Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: IOC president expects some cheating at the 2012 Olympics

Saturday, January 28, 2012

IOC president expects some cheating at the 2012 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has admitted that he expects some athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs at the 2012 London Olympics. In an interview with BBC Sport, Rogge said...""There have been positive cases in each Olympic games since we have started testing. To say there will be no positive cases would be naive and misleading. I hope it's the case, but reality tells me that there may be positive cases. Everything that is humanly possible has been done in London to minimise doping. We hope that it will be the lowest possible number and we do everything we can to protect clean athletes."

Rogge's comments were backed on Twitter by women's world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, who wrote: "Totally agree with Jaques Rogge's view of dopers and cheats. It is never ok and there are no excuses." A recent poll of British athletes suggested that around 90% wanted those who had been caught to remain banned for life rather than the current two year ban.

In concluding, the IOC president stated..."I think athletes are cheating because they believe that the others cheat. If they could live in the belief that the others are not cheating, they will not cheat themselves. We have a moral responsibility towards the parents and especially the mothers, because if they don't think we will do everything to protect the health of their children they will not send them any more to sports clubs - so we have to protect the young athletes".

The interview can be seen HERE

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