Why is doping still taboo?

The only occasions when this word appears in capital letters, in bold characters or even in colors are when it is necessary to dismiss an athlete for all the recognition he has acquired for a "committed fault". This attitude of the mass media hints to the mouths sewn of the professionals of the sport. Whereas if we want to advance the subject in one direction or the other, we must free up the word! Let us try to understand the other reasons which make this practice a subject which it would be unhealthy to raise by virtue of social or moral conventions (definition of Larousse).

Fear of punishment

The, or rather the sanctions fall on the athlete overnight. They can be classified into two parts, on the one hand the professional sanction and on the other the media sanction. Both scare athletes. The first can go as far as the prohibition to practice, to exercise the sport to which they have dedicated their lives from an early age for the majority of them, while losing their source of income (price, contract with sponsors, etc.). The second reaches the honor, the pride of the athlete, loved by some, adored by fans of their sport. When the doped athlete is exposed, all this recognition evaporates to give way to insults, criticisms and judgments. Previous stories like that of renowned sprinter Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson or cyclist Lance Armstrong are examples that are present in everyone's minds. We can easily understand that the protagonists of sport do not want to talk about the phenomenon of doping so as not to take the risk of being ruined financially and morally by these sanctions!

Doped sportsmen: guilty, but are they the only ones responsible?

The subject of doping also remains taboo for a very different reason. If a swimmer, athlete or footballer is doping, then you have to wonder why he is doing it. And there, perhaps an obviousness could put in false door the sports authorities! Since the end of the twentieth century, sport has metamorphosed and adapted to our economy by transforming itself into a commercial product which generates astronomical sums which exceed our imagination. And like any financial product, it must be improved, optimized and in the sporting environment this translates into more busy schedules in events and also by the need for performance and the multiplication of records. On the other hand, there are the sponsors who in many cases represent the main source of income for athletes, and they want champions to represent their brands. Those who put pressure on athletes to get the best results and give them the impression that they no longer have the right to fail. From this point of view, one can imagine that if the mask of doping was lifted, those responsible would possibly not be only athletes.

Unusual stories, sometimes incredible excuses!

Like children caught cheating, some athletes and their entourage have as excuses, each one more implausible than the other. This is again due to the taboo surrounding the subject. Athletes are not ready to admit to having used prohibited products and they sometimes fall into ridicule to hide the practice. Here are some pearls for laughing at what is so scary in sport.

The triple winner of the Tour de France Alberto Contador hid behind a Spanish steak "full of clenbuterol To justify the presence of this prohibited product in its metabolism.

In Lausanne in 2007, the Russian rowing team was caught by syringes which they threw in a bin intended for recycling.

At the London Olympics, it was American athlete LaShawn Merritt who admitted to having ingested DHEA in an attempt to enlarge his penis.

Conclusion

Regardless, our position in the face of doping, it is the duty of every sports professional to break down all these barriers. As with all subjects to be discussed, free speech facilitates discussion and progress. So that the practice of sport can once again become a pleasure and a moment of equitable sharing at all levels and not a risk for these participants. To break the taboo, athletes, their staff, federations all have an important role to play.