Jamaica's Usain Bolt once again lowered the world 100M record by a full 0.10 seconds from his 2008 Beijing Olympics mark to an astonishing 9.58 in the Berlin IAAF world championships yesterday. Bolt's startling times ignited world controversies about the legitimacy of his mark. However, controversy is all naysayers have at this point. Bolt has never tested positive for PEDs, had never been caught in a buy, and has never admitted to illegal drug use. Nonetheless, obliterating world marks in the 100M with astonishing regularity is such an incredible feat, doubters are working overtime. (from the Telegraph)
A breakdown of the Bolt run goes like this:
It is the "you never know" bit which he knows tantalises us. Yesterday, the biomechanical analysts from the IAAF produced a statistical breakdown of the final which suggested that what we saw in Sunday was Bolt's Bob Beamon moment, a barrier-shattering, never-to-be repeated annihilation of the sport's blue riband record. But you never know...
Eleven hundredths of a second slashed off the mark in one hit was sprinting's equivalent of the moment in Mexico City in 1968 when long jumper Beamon decided to bypass the 28ft barrier altogether as he took the world record to 29ft 2½in with one leap.
But the IAAF's split times confirmed that Bolt's astounding improvement on the 9.69sec record he had set exactly a year earlier in Beijing was due almost entirely to the fact that this time he did not showboat over the last few of his 41½ strides as he had done in China.
He was actually slower over the first 20m than in Beijing (2.89sec to 2.87sec) but what made the vast difference was his lack of concentration as he covered the final 40m in Beijing in 3.37sec. On Sunday, in contrast, he covered the equivalent stretch in 3.27sec, a whole tenth of a second quicker. Between 60m and 80m, he topped 46kph (28.58mph).
There was one quick look right and a glance left towards the clock, so perhaps he could even have gone a fraction quicker but, realistically, there looks to be no section of the race where he can in future trim off more than the odd hundredth of a second at a time. He has just made those $100,000 (£60,700) world-record bonuses hellishly difficult to annex now.
Until proved otherwise, the Bolt record must be considered legitimate. The athlete apparently has the neuro-muscular development to produce stride frequency times stride length to generate sprint speeds never achieved in recorded history at sanctioned track meets.
All the logical arguments in the world about doping hold no merit if the athlete maintains clean testing. Other factors come into play -- a better track surface, improved shoes, perfect conditions, high quality competition -- to push these world records into new territory.
There was a Roger Maris to beat Babe Ruth's single season home run record. There was a Mike Powell to surpass Bob Beamon's long jump record. It appears the thrust of DNA and technology to lower or lengthen previous marks in performance. Thus, it is not impossible to go where no man has gone before in history. Just damn tough to do it twice.
I have to strongly disagree. You could have said the same about Marion Jones or Ben Johnson or Barry Bonds or any number of athletes who were obviously juiced. Bolt has the muscular look of a juiced up athlete, he is running ridiculous times that beat even previous steroid enhanced athletes, there was a recent doping scandal among Jamaican track athletes and their athletes seem to be performing better than anyone else. Are we to believe they make special shoes in Jamaica?
Posted by: tennis roids | 08/17/2009 at 18:03
to tennis roid
the jamaican tested positive to a stimulant ie a minor drug
he is not that muscular as you make it seems
Posted by: x | 08/17/2009 at 19:12
To X:
His shoulders have too much size and definition. He looks 'roided. A stimulant is not a minor drug. If you take PED's you take PED's. Are you saying that they're okay with taking stimulants but draw the line at steroids? Either you follow the rules or you don't. Do you have an explanation for why the Jamaican runners are suddenly so dominant? What special training method or equipment are they using that the others aren't?
Look, you have a muscular guy running a time beyond belief on a team that has suddenly become dominant and has had some PED positive tests. It doesn't look good. Face it.
Posted by: tennis roids | 08/17/2009 at 22:53
We have to remember that there is not a test for HGH and IGF (insulin like growth factor). IGF has been difficult to obtain but first IGF product has been on the market from 2007. Both would enhance effects of steroids and perhaps diminish the amount of steroids used. These experiments are done between athletes and coaches not in scientific studies.
All three medallists have a look of users of PEDs
Posted by: Hep | 08/18/2009 at 03:12
High profile, for the last year, Usain Bolt and Lance Armstrong too, have been very high profile. Perhaps extraordinary humans come now and then. We will see. Bolt certainly is very muscular.
Posted by: DV | 08/18/2009 at 06:31
BOLT IS MOST CERTAINLY ON PED'S IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM. THERE ARE SOPHISTICATED MASKING DRUGS EASILY AVAILABLE FROM CHINA. A YOUNG LANKY KID(HE WAS A SKINNY TEENAGER!) COULD NOT POSSIBLY GET SHOULDER MUSCLES OF THAT DENISTY AND SIZE! OTHER ATHELETES HAVE OBSERVED THAT HE NEVER APPEARS TIRED EVEN AFTER A NUMBER OF HEATS. HE IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE 100 METRES BUT HAS RUN THOSE TIMES. ONCE FOUND OUT AND MADE TO RUN WITHOUT THEM, LIKE THE OTHER CHEATS, HE WILL LOOK ORDINARY.
Posted by: MICHAEL GREN | 08/18/2009 at 07:28
We have to come to terms...bolt is simply different. The body is different, he is taller, long muscles, natural athlete. This time it is just a question of genes. Look at the others, they need the double amount of muscles in order to compensate the lack of height and stride. This time I am 100% sure and I have no doubt, Bolt is just a giant running fast, just as simple as that.
Posted by: Raffaele Panzeri | 08/18/2009 at 12:02
Natural? Is that some kind of joke?
PED's have been omnipresent in track and field since the late 1960's/early 70's. Here we are, 40 years later, and people are still claiming that t&f record setters are clean. Exactly how stupid do you have to be to think that? Mentally retarded? Need help tying your shoes, or going to the john? Figure it out already.
Human beings have not changed in 4000 years, much less 40. What exactly has changed in the 100m in the last 40 years? Tracks, training, food? Answer--not much. The only thing that has progressed much in the last 40 years is PED chemistry. Hence, that's what I choose to believe is responsible for faster times. Practically all record holders in the 100m in the last 25 years have been proven drug cheats. Why think these new ones are clean?
"Innocent until proven guilty" is for trials and going to jail, not for public opinion. This Bolt and all the rest in that 100m final were built like bodybuilders. They're ALL on roids. Holy crap, all sports are full of this junk. I'm sick of the dolts who think otherwise.
Maybe a new group of gullible couch potatoes could be formed to cheer on these chemistry experiments. They could call themselves "Dolts for Bolt". At least that would be honest.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/18/2009 at 12:33
Bolt failed to qualify for the finals in the youth world championships in 2001. If he were a "natural athlete" and performance were attributed to a different body, why wasn't he breaking records at every age group?
Posted by: tennis roid fan | 08/18/2009 at 12:45
People say Bolt runs so fast because he is so tall and has long stride length . However in reality his size should actually be a disadvantage. There is the reason throughout history that most sprinters are usually around 5'10-6'2 or thereabouts. Infact his stature probably lends itself to gain more from peds than shorter more naturally muscular athletes.
However my skepticism lies more with the Jamaican women.Women tend to proportionately gain more from peds . Much has been said about Jamaicans being natural athletes and having a history good sprinters.
Well prior to the Beijing 2008 there were 6 individual Jamaican female sprinters who made the 100m or 200m Olympic finals in 60 YEARS at the Olympics and in 2008 , one year ,they have four - each getting a medal! In the 2009 Worlds 100m finalists - 4 from 2.5 million pop.Jamaica and 4 from 6.6 Billion pop.Rest ofthe World.
Dont get me wrong I do think they have good genetics and talent. Don Quarrie was a dream of a sprinter to watch . But come on !They must be real good yams they are growing now.
