Weightlifting: Thailand faces Olympic ban after six positives at worlds

[Knee Jerk Reaction]

14 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

If it happened in Thailand, the results would get lost at the lab etc.. ???? 

 

Germans on the other hand, take rules and regulations a bit more seriously lol

With the exception of their car industry ????

[DLock]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

Unlike others in the sports like Lance Armstrong for instance. The whole top of sports is full of performance enhancing drugs nothing new here. Some people are just better at not getting caught then others. 

 

I don't condone it but that is the reality. Its not unique Thai thing.

 

As Rob says, the top level athletes are all involved in PED's. The difference is the chemists and masking agents and timing that some of the more elite countries have to avoid detection.

 

The Thai's probably just went down to lower Suk pharmacies and bought some gear...

[TKDfella]

'It has just been reported that members of the junta have just run a marathon so as to distance themselves from the weightlifting drug scandal. However, they didn't submit to testing as they were part of the Route 44 land/bridge project

[Kerryd]

What gets me is how they can say that they tested half the athletes at an event with "no positives" and then a year later do additional testing and suddenly find a whole bunch of "positive" results.

Not just in this event or this year.

 

Frik - they are still testing samples from 2 previous Olympic ! In 2016 the IOC announced another 45 athletes had failed drug tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics !

Currently, the statute of limitations on drug testing is 10 years, meaning anyone who has a sample taken this year could still be tested (and face punishment) 10 years from now.

Some are calling for the statute to be extended to 14 years and others are suggesting it should be scrapped (so that testing and punishments could still happen 50+ years from now).

 

As noted, it's a "cat and mouse" game between the dopers and the testers but you have to draw the line at some point. Personally, I'd say test everyone at the Olympics and if they haven't been caught for anything by the next Olympics that's it. Case closed, testing finished (for that event).

Then do the same for the next Olympics. If they catch someone at that one (or in the 4 years before the next Olympics), then they could retest that person's sample from the previous event (if they participated in it at all).

For sports that have annual championships (like baseball/hockey/basketball) - test the athletes at the start of the season. If they haven't tested positive for anything by the start of the next season, that's it. Testing finished, sample filed away.

However, if someone does test positive, then they could go back and retest that person's previous samples (if any) and then take the appropriate action.

 

As well, there is really no reason it should take them years to test samples. Send 3 samples (per athlete) to 3 different labs (in 3 different countries) and they should have the results in days (or a couple weeks at most).  

I find it slightly odd to that they tested roughly half of the 600 athletes at that event (with no "positives") and then retest them, but they only catch Thai weightlifters ?

So all the countries that lead the world in being caught for doping, had "clean" athletes at that competition ? 

I find that hard to believe.

Unless somehow all the "dopers" managed to avoid being tested at all. Given the level of cheating in the sport (it has the second highest number of people caught for doping, with "athletics" being number 1), they should be testing all of the athletes, from all of the countries involved.

Otherwise you leave the door open for people to rig who gets tested and who doesn't. I seriously doubt that no one else (other than the Thais) was "dirty" at that event.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand is hosting this year’s IWF World Championships in September but if suspended it would have to withdraw.

Could be a tad embarrassing if their banned from competing !!!

[DLock]

Kerry, testing procedures are improving all the time, so they have the right to go back and use new tests on old samples. The chemists are winning the battle as the time new tests have been approved, they have changed one molecule so the drugs cannot be caught - they are far ahead of the game.

 

Imagine if the still had samples from the 1980's what they'd find.

 

When I was working with professional athletes, the 3 most important people on the team were the coach the nutritionalist and the chemist...not in that order.

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doping_cases_in_athletics

 

just sort on country and see how many times Western countries are involved too. People don't go jail for this they get suspended that is it. 

 

Tyson gray anyone ? Diego Maradona perhaps ? Ben Johnson ?  Shane Warne

 

https://edgardaily.com/articles/10-famous-athletes-caught-doping/

Not my point. The Junta has their draconian law that covers this territory reputation. not that it applies to them. Other countries don't care much as in the same, but like in the US I can recall them going after the actual peddlers, then after the athletes. Just not a face thing. 

[klauskunkel]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“If it is found there are wrongdoers, they will be punished,”

This statement is usually reserved for officials, i.e. police..., now they are using it for athletes also - how about that. 

[Lupatria]

17 hours ago, PatOngo said:

But Your Honor, they told me it was vitamin C and I believed them, it's all a misunderstanding!

The breakfast of the champions?

 

[Ulic]

They were transitioning so it all OK. 

[Khun Paul]

Why carry out and investigation, just BAN the offenders for life .  unless of course you are calling the Tests illegal or not in line with Thai Law, where anything goes !!

[Ulic]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

What gets me is how they can say that they tested half the athletes at an event with "no positives" and then a year later do additional testing and suddenly find a whole bunch of "positive" results.

Not just in this event or this year.

 

Frik - they are still testing samples from 2 previous Olympic ! In 2016 the IOC announced another 45 athletes had failed drug tests from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics !

Currently, the statute of limitations on drug testing is 10 years, meaning anyone who has a sample taken this year could still be tested (and face punishment) 10 years from now.

Some are calling for the statute to be extended to 14 years and others are suggesting it should be scrapped (so that testing and punishments could still happen 50+ years from now).

 

As noted, it's a "cat and mouse" game between the dopers and the testers but you have to draw the line at some point. Personally, I'd say test everyone at the Olympics and if they haven't been caught for anything by the next Olympics that's it. Case closed, testing finished (for that event).

