Over 100 athletes were caught and sanctioned for doping prior to the start of the 2012 Olympic games in London.
Those athletes were immediately disqualified. But the testing won’t stop there. During the games, roughly 6,250 samples will be examined to ensure that no doping occurs.
“[Doping offenders] should know that avoiding detection is the smallest (possibility) it has ever been,” said John Fahey, chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
There were 20 confirmed cases of doping at the 2008 games in Beijing, and 26 cases Athens in 2004.
Either athletes are becoming more ethical or smarter. My guess is the latter. From the dawn of sporting history, athletes have looked for an edge. Some are willing to do anything, even break laws, risk their health both in the short and long term, and cheat to win. But why?
To many high profile athletes, the goal is not losing. Winning, rather than bringing a sense of enjoyment, brings relief from the anxiety of potentially losing. Avoiding the loss, avoiding the negative feelings and the let down is the greater motivator. The anxiety of getting caught cheating is not as great as the anxiety of potentially losing. Until that type of psyche is changed, we will always be policing our athletes and some will always be getting caught and some will get away with it.
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