Posted by: mr magoo | 08/18/2009 at 14:51
Tennis Roid Bolt did not qualify for the 2001 World Championship because he did not try out for the Jamaican team back then. Bolt was 14 years old in 2001. Bolt did not make the team as you suggested. For your info Bolt won the 2002 Junior championship 200m in Kingston. The winner of the 2001 world youth championship is Mr. Darrel Brown of Trinidad and Tobago. The internet is available a wonderful source of information. If you need to be pointed to the IAAF site for the 2001 world youth championship http://www2.iaaf.org/WYC01/
Posted by: Michael Williams | 08/18/2009 at 16:20
bolt father is tall and muscular similar to bolt is he using PED?
he stop doing athletics from high school
MAYBE he didnt use to run the 100m BUT Im sure he use to do it in training since he was a kid , so he must have some idea that he was fast
because I heard his high school coach saying he hand time Bolt runing 10.1(in trainig) many times when he was 15 , but hid it because he wanted him to continue doing the 200m and 400m
no stimulant is against the rules but its dont enhance perfarmance hence its not a PED
Posted by: x | 08/19/2009 at 07:42
Jamaica use to be up in the finals and top 3 (for the sprints) for about 30 years on the female side so its not all of a sudden they start to dominate, its just thr time maybe maybe bahamas , trinidad, Usa will start to in the next couple of years
the male side always have a couple very good sprinters(10.0s) but better was just around
Also the males are not dominating the male sprints its just usain bolt alone from jamaica (fastest in the 1 and 2)
because they are taking the glamour events gives the illusion of dominating, which is not the case
Posted by: x | 08/19/2009 at 07:55
Finally
how much seconds can PED minus from your "natural speed" for a male
I suspect 0.20s
so add 0.20 to 9.58 thats about 9.78
so his natural base would be somewhere around 9.80 about
Im sure if he was consistently running that time you guys would say he was "roided"
anyway its obvious he have a alot of natural talent so I wont waste anymore time thinking about if he is using it or not
HE MAY WELL BE DOING IT
becuz as a stated earlier he and his father have about the same body type define shoulders the whole works
Posted by: x | 08/19/2009 at 08:10
I don't believe any of the sub 9.9 guys are clean. It seems like PEDs are part of an unwritten rule at the top level.
People talk about Bolt's height and being able to achieve the same turnover as the other athletes as the reason for his incredible times. What are the biomechanical reasons for Shelly-Ann Fraser running the 3rd fastest time in history, because she is tiny.
I remember Ben Johnson saying it's not physically possible to do the training clean as the body would just break after 6 or 7 weeks and then I think about Asafa Powell saying the Brit Simeon Williamson was lazy. Is he lazy or is it the lack of juice in his system that means he can't keep up with the demands of the Jamaican training?
My biggest worry now is that Bolt is untouchable i.e. it would cause too much damage to the sport to have him test positive so he will be protected, similar to Carl Lewis in '88.
Posted by: David | 08/19/2009 at 08:13
I've heard people say Bolt is a lot like Bob Hayes was and a runner like Hayes was. I guess, since Hayes was a football player, he must have been a big man and he was called the fastest in the world. I'll pass on discussion of the PED issue. We will see.
Posted by: DV | 08/19/2009 at 09:49
As far as how much you can shave off your time by doing PED's, Ben Johnson went from 9.8 to 10.4 when he went off them. That's 0.6 seconds, not 0.2.
The range is probably 0.5 to 0.7 seconds improvement in 100m times with PED's. That's a whole lot! From 9.6 to 10.1 or 10.3. The difference from being the fastest human ever to being world class but never making a 100m final.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/19/2009 at 13:30
NO Gullible Head
ben johnson was a 10.0s sprinter, he ran this time behind allan wells at age 20 in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia (check it out) then jump down to 9.79
when he return he was thirty plus way pass his prime age
even the boss BALCO said that is the amount of time a male can shave off best, the females can shave off more
Posted by: X | 08/19/2009 at 15:24
A bit off topic, but I see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1207653/Womens-800m-gold-medal-favourite-Caster-Semenya-takes-gender-test-hours-World-Championship-race.html This South African runner made the Drudge Report per some folks questioning if she was a he...
Posted by: DV | 08/19/2009 at 20:44
X,
How do you know that he was clean in '82? Maybe he was using some other PED's and switched to something better?
All I know is that when he came back, that was what he was running.
Another good example of the 0.5 to 0.7 range of improvement is Donovan Bailey, who mysteriously went from a 10.4 down to the mid 9.8's in a couple of years. Wonderful improvement, no? I'm sure it was from hard work, turning down that dessert tray, and doing a few extra bench presses. Yes.
It just goes to show that I'm not the only gullible TV head out there.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/19/2009 at 23:59
LOL, you ppl are so riduculous......forwarding in a post by
posted by Your Boy OT on Aug 18 2009
As a media professional, one thing I have learnt is to get my facts correct before I open my mouth to speak or try to pen an article. Let me set some records straight here: FACT: the substance the "now Famous Five" tested positive for is not a banned substance and is proposed to be added to the list of banned substances for 2010. FACT: substance commonly found in most over the counter food supplements and was in fact found in "one" common supplement that four of the five were using following recommendations and appropriate research into it's legality. FACT: only two Jamaican athlete in the history of Jamaican athletics have ever tested positive for banned substances and they were never frontline representatives of Jamaica on the world stage.....one in TRACK and one in FIELD disciplines. FACT: One of Jamaica's most famous daughters and most decorated female sprinter on the WORLD stage MERLNE JOYCE OTTEY suffered at the hands of drug cheats the world over especially the AMERICANS and competed at the highest level for over 30 years and never failed a DRUG TEST. FACT: Jamaican athletes are among the most tested athletes in the world at any event. It's a wonder they still have the strength to compete after all the blood they have to give. FACT: Drug testing has evolved to the taking of both BLOOD and URINE samples, thereby eliminating the possibility of of banned substances being detected as all things absorbed into the blood stream is detectable. Believe it or not it's DNA testing on a much wider scale all in the name of SPORTS. FACT: none of the SIX athletes(including ASAFA POWELL) whom you alluded to being involved in drug use has ever taken, are currently taking or ever tested positive for a banned substance. FACT: none of JAMAICA's top athletes have ever failed a DRUG TEST after countless championships, Meets etc..... So my friend, please make an effort to attain the facts, do your research thoroughly before writing disparaging articles about any athlete or person or interest, JAMAICAN, AMERICAN or otherwise. PS FACT: several top American, British, Canadian athletes are either Jamaican born or of Jamaican parentage, yes even the disgraced Ben Francis. Make sure you include Donovan Bailey, Sanya Richards, Lyndford Christie in the list of Top athletes.
source: www.234next.com
Posted by: Annie | 08/20/2009 at 01:57
Ppl need to chill on this. It ends up stepping on each others toes.
We have some sort of aquatic theme park near here and last summer, some Jamaicans got summer jobs there. They were nice. I still keep up with them. We are all very nice to each other.
Athletes across the spectrum of all sports are suspect to varying degrees and if not in drugs, then in other ways that bring the sport down, gambling, diving in soccer, rough play in basketball, etc. etc.. If someone is using PEDs, they may well be found out and if not, many will wonder about these astonishing times anyway. It's not like I think it's so important to bring some sports figure down.
Posted by: DV | 08/20/2009 at 09:35
So this guy is, naturally, much faster than the known drug cheats?? Is that what you guys defending Bolt are saying?
I'm not saying he's absolutely on something (I'm no expert, just a guy that likes to lift a lot--w/o PEDs!), but it strains credulity to believe that this man, in a sport literally awash in PEDs, is destroying the performances of past, known, juicers with seeming ease. Doesn't anybody else find it a little unlikely that this could be the case? Does it actually pass the 'smell' test? Is it really unreasonable to think, given these facts, that, odds are, he's on something?
Posted by: ECM | 08/20/2009 at 09:46
Annie,
Its a good thing that "media professional" is named! Now we know that the material you posted is indeed TRUE and VERIFIABLE. Thank you so much for that! Sourced material is very important!
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/20/2009 at 13:22
In two years he lowered his 200m time by .7 of a second after finishing second to Gay in 2007. Michael Johnson's 200m time was so ridiculous it was thought to be inhuman. Now we have seen that ridiculous time beaten twice by only one man who just 1.5 years ago couldn't even come close to it. I know he has never tested positive, but neither has Barry Bonds.
Posted by: Dan | 08/20/2009 at 15:19
You people need to chill; first off, if he has not tested positive, that is a plus. We know that it is less likely he may be using something to enhance himself.
Second off, how can you say the sport is full of PED users? Have you personally tested these people?
All of you are making wild assumptions. Calm down, act like civilized people, and enjoy watching a man who is breaking all the record books.
Posted by: lax | 08/20/2009 at 19:17
Dan
in 2007 he was 20
STILL GROWING
Posted by: elder | 08/20/2009 at 21:16
Apparently a lot of the Jamaican sprint team who have been having such outstanding success have links to a former BALCO 'supplement developer'.
I guess I'm 'suspended'.
