Imagine working your whole life to achieve something. You fall just short, and then find out that the person who beat you may have been cheating to gain an unfair leg up on the competition. Russian athletes have done this as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed the use of blood doping by Russian athletes, especially track and field athletes, after a year-long investigation.
Blood doping is the practice of increasing the number of red blood cells in the body. This is beneficial to athletes because red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles and an increased number of red blood cells will improve an athlete’s endurance.
Perhaps the most shocking part of the allegations is that the blood doping was state sponsored. Most athletes were willing to participate, and those that refused were often barred from competing on national teams. Further evidence of the corruption is that a laboratory in Moscow intentionally destroyed over 1,400 blood samples after WADA asked to see them, and the director of the lab was being payed to delay or taint athletes’ blood tests.
“[Russian doping] is certainly a sign of the deeply rooted inferiority complex towards the West. It is an obsessive will to prove to the world that they are as good as others. For the lack of other means, they resort to sports and illegal doping,” said Dr. Valentin Cukierman, Langley Russian teacher.
After these allegations were released, there was no doubt that Russian athletes needed to be punished in some way. The most debated possible punishment is a possible suspension from the Olympics. “A ban of the athletes in the Olympics may be necessary but only the athletes who participated should be punished,” said Sophomore Sean Kilduff. Until Russian athletes’ have been dealt their punishment, the debate will continue to rage on.