Then do the same for the next Olympics. If they catch someone at that one (or in the 4 years before the next Olympics), then they could retest that person's sample from the previous event (if they participated in it at all).

For sports that have annual championships (like baseball/hockey/basketball) - test the athletes at the start of the season. If they haven't tested positive for anything by the start of the next season, that's it. Testing finished, sample filed away.

However, if someone does test positive, then they could go back and retest that person's previous samples (if any) and then take the appropriate action.

 

As well, there is really no reason it should take them years to test samples. Send 3 samples (per athlete) to 3 different labs (in 3 different countries) and they should have the results in days (or a couple weeks at most).  

I find it slightly odd to that they tested roughly half of the 600 athletes at that event (with no "positives") and then retest them, but they only catch Thai weightlifters ?

So all the countries that lead the world in being caught for doping, had "clean" athletes at that competition ? 

I find that hard to believe.

Unless somehow all the "dopers" managed to avoid being tested at all. Given the level of cheating in the sport (it has the second highest number of people caught for doping, with "athletics" being number 1), they should be testing all of the athletes, from all of the countries involved.

Otherwise you leave the door open for people to rig who gets tested and who doesn't. I seriously doubt that no one else (other than the Thais) was "dirty" at that event.

You are far too lenient in my opinion. Start of season announced testing will find nothing and is there strictly to pacify the public. "We test everyone, nobody tested positive, our sport/league is clean." Random unannounced testing is the only way. Athletes cellphones should be tracked by WADA or their sports association so they can be found and tested unannounced. Samples should be kept and tested for 14 years. Three Olympic quadrennials plus two years. The first-time penalty for problem sports like weightlifting, track and field, cycling, cross country skiing, should be 20 years. Effectively a lifetime ban but you can't ban for life because on appeal it will be overturned. You have to have a determinate sentence, not open-ended. Professional sports, American Football, American Baseball, Basketball all have problems with their player's collective bargaining agreements. They are more interested in cover-ups to protect the league's image. The leagues that compete in the Olympics need to sign up to the Olympic protocols or be excluded from the Olympic games. WADA needs to be separated from the IOC with its own budget. Both Craig Reedie and Thomas Bach need to urgently be replaced. They are part of the problem, not the solution. They are much more interested in appearances than cleaning up sport. They have done backflips to get Russia back into the Olympics in good standing. Putin and Bach are on extremely friendly terms. Reedie as the number two and looking to take over from Bach as IOC president toes the line. Just my opinion.

[Ulic]

4 minutes ago, Khun Paul said:

Why carry out and investigation, just BAN the offenders for life .  unless of course you are calling the Tests illegal or not in line with Thai Law, where anything goes !!

Unfortunately, you cannot ban the athletes for life. It has been done. They appeal to the Cort of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. There must be a chance for redemption. Bans have to have a determinate sentence not open-ended. My suggestion is a 20-year ban which is effectively a life ban for high-level competition. 

[poohy]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Unlike others in the sports like Lance Armstrong for instance. The whole top of sports is full of performance enhancing drugs nothing new here. Some people are just better at not getting caught then others. 

 

I don't condone it but that is the reality. Its not unique Thai thing.

I wont hear a bad thing said about Lance Armstrong he is a man amidst men and a role model

I admire him

 

Reason being, when i was taking drugs i couldnt even find my bike????

[RichardColeman]

17 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

If it happened in Thailand, the results would get lost at the lab etc.. ???? 

I think you are wrong, they would be announced but only after six years and 10 rescheduled promises of result tests

[Dexlowe]

17 hours ago, faraday said:

Doesn't say what was detected.

 

Probably just a cold medicine, or something for their Asthma....????

Brake fluid? 

[Fex Bluse]

6 hours ago, robblok said:

Right read up about lance Armstrong the American hero, bet he cheated more during his career then these Thais. Its funny how people say that other countries have high moral grounds while its rampart in their country too. They even found PED in Dutch non professional soccer clubs. 

 

The whole sports are full of them all you need to do is open your eyes.

What I wrote is precisely that it happens all over the world but to different degrees in different places. 

 

Surely, that is reasonable? Or, should we believe that ALL populations are exactly the same in every way? 

 

What's funny is that if I had made a generalization that was seen as positive, nobody would protest. That is what is funny, I think. ????

[robblok]

9 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

What I wrote is precisely that it happens all over the world but to different degrees in different places. 

 

Surely, that is reasonable? Or, should we believe that ALL populations are exactly the same in every way? 

 

What's funny is that if I had made a generalization that was seen as positive, nobody would protest. That is what is funny, I think. ????

Yes but given that countries as the US have been caught far more times then Thais its a bit unreasonable to say it happens more in Thailand (and yes the USA is bigger) Also the more advanced countries use better drugs (ones that cannot be detected). So you can't really make real good comparisons. 

 

So we can say as a fact that more people in the US have been caught then in Thailand. Does that mean they cheat more in the US ? Even if you account for population difference. Maybe they compete in more events that could explain it.. or maybe they use even more drugs but hide it.

 

I just don't think it differs much between countries as the whole top sports is full of PED's and some are just better as hiding it as others.

[Kaalle]

Oh, Thai's cheating.
Shocking behaviour. 

Like every other athlete, including your favourite ones.

Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk

[Jonmarleesco]

Couldn't manage without help,eh? Any win would be artificial.