Posted by: swimfan | 08/20/2009 at 22:57
You just need to look at the faces of those women and you can tell that they are taking at least HGH. You can pass all the drugs tests. It means absolutely NOTHING. Marion Jones is a good sample. Look at the face of the Canadian girl that finished second in the 100m hurdles. Does her face looks natural?
Posted by: Yes | 08/20/2009 at 23:45
All of you are making wild assumptions. Calm down, act like civilized people, and enjoy watching a man who is breaking all the record books.
Sure. I agree with that. I believe everything that people on TV say. I believe that everything on TV is real. It must be. Nobody would lie about taking drugs to gain fame or fortune. Especially not an athlete! They are role models. And they take that responsibility seriously. And if we don't see him take his piss test and do the analysis ourselves in the lab, we just have to believe what we are told by the TeeVee.
Can you believe how gullible people are? Now you understand why corporations and advertising agencies are literally running to the television networks with billions of dollars to get at this horde of TV-Is-Real-Heads. Wouldn't you?
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/21/2009 at 01:03
I wonder what Bolt would run, PED or not, if he ate a healthy food. From what I have read, he eats lots of processed food. If he went Mediterranean Diet, he might shave off another 0.05 in a year's time.
Posted by: Yadda | 08/22/2009 at 06:28
It is really frustrating to read someone just repeating the mantra "they are tested xyz times to be clean". Everyone who does not live only with short term memory reckons that Marion Jones holds hopefully unbeatable world record on that. The fact: she was not clean.
There are both juices which do not show up and there are ways to fool testers. I remember when Asafa Powell was a world record holder and he was interviewed by BBC. When asked if he had used PEDs, he did not deny/respond that but said that he has been tested and he has cleared the tests. Wrong or misleading answer.
Posted by: Hep | 08/22/2009 at 15:52
I suspect young Usain would win on any level playing field. (That is to say - if he is on PEDs, it's unlikely he's on anything different from his competitors).
In general I thought that, at Berlin, more athletes looked "normal" than not - which either means that there's less doping around or it's just more subtle these days. Not that I know owt!
Do wonder if some big scandal re. Jamaica & the USA (not them alone, but they do top the list) is going to come along soon though. Although if it turns out they've just discovered a new creatine or something then fair enough.
I did think the same as David when I heard that Asafa Powell comment.
A couple of weeks ago "Dr Tim" commented on the Science of Sport blog (not entirely seriously, but actually it does measure up fairly well!) that what people said could be used as a first-order guess as to whether they were doping.
So: Mr. P says other sprinters not working hard enough.
vs
Bradley Wiggins saying, well, it *is* cycling, of course people are going to wonder if he's on drugs.
I will be watching with interest in the next 10-15 years to see which, if either/both of them, gets busted....!
Posted by: middle aged mid packer | 08/25/2009 at 17:06
I suspect young Usain would win on any level playing field. (That is to say - if he is on PEDs, it's unlikely he's on anything different from his competitors).
You can't say this. Simply because all his top competition is also on roids does not mean that he would be dominant without them. You are failing to include the guys who don't do the drugs and look like they are uncompetitive in a drug-laden environment. Take away the drugs and then those guys start to look quite competitive.
That's the entire issue with PED use in a nutshell.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/26/2009 at 12:28
Jamaicans are on steroids since birth. Yes I said it, so what? All you haters it’s not Jamaican or people from the Caribbean fault that they are nurtured with the best spring water, herds, fruits, spices, foods, fishes, animals and bird meats that God the creator has given them. While in American it’s all about fast food and a proper meal maybe once a year at Thanks Given. My son said to me sometime ago, that when he was in Jamaica attending school he could always count on one hand the amount of students in is class that was over weight. While here in America he sometimes need his toes to make up the count for same above? Most people in the West Indies grew up for the better part of their lives without been on vitamins. No wonder Stella plus many more folks go the Caribbean to get their grove back…. LOL. Just go down there and you’ll feel the Power and the FORCE. Don’t be a hater my friends, since it’s a heavy load to carry around mentally. Bob Marley said in one of his song, “They are going to be tired of seeing his face, but they can’t get him out of the race.” Go in peace HATERS and love always??
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/26/2009 at 20:17
Don't be a "hater"? Is that your response to this rampant drug abuse in sports, which is now filtering down to the high school level?
Do you live in a cave? Do you see what's going on?
If it were as easy as eating yams, fish, and bananas, there would be millions of guys running ridiculous 100m times. Please grow up and get new role models who are not drug abusers and liars. Thanks.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/27/2009 at 08:16
I wish you people would get your facts straight Sanya Richards is not Jamaican, she is 110% American
Posted by: rex2010 | 08/27/2009 at 10:51
Bolt's just the new Lance Armstrong and it's all water under the bridge.
But I don't think, if he is ever caught using something, it will be covered up because he is popular. The chips will fall where they may.
Posted by: DV | 08/27/2009 at 13:21
Sorry Mr/Ms Gullible TV Head, you came close to the answer. But in Jamaica and the Caribbean it all started at Kindergarden and not at High School, with extra vitamins, for example in the USA that Balco was suppling some of the athletes????
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/27/2009 at 14:35
Then why don't those vitamins and minerals make the Jamaicans smart as well as fast? Brains are part of the body too. Where are the great scientists, engineers, etc. from Jamaica? They don't exist, do they?
And the reason is that nobody is creating drugs to make people smarter, so cheating drug abusers like the Jamaican track athletes can't take them--just the steroids.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/27/2009 at 16:20
Hey Gullible TV Head, my guess is you apparently have not been around any Jamaicans. Most Jamaicans are naturally gifted in whatever they chooses to do in life. May it be on the right or wrong side of the law sorry to say. Not to mention Jamaicans are known to have an avg. 2 jobs when living in American, therefore working hard comes natural. But don't worry about Jamaicans, we are here to stay, because had it not been for inspiration from Marcus Garvey who was from Jamaica, a lot of Blacks and minorities would still be riding in the back of the bus. As for you maybe the bus would have ran over you? LOL. Oh by the way, did you read about Carl Lewis and the cover up of the positive drugs test of American athletes before the 1988 Olympics? Here is a Proverbs for you, "When a person points their finger, they should check how many fingers are pointing back at them?" Go in peace HATER and be stressed no more??????
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/28/2009 at 07:37
OK, for all those Haters that are pointing their fingers, I dear you all to read the article below before you make another comment about USA concerning drugs cover ups? So please let the athletes do their thing untill the cheat are eventually caught? PEACE & LOVE to you all.
*************************************
Early effort to drug test Olympic athletes kept secret
With organizers and athletes alike uncomfortable with testing regimen, officials chooses to keep 1984 results confidential.
BY SCOTT M. REID
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Olympic Committee, concerned about the potential embarrassment of a doping scandal involving American athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, conducted an informal drug testing program in the months leading up to the Los Angeles Games that allowed Olympic-caliber athletes testing positive for banned substances to escape sanctions, according to documents obtained by The Orange County Register and interviews with three officials involved with the program.
At least 34 U.S. track and field athletes either tested positive or had possible positive tests during six weeks of informal testing by USOC in the spring of 1984, according to confidential USOC memos. None of the athletes was sanctioned or lost eligibility, according to USOC documents and interviews.
Athletes were informed of their positive tests and told continued use of banned drugs could result in positive tests at the U.S. Olympic Trials and Olympic Games, where violations would lead to bans from competition.
“It gave them a heads up,” said Ollan Cassell, executive director of U.S. track and field’s governing body from 1980 to 1997. “It let them know what was coming, what to expect.”
The then-head of the USOC sports medicine council said a report raising concerns about the informal testing and a blood doping program involving the U.S. Olympic cycling team but the USOC president chose not to pursue the issue.
To get ready for drug testing structure ready for the 1984 Olympic Games, the USOC not only had to get the drug testing lab accredited by the International Olympic Committee but had to set up numerous crews to collect urine samples at competition sites.
Officials involved with the program either could not recall, said they did not know or would not confirm whether athletes who tested positive for banned substances in the informal testing went on to compete in the Los Angeles Games, where the United States won 174 medals, 83 of them gold, in an Olympics weakened by the Soviet-bloc boycott. Thirty-five of those medals, 16 of the golds, were won by American track and field athletes.
“It’s not fair, it’s not right,” Dr. Irving Dardik, in 1984 the chairman of USOC sports medicine council, said of the informal testing program. “If an athlete tested positive, they should have been penalized.”
Dardik said he hand delivered his report to Robert H. Helmick shortly after Helmick took over as USOC president in early 1985. Three weeks later, Dardik asked Helmick about the report.
