Triple Olympic champion Sun Yang has been banned from all swimming competitions for eight years for missing an out-of-competition doping test. The punishment was handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last Friday.
Sun Yang won two gold medals in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. This is Sun’s second ban after failing a doping test in 2014.
The Chinese star’s ban following the landmark ban by World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Russia from major international sporting events for four years last December 2019 for tampering doping tests and reports.
Russia will have a closed-door appeal this April. Why it is behind closed doors is anyone’s guess, yet in my opinion, that is wrong. Why the secrecy? Will there be some backdoor maneuvering? Sun will also supposedly appeal although to my knowledge, CAS’s ruling is the last line of defense.
Doping has long been a problem in sports. During the Cold War, many Eastern bloc athletes were always suspected of using steroids and other similar substances to gain an advantage. We aren’t generalizing, but it is what it is.
And they aren’t the only ones.
American cyclist Lance Armstrong is one of those whose image and achievements were torn down. While I am not sure if he has been repentant or even defiant, it is disappointing. I even wrote a local bookstore to take out Armstrong’s books (prior to his Tour de France trophies being taken away) for not being truthful. Whether they complied or not, I am not sure, but I will have to check.
I will say though that those wristbands that he made a killing—Livestrong? I threw them out. He should wear a band that says, Live right.
And yet, even here in the Philippines, there aren’t any real doping tests. I have held one college team in suspicion for using steroids one time. I don’t think they used it for long because the next year, they didn’t look so buff. But the time I did suspect them of using them, they did win a trophy.
Last week, I wrote about the ongoing Houston Astros sign stealing scandal that they have admitted to but believe did not give them an unfair advantage. That is a lot of BS of course. What is disheartening is they got merely a slap on the wrist by Major League Baseball (MLB).
What is heartening though is a lot of baseball players have sounded off on MLB and the Astros.
Right now, we’re still waiting for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to do the right thing which is to take the trophy and those championship rings back; declare the 2017 null and void and fine the Astros heavily.
But honestly, I don’t think he will. He should resign because the man has no integrity.
There should really be stringent measures in place to make athletes, organizations, and countries liable for this cheating. They aren’t only enriching themselves, but they are cheating a great many other people—directly or indirectly—of opportunities.
Say for example, the Astros who got better contracts following the 2017 World Series. That affected those who lost and didn’t get contract extensions or even jobs.
So what if it impacts the sport big time? There must be integrity in sport. That’s the problem when money clouds decisions. You know it’s all for show.