and others like lab rats to aid performance? His assistant Steve Magness still firmly believes that he witnessed evidence of mirco doping as well.
Bradley wiggins tonight in yhe news also going down in more drug cover ups with team sky.
Do you believe both althletes are fully clean(they are not power based althletes that show visable signs)? Why are they clean especially Mo in a althletics world when there is even a case of the 7th place finisher getting a medal due to doping DQs?
Like lance armstrong they both have… Read more »
Please don’t call smoking weed once “doping”. He is the greatest ever, and he never used any performance enhancing drugs, he even urged doping testers to keep testing because he knew he was always clean. He is the perfect person to be running this campaign against doping because he has the most experience having to go against all of the dopers
I think its more the drink driving endangering peoples lives thats the poor decision/s- a bit more far reaching consequnces for that. In comparison of poor decisions only,I’m not advocating he was performance enhancing drink driving. If you wanted a figure head pick someone directly effected in the sports where its a little more rampart like althletics or cycling- they seem to have ‘no chance’ vs the dopers.