“Helmick said ‘What report?’ ” Dardik recalled. “It was clear you were not to make any waves that could in anyway implicate the internal workings of (U.S. track’s governing body) or the USOC.”
Dick Pound, the former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a International Olympic Committee member from Canada, criticized the informal testing program, saying the United States “was running a drug counseling program.”
“They were allowing athletes to check their clearance times,” Pound said, referring to the time from when an athlete takes a banned substance to the time when that substance will not be detected by a drug test.
But Kenneth S. “Casey” Clarke, the USOC sports medicine director who oversaw the informal testing, and Cassell are unapologetic about the program that they said also tested athletes in other sports at the USOC Training Center in Colorado Springs.
“It was done quietly and efficiently,” Clarke said of the informal testing.
Clarke and Cassell said the informal testing was first step in establishing a drug policy and was necessary in determining how widespread the use of banned drugs, such as anabolic steroids and stimulants among U.S. athletes.
“We were trying to get a handle on how big the problem was, what athletes were taking so the scientist could test for them, and what the benefit were of what they were taking,” Cassell said.
“I didn’t have any concerns about it,” Cassell continued. “No athlete would be punished. It helped us find out how deep (the U.S. doping problem) was.”
And the extent of banned substance use by American athletes was a major concern of USOC officials and other U.S. sports federations in the months leading up to the Los Angeles Games, the three former officials said.
While they said the program was in part set up as a dry run to the drug testing operation that would be used at the 1984 Games, the former officials said the USOC’s desire to avoid a repeat of a drug scandal that marred the 1983 Pan American Games was a driving force behind the informal testing program.
Athletes were caught off guard when Germany’s Manfred Donike revealed a new test to detect steroids at the Pan Am Games in Caracas, Venezuela. After a Canadian weightlifter tested positive for steroids athletes, a dozen American athletes in several sports unexpectedly left Venezuela and returned to the United States.
The USOC, Cassell said, was “embarrassed, upset after the Pan Am Games.”
But while the USOC wanted to tackle the doping issue, there was also concern within the organization’s Colorado Springs headquarters and at several national sports federations that a drug testing program that sanctioned athletes who cheated might weaken the U.S. Olympic team for Los Angeles.
“There was a feeling at the USOC that the Russians were getting (away with doping) and that we should be getting ahead of (the issue),” Dardik said. “But I also remember a lot of USOC meetings talking about testing there were a lot of people concerned ‘if we do this are we going to ruin our team?’
“It was really political.”
Cassell said there were also concerns about lawsuits.
In early 1984, the USOC decided that all U.S. Olympic team members would have to pass drug tests before competing in the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo and the Summer Games in Los Angeles. But USOC also signed off on the informal testing program focusing on Summer Olympic athletes where USOC officials suspected doping was more widespread, officials said.
“We were trying to get the (drug testing) system going for the Olympics, get the (drug testing) crews ready,” Clarke said. “And, yes, we wanted to get the athletes aware, make them know they had to straighten up.”
“It wasn’t a punitive test, wasn’t a punitive program,” Cassell said. “We wanted to determine what kind of problem were facing and make the athletes aware, let them know they could have a problem.”
The informal program was voluntary, the officials said. Athletes were contacted by the USOC and asked to participate in the program.
Fifty track athletes were contacted by the USOC in the early spring of 1984 and all 50 participated in testing conducted by Dr. Harmon Brown, a USOC drug testing crew chief, on March 27 in Los Angeles, according to a confidential USOC memo. Brown died last November.
Under drug testing protocol an athlete’s urine is split at the time of the test in two samples. If the first test, the so-called “A” sample, is positive, the second sample or “B” is tested to verify the positive result. If the “B” is also positive the result is ruled positive and the athlete faces sanctions including a ban from competition.
The tests for 28 of the 50 resulted in “possible positive findings” of banned substance use, according to the June 5, 1984, “Informal Drug Testing of Track &Field Athletes” memo from Clarke to Cassell.
But second verification tests were not conducted and the athletes were not penalized and were allowed to continue competing.
“Because Formal Testing receives priority at the Lab, so many of these samples needed repeated testing and the imminence of the Trials, preliminary results are released before final verification can be gained,” Clarke wrote. “A non-user athlete (inadvertent use) will learn why it is a possible positive. The user-athlete will know why.”
Ten track athletes were tested by Brown on May 8, 1984 also in Los Angeles, according to a July 9, 1984 Clarke memo to Cassell.
Six of the 10 had “positive findings” for testosterone, the memo said.
Clarke said athletes in other sports were tested based on “basically whoever was available at the (USOC) training center” in Colorado Springs.
In a memo later in 1984, Clarke wrote that “no report” of the 28 “possibles” “will go to Harmon.” Dardik said he also didn’t receive copies of Clarke’s memos and didn’t learn of their existence and the exact number of positive or possible positive results until informed by the Register last week.
“I never received any of those, which is surprising since I was chairman of the sports medicine council,” Dardik said. “That was a lot of the problem with the USOC back then, they were always trying to keep things to themselves.
**************************************
Wow. That's all I can say?
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/28/2009 at 08:00
I'm a professional track athlete for 10 years. And i am not on PEDs and don't want to use them. Thats why, i always stop in the semi-finals at the World champs. I can tell you, that there was no possible to chase US athletes for years, what ever you run, there is someone who produce unpredictable times. because all new designer's steroids are produced in the US. So WADA can make thousands of test, but they are useless, because drugs are not detectable. It is said that Eastern Europeans use steroids, possibly they do, because there are no new generation steroids are available to them, so they get caught.
What i see now, is that from 2008, suddenly, all Caribbeans start to dramaticaly improve their performances. And they are not 18-20 years old, people of any age up to 37. What has happened it just 2 years? Don't tell me about fresh food, and air.
Jamaica, Trinidad, Bahamas dominated in Berlin 2009 from 100m to 400m/h. Is it normal that 17 year boy comes 4th in 400mh with such fast time? Where are 3-4 years of base work to prepare body for this event?
2. Why people after finishing 200m or 400m do not breath hard?
3. I saw many meeting after main champs in 1990's , there were very slow times, because people just spent their emotions on Olympics or WCh. What happens now? Some athletes run their season best right after Wch.! They do not get tired.
I can approve, that it is possible to reach high result without PEDs, but for 1- 2 times a year. But not every race, like athletes now do.
I have always said to people, that donkey will never run faster than horse.
Unfortunately now it is possible.
After you read articles about new gene doping - GW1516 and AICAR, you will understand, what is happening in our sport. Scientists make genetical experiments on people, that is why it is sold to athletes.
P.s. I don't hate US, Caribbean athletes, its the only possibility for them to get out of poverty. And yes, they are very gifted from the Nature, but there are Europeans who are as gifted as they, not so many people 1to7-8, . I hate drug developers, WADA.
Posted by: trackathlete | 08/29/2009 at 04:06
If you check the results of World champs 2003 in Paris, you can notice - it was last almost clean WCh. Because iin June the THG has been caught and stimulant Modafinil. I have personally read on bbc.co.uk after US trial, that 350 test were positive, after a week, the number lowered to 40. After a while, only 7, and the main EVIl was named - Dwain Chambers.
So WADA detect steroid and stimulant - as a result, Kim Collins wins 100m with just 10.07. 200m winner - 20.30. and so on, no crazy times during whole year.
Then someting has happened in drug industry in 2004. Because from these year, people start to produce phenomenal results.
Posted by: trackathlete | 08/29/2009 at 04:17
@ rex2010
Sanya Richards left Jamaica at age 13 she is a dual citvn of both countries but choose to run for america for whatever reason
@ trackathlete
which jamaica or cribbean athlete(s) improve at 37 or in thr 30s?
Not BOLT cuz he was 22 while he ran second 2 years ago at age 20 and was running 19 seconds from a teen
ANd a male stops developing at about age 23 go figure
Posted by: x | 08/29/2009 at 07:31
Atnother idiotic post by IC Chambers about Jamaican black supremacy, which is obviously evident gvien the fact that Jamaica, ouside of a tourist industry, is one of the most crime-ridden and poor countries in the region. Exactly what you would expect from a "superior race".
Of course Americans are juicing! This has been going on since the 1960's. Of course star athletes who are juicers are let go! And now its the Jamaicans. Why are Jamaicans being give the special treatment? I don't know, other than the fact that its a poor, corrupt country with no doping oversight. Kind of a human laboratory.
