![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Matrion Jones cheated, is stripped of medals
I love the Olympics, especially the track and field section. I love the competition, the poetry of the athletes' movements, especially in the slo-mo replays, the inspiring songs that they used in the ads, and the flag-draped winners doing their victory laps. I love the idea that it is supposed to be about blood, sweat, tears and sheer talent. That being said, it's no fun to watch cheaters. I like hearing of training and dedication, not drug-infested, overmuscled bodies hurtling down the track and then having the nerve to run around victourously blissfully ignoring the fact that they are cheating. At first you could say it was isolated. Ben Johnson. That Carl guy. Flo-Jo. And then there was the 2004 Olympics with drugged athletes seemingly around every corner. Look at this article. Pay attention to the fact that 3 of the 4 women on the relay team were censured for doping. And I am sure that the huge drug bust that happened recently will net more names as time goes by. And they are not the first. It is not isolated. In fact, it is probably very widespread. After all almost every year we find a new drug. And every year, when I see that winner who is moving unbelieveably fast, a cynical voice will be saying, "So, how long before they get busted for drugs?" That mindset tarnishes my enjoyment. I have to wonder was Michael Johnson really that talented? Is Asafa Powell clean? What about Tyson Gay and all the other young and rising stars today? I don't want to feel like that. I want to believe that they are cool. But I can't ignore the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I love the Olympics, especially the track and field section. I love the competition, the poetry of the athletes' movements, especially in the slo-mo replays, the inspiring songs that they used in the ads, and the flag-draped winners doing their victory laps. I love the idea that it is supposed to be about blood, sweat, tears and sheer talent. That being said, it's no fun to watch cheaters. I like hearing of training and dedication, not drug-infested, overmuscled bodies hurtling down the track and then having the nerve to run around victourously blissfully ignoring the fact that they are cheating. At first you could say it was isolated. Ben Johnson. That Carl guy. Flo-Jo. And then there was the 2004 Olympics with drugged athletes seemingly around every corner. Look at this article. Pay attention to the fact that 3 of the 4 women on the relay team were censured for doping. And I am sure that the huge drug bust that happened recently will net more names as time goes by. And they are not the first. It is not isolated. In fact, it is probably very widespread. After all almost every year we find a new drug. And every year, when I see that winner who is moving unbelieveably fast, a cynical voice will be saying, "So, how long before they get busted for drugs?" That mindset tarnishes my enjoyment. I have to wonder was Michael Johnson really that talented? Is Asafa Powell clean? What about Tyson Gay and all the other young and rising stars today? I don't want to feel like that. I want to believe that they are cool. But I can't ignore the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
