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Sport and Human Rights (andWrongs)

Drug-testing A violation of human rights ora required step in the fair direction?

Drug-testing is one of the main ways that UK Anti-Doping underpins an athlete'sachievements as clean. Drug-testing first came into play at the 1968 WinterOlympics held in Grenoble, France. Before this, drug use by athletes from manycountries was rampant. Drug use has also been responsible for one death duringthe Olympics. By being tested there can be no questions. It proves that an athletehas the right to be proud that all their hard work, dedication anddetermination, has made them the athlete they are.

These controls eventually evolved into a systematic testing regimen that allOlympic athletes must adhere to. Testing of athletes for performance enhancing

drugs includes both urine and blood tests. As of 1999 the authoritative body onthe use of performance enhancing drugs is the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA). This organization oversees the testing of athletes for several sportsfederations and the Olympic Games. As the creators of these drugs continue toimprove their sophistication, potency and transparency, WADA and itsconstituency also innovate new ways to detect these drugs. Athletes continue touse various medical modifications to their body as a means of improving theirathletic performance.

As these methods became more extreme, itbecame increasingly evident that the use of

performance enhancing drugs was not only athreat to the integrity of sport but could alsohave potentially fatal side effects on theathlete. The only Olympic death linked toathletic drug use occurred at the Rome Gamesof 1960. During the cycling road race, Danishcyclist Knud Enemark Jensen fell from hisbicycle and later died. A coroner's inquiryfound that he was under the influence ofamphetamine, which had caused him tolose consciousness during the race.Jensen's death exposed to the world howendemic drug use was among elite athletes. By the mid1960s, sports

federations were starting to ban the use of performance enhancing drugs, andthe IOC followed suit in 1967.

The first Olympic athlete to test positive for the use of performance enhancingdrugs was Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, a Swedish pentathlete at the 1968 SummerOlympics, who lost his bronze medal for alcohol use. Liljenwall was the onlyathlete to test positive for a banned substance at the 1968 Olympics, as thetechnology and testing techniques improved, the number of athletes discoveredto be chemically enhancing their performance increased as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Anti-Doping_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_sporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_at_the_1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knud_Enemark_Jensenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetaminehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Gunnar_Liljenwallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_pentathlonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_sporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_at_the_1960_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knud_Enemark_Jensenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetaminehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Gunnar_Liljenwallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_pentathlonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Summer_Olympicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Anti-Doping_Agency

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Visit http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/drugs/stories/top10.html to view acompiled list of 10 of the most influential and bizarre drug cases in the pastfew decades. It's a long, strange trip indeed

From a Christian perspective, is it ever right for a sportsperson or

organisation to risk the health of athletes simply to win a game or acompetition? What does the Catholic Church say about drug use?

No it is never right to risk the health of the athletes simply towin a game or competition because Christians put moral values, the health and safety of players above a 'game' or physicalreward.Catholics view any substance that causes someone to losecontrol of themselves (alcohol, drugs, etc.) in a poor light. Thatdoesn't mean that Catholics object to someone having a beeror two, but they do object to someone getting high or drunk,because that person is making themselves a risk to others aswell as their own self.

Read the opinion piece by Craig Fry from The Age, 29/06/2012 at:

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html

o What are the three main points Craig Fry makes in relation to the

use of drugs in sport.

Bans on performance enhancing drugs don't make elite competitionsfairer

People are willing to use banned substances to gain power and fame.

Current drugs and substances prohibited from elite sportingcompetition are not uniquely dangerous or risky, or inherently harmful.Nor are they the only or biggest sources of risk.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4L

o How might Pope Benedict respond to the points Craig Fry

makes?He would respond by saying that although it is true that an inequalitydoes exist in sporting competitions with the whole concept of moneybeing used for technological advancements and legal medicines ortechniques, the use of banned substances or prohibited substances,especially if it causes risk to the person's health or is ethically immoralshould not be tolerated as it goes against everything the churchbelieves in. A person's strength and determination will see them win,not money or power.

o How do you?

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/drugs/stories/top10.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4Lhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4Lhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4Lhttp://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/drugs/stories/top10.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4Lhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4Lhttp://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/bring-truth-into-play-by-saying-yes-to-drugs-in-sport-20120628-215cn.html#ixzz2cy0CTV4L

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I'm a person who usually likes to believe in the underdog. Now thewhole concept of an underdog is one who is expected to lose the thesuperior or better team from a general population point of view. Anunderdog winning shows not only determination and strength but thatanyone can beat anyone if they set their mind to it and that's thething, although money can improve people's performance, at the endof the day its all about the mind and if your mind isn't in it to win it,

then expect to lose no matter how many resources you had at yourdisposal. I'm also a firm believer in that drugs that are banned shouldnever be used as they are ethically immoral and go against everythingthat stands for hard-work and dedication as it's a shortcut and a cheapway out.

More information can be found at:http://resource.fraynework.com.au/object.cfm?o=221&pid=1633&showrm=true&uptam=false

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