Its a wonder that the black supremacists aren't upset that white american and european chemists are performing drug experiments on poor blacks. But I guess if it appeals to a black couch patato's ego, then using human guinea pigs is fine. Quite hypocritical if you ask me.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/29/2009 at 11:13
Track Athlete:
Good posts. I assume that you are not writing in your native language and that is fine. A bit like using an online translator as I will sometimes, I can read French basically, but I use a bit of help if I am trying to say something. Thanks for taking your time to tell us, because overall, we are all here to be informed.
Posted by: DV | 08/29/2009 at 12:04
As trackathlete indicates year 2003 could be used as a kind of benchmark year for t&f sprint results. Not that every athlete was clean a whole training period until worldchamps, but PED use must have seen a low point at that time. Or is it plausible that all best sprinters decided collectively: "let´s not run so fast this year". After that it has gone wild again. Surely THG was not to be the last design steroid and as I´ve said earlier other powerful and untestable drugs like insulin-like growth factor have been developed. IGF has been on the legal market from 2007. It is very expensive but now it is easier to get than earlier. We who have seen this happen so many times before cannot believe that laws of basic physics have become obsolete.
Posted by: Hep | 08/29/2009 at 15:23
To X:
I am not speaking only about Jamaicans. Its about USA and Cariebbean, because youngsters from those islands study in US collegiate system, which stinks with steroids. Everyone is talking about Bolt. But look - if Tyson Gay had a height of 185-189cm at least, his steps would be longer, and who knows, who would be the record holder now. 9.71 and 9.72 from Asafa, are extremely fast.
Dr.Evil - Ben Johnson ran 9.83 and 9.79 in his career. Powell ran multiple times sub 9.80 and 9.90. The same about hurdles. Robles produced from 13.46 in 2005 to 13.00 in 2006.
I dont like to blame anybody personally. But you wanted names who improved? For example: in Zurich - Clarke Lerone JAM 28y old - 9.99 from 10.15. Come on - where he has been until this year?
Shelly Fraser - from 11.31 in 2007 to 10.78 in 2008. Steve Mullings 200m - 20.22 in 2005 only once - 19.98 in 2009. Just check IAAF website toplists and athletes biography stats.
Carmelita Jeter USA 30y old - 11.46 in 2006 - to 11.07 in 2007 & 10.83 in 2009.
Anyway , i like to analyze sports. And i can tell you much more interesting about this kitchen, but i don't want to destroy anyones image. Usain Bolt now bringing money to athletics, people screaming when they see him running. He is what athletics need now. He is a fairy-tale, funny , relaxed guy. And i don't want him to be humiliated by WADA. BUT,.. what can you say about his competitors? When they stay in the blocks and they now its impossible to win. I beleive that Usain, Gay or Asafa would be faster then others without PEDs , but not so often, so it could be possible to beat them once or twice. With the new generation PEDs its impossible.
p.s. why Jamaican born sprinters in UK do not run sub 10sec? There are many black people in France, but they run 10.20 - 10.40. Because ....
Posted by: trackathlete | 08/29/2009 at 17:25
To DV :
As an example of PEDs waves in t&f I can mention period from 1999, when pro-hormones like Androtesten and Nortesten started to be detected. And from this time German and British athletics suddenly started its descent. but not USA :) by that time the THG was in their hands. Until new wave. And so on. It is easy to notice, when you have a proper look.
Another moment is testing. Some people are tested from 4 to 7 times per every season out-of-competiton tests.
As you can see from IAAF testing lists, about 15,17 people from every top 30, has not been tested by IAAF every year. And they are not nr29-30, they are nr.4, 6, 10 ... Its a double standarts.
Number 4 in 800m in 2007 - Abubaker Kaki , NEVER been tested in 2008 in preparation period. How is it?
Its about system in general. Someone has to stop farmacologists destroying sport.
Posted by: trackathlete | 08/29/2009 at 17:42
Lerone Clarke as ran 10. 1 since 2007 and have been injured every year after successful indoor track and field seasons. Maybe God is better than you think. Or maybe you are doing the young man a favor by mentioning his name in your stupid analysis. Remember too that a mans peak years are between 26 and 30 years of age. and he has no doubt has alot of base and tears from injury for the last three years to develope from.
Posted by: Kevin | 08/29/2009 at 20:56
Hey Gullible TV Head, did u read the article about the USOC cover up on Carl Lewis plus other US athletes? If so, what is your comment on same above? So would you not agree also that athletes from different regions and countries based on their popular sports, are motivated accordingly to the possibilities of making it big, sometimes due on the personal ambitions and the opportunity of travelling the world over? In Puerto Rico and Cuba it maybe Base Ball. In Jamaica and Trinidad it maybe Cricket, Soccer and Athletics, with athletics been the easiest one to get a scholarship to attend school in USA, by just been above average? Anyhow I've been working in the Airline industry for over 20yr, and have been to Canada, Cuba, England and last but not least Jamaica. Where have you have ever travelled to in your life time out of you state, other than the TV couch?
The school system and parents pushes their children differently to excel in sports from Kindergarten through to college in most regions and countries? In the Caribbean kids are encourage to do well in sports so they may leave to greener pastures for same above. And trust-me they are hungry to get their feet on the soil of developed countries? Also I am not here preaching Black supremacy, so don’t change the subject? But I do know a fair amount of my Ancestor‘s story (His Story) plus a little about others…. Do you know yours?
Ok, let me do a little break down of some Athletes. West African are built for Sprints (wider hips)….East African are built for Long Distance (narrow hips) …. Europeans are built for Weight Lifting (bigger upper body)…. Asians are built for Gymnastics (flexible joints).
Has for Michael Johnson when did he start doing athletics? Was it in high school or college?
Personally I don't like cheats or drug users, no matter which countries they are from, but for right now Usain Bolt is the big MAN of Athletics and he is great for the game. Peace to all HATERS?????
P.S. Whatever is in the dark will one day come to light?
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/30/2009 at 01:22
IC Chambers,
I couldn't care less about Carl Lewis. He's a drug cheat that got passes for years, and made many millions of dollars in endorsement contracts. I feel the same way about all the American Track and Field drug cheats of past years. I'm not a black supremacist/nationalist like you. I have no allegiance to a drugged up athletic team or individual, simply because I live in the same country they do. They are scumbags, as far as I'm concerned.
West Africans are not built for sprints. That is complete nonsense. Until the 1960's, whites and blacks ran the same times in the 100m. I'm sure that if asians competed in the same numbers, they would have similar times. There is no superior athletic race.
After the early 1960's, blacks dominated the sprints. Why? Were they held back from competing against whites previously(discrimination)? No. Blacks had been competing head to head against whites in the sprints since the 1920's (40 years). Remember Jesse Owens, Eulace Peacock, Percy Williams? What did change is that the US started promoting blacks in the 60's over whites and giving them PED's, and eliminated white sprinters from college programs (under the guise of affirmative action). People know that now, that the Americans were doping their sprinters. They are not aware of the racial program.
Later on, it waw the Kenyans in the long distances. Dr. Gabriel Rosa, who was a doctor working on the Tour de France cyclists, perfecting his doping regimen, went to Kenya. And voila! Kenyans started winning all the long distance events. Its the same kind of country as Jamaica--black and poor. No testing regiimes, corrupt government that will look the other way, and lots of poor people looking for a way to make money.
There is indeed a sytemic program amongst the Powers that Be to promote the illusion of black athletic supremacy over other races. This illusion is created by controlling the international doping agencies and cracking down on some athletes (whites and asians) while letting others (blacks) pass. The USOC did it for many years here in America. Now WADA is taking over that role, and internationalizing this black supremacy program, but in different countries. Jamaica and Kenya are two of them. They are also inundating Europe with black athletes and doing the same double-standard PED programs there.
Of course you will see the occasional drug cheat caught. That makes it look like there really is enforcement. But the star athletes can do as they want. Just like Carl Lewis. They will be protected.
Usian Bolt is lying, cheating asshole. And I know that because he has a bodybuilding physique that almost all black sprinters have--not because they are "naturally" built for sprinting, but because they are steroid/PED lab rats. This PED stuff has been going on for almost half a century now. Wake up already!
How novel! People lying and cheating for money!
I sure am a hater. I hate lying and cheating for money. And I laugh at the gullible fools who think that what they see on TV and the media regarding athletes is in any way a reflection of reality.
I wish you a lot of luck in life. You have the naivete of a small child. And you can be manipulated easily by appeals to your racism and nationalism. These athletes are not heroes. They are horrible role models, and they are drug cheats and liars.
