- Olympic trials and tribulations - Saturday, July 17, 2004 From the start, I've been excited and pumped to watch the track and field trials for Athens.  Not simply because they're going on right in my own backyard, but it's a summer olympic sport that I find thrilling to witness.  Remembering the anticipation of wondering if 'Flo Jo' could pull off one more amazing time trial while still keeping her manicure ravishing - getting even a bit emotional while seeing Michael Johnson or Marion Jones become the sweethearts of the trials; history being made before your eyes.   Obviously, my local papers are saturated with latest news, and instead of reading the bantering of a sore loser or the happy tears of a unexpected winner, I get this:    Great efforts flow, but not the words "With the drug scandal growing, Craig Masback, the CEO of USATF, addressed the issue in a group interview session Friday evening.  'The most important thing is the integrity of the competition not be compromised,' Masback said. 'I don't know that any of us have enough perspective to know how much damage has been done (to the sport).   'If a single athlete has a positive for drugs, that is a problem for the sport of track and field. We're committed to having a level playing field.'"     I realize, and am not naive to think that doping isn't a major problem in these highly competitive sports, certianly a situation that shouldn't be taken lightly.  But most often throughout this year's coverage, I've just been shaking my head in...not dismay, but disappointment.  So many articles on the Games have stated that, yes, "one athlete" that tests positive for drug use ruins the flow of the event - and it couldn't be more true.   I've never seen so many athletes testing positive, never seen so many investigations.  It not only ruins the flow, but it's stealing the spotlight from what should come down to a heart-pounding race to the line, nothing more.   Personally, I say why even attempt to strive to become an olympian if you're going to dope to get there.  The Olympics, the seemimgly only pure form of sport that we have left, is having it's great image smeared like butter.   It reminds me strongly of what Apolo Ohno mentioned back in 2002:   "It's just that mentality; if you're going to cheat [to win], it's not like winning.  You've already lost, because you gave in..."

posted by April @ 10:50 AM 0 Comments: Post a Comment << Home