Drugs: Everyone Is Suspect

Marion Jones is in prison. However, as the Olympic Games begin in Beijing, the legacy that Marion Jones and other athletes who cheated are very much present. There will be stunning, jaw-dropping performances during these Beijing Olympic Games. World class athletes have prepared for years for their Olympic moment. For some competitors, Olympic glory has been the driving theme of their lives.

And following each miraculous athletic achievement, the unspoken question will be ‘was it drug assisted?‘. Did that athlete use a performance enhancing drug? Did he or she beat the drug tests and fool the world?

The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius” meaning ’swifter, higher, stronger’. Perhaps the fourth dimension is ‘cleaner’. It is unfortunate that now every athletic performance is regarded with suspicion and viewed with skepticism. Unfortunately, that may be the Zeitgeist of the modern era. Everyone is suspect.

Catherine Forsythe