Posted by: Gullible TV Head | 08/30/2009 at 10:11
Hey Gulible TV Head, you are a cool dude living in your own world. But in the mean time, between time, lets us all enjoy the entertainments that the Media has to provide us. They the Media Builds people up and then break them down. Now go in peace and let us all wait for the cheater to be caught?
P.S. If Usain Bolt ever turns out to be a drug cheat, he will wish to leaves this planet for outer space before he sets foot in Jamaica, because his life will be in danger....and trust me Usain knows this too.
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/30/2009 at 10:45
The article/comments below was taken fron the Puma Web Site:-
In Jamaica, during the school year probably more than 75% of the school populations are involved in school track & Field, from the 1st grade all the way to 11th grade (i.e. from kindergarten to high school).
When you first start grade school, you are assign randomly to one of four groups that is labeled by color, Red House, Blue House, etc. You will represent one of these houses from 1st grade to 6th grade.
Near the end of the year, each house will compete against each other…So, from primary school we will know “Who is fast” from the 1st grade. By the time you reach 4 to 6 grade, you could establish the title of been the fastest boy/girl in school. I was one.
Then you will graduate Primary school with your fast person title…Within a 50 mile radius, you will probably have about 10 to 20 primary school. Now we will have 20 fast kids entering high school, only a few of those kids will keep their fast kids title at the high school level.
You will have about 2 or 3 high school within a 50 mile radius so the 20 fastest will end up in one of the 3 high school base on their grades.
At the high school level you will again be assigned to groups that you will represent from 7th to 11th grade.
Now, at the end of the high school year those 20 fast track star will have a school championship and we will know which of those 20 track star is the fastest. If you are the fastest in high school, then you are the fastest at your age in a 50 mile radius.
Now, after high school championship where you compete within the school, you will also have an island wide school championship where all the high school competes. If you are the fastest in all the high school…then you are almost the fastest man in Jamaica…At this level Bolt was found 15 years of age.
This is one reason why Jamaica is the capital for track star…It got nothing to do with the size of the country but the track and field system use to find track star from the first grade.
Now, after Usain Bolt performance and celebrity status…we will now have a bigger surge of track & field participation in Jamaica at the primary and high school level…with a lot more sprinter coming out of Jamaica sprinting factory..
Jamaica High Schools already have a few kids running the 100m in 10.3 and they are only 15 years of age…Most likely we should see them in the lime light next year.
Look-out for Jazeel Murphy and Dexter Lee because they already clocking 10.3 at 15 years of age.
- Anthony
Posted by: I.C. Chambers | 08/31/2009 at 11:02
I have to slip in this other news..
“‘I’ll be next Usain Bolt’ - 6-y-o champion has visions of track glory”
The boy wonder has already been venerated at Spanish Town Infant School, after capturing gold in the 800 metres and mining silver at the Miami Classics in the United States.
Now, think about it for a second…Infant school, 6 years old, capturing gold in 800m….You have to ask your self “What the Hell”.
See link below….
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090703/news/news1.html
Posted by: I.C. "RudeBoy" Chambers | 08/31/2009 at 11:05
All it took was 1 lightning Bolt to dismantle to whole USA Sprint Team into oblivion...LOL.
Posted by: YardieRudeBoy | 09/04/2009 at 07:13
I've kept out of the discussions for some time, both because of personal reasons, and because I wanted to see the outcome over the year following the olympics. I've concluded that the Jamaican miracle is too good to be true. If Bolt's singular physique and some mutant ability to maintain turn over were the only attraction, well, I suppose one could make the Beamon analogy. But even Beamon only had one real burst. However, we have several athletes, including women, all of differing physiques, suddenly dominating sprints. Usain Bolt's improvement, including the phenomenal times in the 200, which are even more spectacular than the 100 meter times, are of such an enormous size, and REPEATED, that I can no longer understand the nature of such 'natural' improvement...indeed, to maintain that kind of improvement, which is literally in a class two standards above any other sprinter (all of whom appear overtly steroidal)is absurd. I think Ben Johnson's observations were quite valid. We look at physique improvement in Bolt, and have to remember it is stretched over a 6' 5" frame, much like a muscular basketball player. Since there are a plethora of those at his height, it would be interesting to train a few of the fast ones and see just how they fare sans juice. To have several other sprinters from a tiny nation suddenly overwhelming their opposition defies reality. Small genetic pools can sometimes produce a group of good athletes, but it is the scale of their performance, and its sudden emergence (please, I know there were Quarries et al in the past...but the numbers were modest and spaced out over time) does not bode well for the nature of how this has been produced. I again urge someone to do the testing necessary on ordinary athletes to determine the ability to push a large, tall man into the turnover and stride length necessary to do the times Bolt has done, and to turn the 200 into a lengthy 100. Johnson's performance has always been suspicious to me...I have heard and read from competitive sprinters that there are essentially no clean 100 or 200 meter competitive sprinters in the world, with times under 10 in the 100 and 20 in the 200, that aren't juiced. It is apparent that professional athletics (and track is professional)have given us an era of faux records. Depressing. I'm beginning to feel that we need some other entertainment, such as, oh, I don't know, maybe reading.
Posted by: Wittgenstein | 09/05/2009 at 20:33
so let me get this straight Jamaica have some of the best scientist producing some undetectable peds that is not available anywhere else in the world.If peds is the reason for Bolt's performance;how come with the number of past and present drug cheats we haven't seen a rush of 9.5sand 19.1s.why no one is even close.For a third world contry strapped for resources to dedicate a team of scientist to produce peds for an elite athlete is ridiculous or is it that only Jamaicans will cheat? I say we find the Jamaican scientist give them a gold medal (they have beaten the rest of the world too)and let's go kick the crap out of crap out of cancer and aids.
Posted by: charlie | 09/09/2009 at 07:43
Charlie,
Nobody said Jamaicans were making the drugs, just taking the drugs.
You could probably say the same thing about the steroid-fueled performances in the 100m when 9.9 or 9.8 were broken. There's no reason NOT to think that Bolt is on drugs when those others before him definitely were.
It would be nice if people didn't invest so much of their personal identity with star athletes. Then they might be more objective then when this type of junk comes up.
Today's athletes are not role models. They are cheats and liars. Even the superior race from Jamaica.
Posted by: Gullible TV head | 09/09/2009 at 14:26
so why everybody is not running 9.5s?Why? Hundreds of Jamaicans compete in swimming and gymnastics but not one can go near a major final.Frankly I have never seen a black swimmer or gymnast at an olympic final.I say they are all on drugs.Tv head ever heard of a sport called cricket?There is a fella there called Don Bradman he have a batting average of 99.94, the closest to him is in the 50s.An over 40 average is considered exceptional.This guy competed in the 1920s.I think he is on drugs too.What about the professional chess playerGarry Kasparov who went udefeated from 1985 to 1993 and was ranked #1 from 1986 to 2005,I think he is on drugs too.I am not trying to say that Bolt or anyone else is not on drugs.What I am saying it is equally foolish to believe blindly that no one is taking drugs as it is foolish to believe blindly that every great performance is drug induced.p.s. Did you know that Jamaica have the best track programme in the world starting with pre-schoolers?don't believe?check it out, do some research and i bet you can't find a better one anywhere in the world.
Posted by: charlie | 09/10/2009 at 07:08
Charlie,
I agree with you that PED's are in every sport. That's one of the reasons why I'm so disgusted with professional and Olympic sports, period.
They don't make PED's for mental competitions like chess. But I guarantee you if they did, people would be taking them,
Why isn't everybody running 9.6? Just wait a few years, then they will. They just have to get the stuff that Bolt is using.
You're foolish for thinking that Jamaica is different. It doesn't really matter if they have good youth programs. It's such a tiny island that any decent sports programs in larger countries would negate that. There's just too many people there winning medals against steroided-up competition. They are using too.
Why do you have so much invested what these people do? Why aren't you as disgusted as everybody else? What's the sense in being nationalistic if the people you are rooting for are cheats?
Posted by: Gullible TV head | 09/10/2009 at 13:29
Lets face it youall. Its the yellow Yam. Check it out.
Posted by: Robert | 09/10/2009 at 22:54
GullibleTVHead:
Correct, more or less, they don't make PEDs for chess, but nonetheless, with computer programs, there has been a lot of cheating in Chess.
If one goes to one of the internet chess sites, it is a big deal with those running those sites to try to keep out cheaters and alas, a bit of a losing battle.
Computers have also shown up at tournaments, players taking a break to look at a computer even. There's been a lot of that.
