Olympians and Steroids

The lure of Olympic Gold is strong among amateur athletes all over the world. People toil from childhood for the chance to stand atop the podium and hear their national anthem playing in their honor. Unfortunately, the drive to win a medal leads some athletes to use illegal substances to enhance their performance. SBB has talked about doping, or abusing steroids, in cycling and baseball—but now, American track and field Olympians are under fire. In mid-July, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay tested positive for banned drugs, according to a drug test conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He has not said what he tested positive for and expects his second sample test results to clear his name. It is believed that he received “anti-aging” treatment—a therapy that uses hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone—which may have led to the positive test. Such treatments are banned by the Olympics. Gay isn’t the only Olympian facing this problem. In spring 2013, Jamaica suspended several athletes, including sprinter Asafa Powell, former 100-meter record holder; Veronica Campbell-Brown, a three-time gold medalist in the 200-meter; and Sherone Simpson, 4x100 relay gold medalist, for testing positive for banned substances. Steroids, Not Worth It Because of the positive test, Gay withdrew from the World Championships taking place in August. Adidas, his sponsor since 2005, also ended its relationship with Gay. He could be suspended from competing for 2 years. It would be ...
Source: NIDA Drugs and Health Blog - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: blogs