Posted by: DV | 09/11/2009 at 22:07
Whenever USA don't win there will always be suspicions. So therefore all great USA athletes were on drug, right? And yes, you got the list to prove it too?
Posted by: yardierudeboy | 09/12/2009 at 11:08
3 Month ban for the 3 Jamaican Athletes per a story at BBC Sports and I am aware their offense was not that serious.
Wow! 2 weeks and I follow the news, one would have to look hard for doping stories in the past 2 or 3 weeks.
Posted by: Elmer | 09/14/2009 at 22:40
this actually made front page in asian sport magazine,
i for one beg to differ with the general consensus here,
i say if you cant beat em join em,
regards dale.
Posted by: buy steroids | 09/18/2009 at 01:43
It is unlikely that Jamaica is or ever will be on the cutting edge with regard to the use of PEDs. If the Jamaican athletes are using PEDs then whatever it is must be outdated in the USA.
There is clear evidence of US professional sports being riddled with drug use. In Jamaica we do not have multi billion dollar sports leagues (NBA, NFL and MLB NCAA) or athletes with multi million dollar contracts or endorsement or other deals to support an underground industry or black market for the development and application of PED's. Point If Jamaicans are able to beat the system then so must the athletes in developed countries, and even moreso.
If a bad testing programme is the issue I know that after last years performance the Jamaican athletes have been under close scrutiny.
With regard to Bolt's physique put him among players of his age group in the NBA or NCAA and I dont think he would stand out.
But then
Oh wow
Carmelita Jeter (29 + Journey man ) 10.68 USA USA USA USA USA USA
Posted by: Christopher Laidlaw | 09/19/2009 at 08:14
I was watching Bolt the last months, he is incredible. Hope they will not bust him for steroids
Posted by: Buy Clenbuterol | 09/24/2009 at 10:18
So here is try #2 on posting...
The nature of improvement in sprints becomes tiny increments after a certain point is reached; huge leaps 'downward' are not how bodies function naturally. Anyone involved in track, especially sprinting, has experienced the maxing out of stride, turn-over and the limits of body tissue...if we improve, it is through strength, but there are limits to natural growth there. However, with drugs, the changes are more emphatic, the ability to push the body through training that normal bodies would break down from (see Ben Johnson's remarks on same) becomes possible...the Ben Johnson times were verified as steroid enhanced; afterwards, he never got close, and said himself that no one really can run sub-tens without juice. I think Usain is probably a pretty good tall sprinter, maybe, just maybe in the Tommy Smith range of talent. With drugs, he has done things that are reality-defying. I've been told that almost all world class sprinters now are 'unnatural'. Sad. And having this almost Kafkaesque change within a year of sprinting records has become, for the people involved, a cash windfall. All the other comments about the strange numbers of world class sprinters from a tiny genetic pool etc are also valid. Whether this gets busted or not, I can't predict. But, as in the baseball home run records, now all performances are suspect.
Posted by: Steve | 09/24/2009 at 23:05
oono set of bad mind american shit johncrow why dont u focus on your athletes
Posted by: janet | 10/02/2009 at 21:33
to stevie
human life is not linear look at technology its developement cant be plotted on a straght line
why is sprinting an exception
remember this is not current flowing through a wire and every couple of years you change to resistor to get a higher voltage
and then plot a graph to predict what the voltage will be the next 90 years
cuz if you go back 100 years ago a tell the average man about internet they would think u are crazy
in the 60s people thought by 2010
the earth will be like that in the Jetsons cuz of the developements then
the point is you cant plot human developements in whatever involving human input on a curve
better if you tell me what the bio mechanics say about the limits of how fast a human can run than some mathematician plotting some cure about increments of increase
ALSO REMEMBER BOLT JUST TURN 23 so its not unusual for some is age to improve rapidly cuz of my research a man stop growing when they are in thr early 20s or so
Posted by: sparta | 10/10/2009 at 09:59
The reasons for the doubt about Bolt, Powell and co. have to do with the across the board sudden and sustained drastic changes in performance. If Bolt were an entirely isolated phenomenon, then doubt just might creep in that he wasn't using PED's. But a whole raft of sprinters are now world class, from a very small genetic pool. Why is Bolt the best of the bunch? Because if you can control the cycle in running... get the best stride length, have high enough turn over, and have thrust from the push-off that is directed forward if there is enough body mass, then size makes the difference. Michael Johnson overcame this by high turnover...when I look at him and his physique, and his astonishing turnover rate, I doubt seriously that he was clean. Powell has everything but enough height. Gay's body looks scary...Bolt looks like a tight end more than a sprinter. I ran track with a guy with an enormous stride length...a good(in those days)440 man. It was turnover that prevented him from going world-class. It is interesting to watch Tommie Smith run that wonderful race where he shattered 20 seconds. From the visuals alone, it is pretty clear he is a very talented, skinny runner. If he had bulked up, had all the advantages of PED's, and the surfaces etc that Bolt has, you'd be seeing Bolt staring at the back of Smith's shorts at the finish line. I saw Spearman nearly catch Bolt once...Spearman is supposedly clean, and a good technician and accelerator. What would happen if....
I think this is all about money. You don't kill the goose laying the golden eggs. The fairy tale quality of the small town boy from the islands making good just adds to the lore...and $. The idea that this is some anti-Jamaican bigotry is idiotic. I'm just as disgusted with American dopers...their only problem is that nobody of the right physical size/skill set wants to run track. They all want to be in the NBA.
Posted by: Wittgenstein | 10/11/2009 at 23:46
to Wittgenstein
where you get this fuckry about small genetic pool
from my understanding blacks in the caribbean, west africa and the USA have similar genetic make up in fact a significant amount of blacks in the US and canada are of west indian background from the earl 20th century
even in the days of slavery US bought slaves from jamaica (read that in a couple history bks)
so this genetic pool argument dont make much sense
ITS NOT like jamaica is a country with only 30 people inter breeding for 300 years
WHY are u comparing an athlete ie tommy who 42 years older than bolt from a different era
REALITY CHECK sprinting just as like any other areas in life is not STATIC things change and an ODD person who appears once couple of years also help example
MJ from basketball pelle from soccer etc...
btw apart from BOLT and powell which other male sprinter have its just becuz bolt is so big makes its look thT WAY
ALSO POWELL IS 6-3 BOLT IS 6-5
so i ddint see the bug difference in height bt the two
TO THE OTHERS
why waste ur time thinking about who is on drugs who is not, all you have to do is to hope that the scientist dont get lazy and come up with new methods of detecting cheats and better method of testing
ALSO GET GOOD INVESTIGATORS TO DIG INSTEAD OF speculating, just a waste of time and brain space could be using it to make more money and improve Your sex life or just your life in general
Posted by: rhyno | 10/12/2009 at 20:10
It is clear that athletics is not clean. Actually, pro-tennis isn't either, and it is not a matter of black or white, jamaican or american. It is because with so much money riding on it, who wouldn't take a chance? Like in Wall Street, if you are willing to take on more risk, you might succeed.
On the contrary, I think that in the coming years, after the "Jamaican experiment", we will see a lot of european, american and chinese sprinters starting to make it again. They will know the drugs, the parameters, everything.
The "eating well, fresh fish, bla bla bla", one of the commenters is writing about, is just ridiculous. All of these are available in the US, in England, in Italy, everywhere around the world. Moreover, in first world countries, the sport is so organized, kids are identified at age 4 or 5. No one gets muscle by eating "fresh fish" and beef jerky everyday. Or else, greek athletes would be so muscular and zero body fat.
No, let us be honest. Something is going on. Supplements that are not yet illegal. Or illegal and untraceable. Gene doping or stem-cell infusions. So many relatively simple things can be done. The only sad thing is that non-cheaters will always come last.
Seriously, I cant believe people are buying the current times in athletics. People are not cars. They are not microchips, to improve at a rate like Moore's law. Unless you give them something, their body doesn't change in a couple of months. I can believe 2 years of hard work, shaves off 0.1 to 0.2s in 100m. I can't believe that hard work comes while you are competing. Remember, each time Tiger Woods changed his drive? He stopped competing for almost 6 months.
Posted by: ramflabr | 11/02/2009 at 12:29
Bolt is obviously a cheater, and the ridiculous people who have lamely attempted to defend him on here make Jamaica look bad, and make Jamaican people look really, really stupid. Especially the tool who copy & pastes irrelevant articles and uses question marks at the end of sentences which aren't questions. But then again, Jamaica is not a country know for its intellectual pursuits. Stick with the running, Jamaicans, and avoid the typing on the internet. Your legs are your obvious strength, not your brains.
Posted by: Truth Addict | 11/26/2009 at 02:10
Jamaica, the land of Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Colin Powell, Norman Manley, Michael Manley, .....Cheaters come in the form of Marion Jones etc and even Tiger who is now a CHEATER, .... Jamaicans are special....
Posted by: Da costa | 12/07/2009 at 18:46
Jamaicans are special people! I suppose Americans and other nationalities would want to believe the same. In much of the debate, one major factor is missed. The socio-cultural perspective. Jamaica's people and youths in particular are socialized in an environment of competitiveness, backed-up by a desire to achieve in all aspects of life. Interestingly, this is a strength which has become a major weakness. We have excelled individually, rather than collectively. As for many of today's young people in the so called first world,life begins with the 'reality' that they are special,more intelligent and culturally superior than their counterparts in countries like Jamaica.Hence activities outdoors are no longer a feature of their youth,instead fast food and television, video games, and the resultant physiological fallout that come with them define who they are as 'first world' people. Don't worry about materialism and things you possess. The proof of supremacy is when two of God's people can compete on a level playing field and one is victorious. This is where Bolt and the other athletes come in. They beat you with their 'bare hands',despite your claim of being technologically superior. Did you know that your 4oom. champion is Jamaican by blood? Is she a drug cheat? Did you know that one of the young ladies on the 4oom relay team also has Jamaican blood? Is she a drug cheat? Show respect for other people.Is miss Jeter a drug cheat? She ran 9.68,the second fastest for a woman at the age of 29.Wow!! One lesson I have learnt from all of this,as a proud Jamaican I should not point fingers at other people's achievements, because they will do the same when we are in the driver's seat.
Posted by: bandyy | 12/10/2009 at 16:19
I would like to affirm here that the greatest sportman the world has ever produced is in USAIN BOLT when he blew us away in china with 9.69 seconds and not done with that he even held the whole world spell bound this year in Berlin with a staggering 9.58 second to seal his place has the world greatest sportman.All these was achieved within a span of two years to let the whole know that what he did in China wasn't a fluke or a one of. He is a young man with the assurance that he is still going to shave both the 100 & 200 metre down to something that would be difficult to achieve in the next hundred years by any other aspiring atheletes. For me the world stops at 9.40m for USAIN BOLT if he decided to still lower the record further down. Presently nobody can match his ability and his athelete prowess for now.
Posted by: david | 12/20/2009 at 05:18
He is obviously not roided up- I look way bigger than him and I never took roids. Can you people just accept that one person out of 6.6 billion in the world is incredably fast.
Posted by: HHH | 01/07/2010 at 00:59
He is obviously NOT "roided" up - I look way bigger than him and I never took roids. All of you people need to accept that someone out of the 6.6 bllion people in the world is incredably fast. (And its not like hes from America, the steriod capital of the world.)
Posted by: HHH | 01/07/2010 at 01:04
When will steroid nation do a post on Lashawn Merritt, drug conviction ans suspension...oh...i forget...he is american...only usain bolt and the other jamaicans on drug.....
Posted by: dontae | 05/02/2010 at 07:09
I always admire one that can suppress himself and make his dream come true.
Posted by: ben roethlisberger jersey | 05/29/2010 at 01:30
It is really a great visual and soul feat for me after reading you blog.I really enjoys your blog while I also have achieved great beneficial from your blog.They really outstanding.Keep smiling and take care of yourself.
Posted by: chanel bags | 10/28/2010 at 01:08
Companies don't get behind growth you have.
Posted by: ugg boots uk sale | 11/02/2010 at 11:07
Notebook finance has many relatives find it agreeable to stoppage in hookup with the sane embedded software nature, where the Bent regulation comes in.
Posted by: UGG Classic Tall | 11/02/2010 at 11:08
In the lettering It scheme also winning quotations which feeds into System C.
Posted by: Uggs On Sale | 11/02/2010 at 11:10
One kilometer for a little more than a minute! It is impressive!
Posted by: Winstrol | 11/11/2010 at 07:31
Wow! This is really tricky. Thanks for this nice & informative post from the author. This is really helpful.
Posted by: stretch mar removal Los Angeles | 12/19/2010 at 07:58
its just so damn funny that you guys would want to scandalize the good name of the young man. I can bet you guys are Americans. You guys just hate to lose. You have been winning and bad mouthing people for so long and now when the real deal comes you cant take it.
The guy is just different and great. Leave him alone and go find Marion Jones and all the loads of Americans and others who have done drugs in the past and brought shame and disgrace on there country. We have the best guys and we don't need to cheat or take drugs and then say its a that our dick is small and we were just taking some growth hormones.
Posted by: kc | 01/05/2011 at 17:13
What all of you may be missing is this--- THE MIND IS THE GREATESAT STEROID OF ALL!! Years ago when I was preparing to run in an indoor 100 yard dash track and field event (1972), used hypnotic suggestion. Prior to running , was clocked in a hand-held 4 seconds flat , 40 yard dash. Roughly, this would probably equivalent to what Usain Bolt is doing today. I did not win the race, but on start opened up a 1 1/2 yard gap on the co-holder of the world record (in about 30 yards). I ran un-attached , training myself. Had I been properly coached and trained , with my ability to get in a zone with hypnosis--- it is scary to me now realizing what I might have run! The hypnotic suggestion, enabled me to enter a very deep state of relaxation. But it only lasted several minutes. My lack of training ultimately contributed to my downfall. At any rate: If I was able to do this WITHOUT STEROIDS, why couldn't Usain Bolt? I was 25 almost 26 years old.... self-trained. Why couldn't Usain Bolt , well-coached, exceedingly talented , do the same, without steroids? I didn't even know what a steroid was back in 1972. But hey, you may see me soon in the news. Am training to run in the 100 meters in Masters Track and Field. You may hear something in May or June of 2011.
Posted by: Ferman Smith | 02/20/2011 at 02:09
J'espère que vous garderez mettre à jour votre contenu sans cesse que vous avez un lecteur dédié ici.
Posted by: terimoore's Journal | 04/13/2011 at 04:34
Usain looks like a bodybuilder?.
Wut?. Do you guys watch sprinting?.
There are guys at my gym that have lifted clean all there lives considerably bigger than Usain, seriously. Shoulder development?. You can get the same development over at the arm cycle machine, lol.
How many people around the world take roids for medical & athletic purposes?. 10/20/30 million?, including all the white people.
Wait a minute?, none of em can run fast.
The question is, why can't the 10/20/30 million? run fast that are doing roids?. There must be millions of blacks on roids. They still can't run a sub 11 second 100m or get anywhere close.
You guys in all seriousness don't consider roids to be the holy grail right?. They can't be, 10/20/30 million on roids have proved they don't make you fast.
Posted by: Dr. Goggles | 04/24/2011 at 11:52
i would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
Posted by: marlboro cigarettes | 05/09/2011 at 21:42
Human beings have not changed in 4000 years, much less 40. What exactly has changed in the 100m in the last 40 years? Tracks, training, food? Answer--not much. The only thing that has progressed much in the last 40 years is PED chemistry. Hence, that's what I choose to believe is responsible for faster times. Practically all record holders in the 100m in the last 25 years have been proven drug cheats. Why think these new ones are clean?
Posted by: home stager in toronto | 05/17/2011 at 00:12
When i first came to the US from the Caribbean in the 1980's i was faster that the American kids. in fact, the sprinters that dominated high school track in my area were usually of Caribbean descent. Are the Jamaican athletes who come up here and dominate Penn Relays on roids? What about college track ad field, don't Caribbean athletes tend to dominates the sprints as well?
Posted by: kenyatta | 05/30/2011 at 00:59
to the media pro who said people must get their facts right
you need to have yours right also. you said no jamacian athletes
have never tested positive for steroids well your bronze queen tested positive for steroids merlene ottley and english based linford christie its a proven fact and lets be real to run under 10 seconds
you have take at least some supplements i didnt say roids you need a little boost
Posted by: michael | 07/25/2011 at 14:51
Happy to see your blog as it is just what I’ve looking for and excited to read all the posts. I am looking forward to another great article from you
Posted by: griffey shoes | 08/06/2011 at 02:48
Well thanks very much for sharing this great informaiton here..... I like your blog. Keep posting... I'm looking forward to your new posts.
Posted by: tomsextoyshop | 08/27/2011 at 03:19
I admire your article. It contains valuable information. I want to thank you this great idea!
I am interested in your site,thanks.
Posted by: replica watches | 10/12/2011 at 02:04