Drug use in sport is hard to tackle

Below is a selection of The Economist’s coverage of doping as well as other resources used in the production of the film, “Can doping in sport be stopped?”

Athletes have sought an edge since the birth of sporting competition. Ancient Greeks ate raw testicles before events; cyclists in the Victorian era dabbled with cocaine. In modern times. In modern times, for those willing to cheat, the obvious source of advantage is performance-enhancing drugs.

The Russia scandal

One of the most striking doping scandals led the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to ban the Russian team from competing at the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. A month later, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) detailed a culture of “state-directed” cheating in the Russian team.

This is the product of the country’s complex web of power, politics and sport.

Doping and punishment The Economist, June 23rd 2016

WADA Investigation Of Sochi Allegations WADA, July 16th 2016

Russia’s overdue Olympic ban is no cure for anti-doping impotence The Economist, December 6th 2017

Not only Russia

Doping is not just a Russian problem. The use of banned drugs is a global issue that affects many sports. An anonymous survey published in Sports Medicine in January 2018, conducted during two international athletics competitions that took place in 2011, found that many more athletes admitted to doping than are caught (see data below).

Doping in Two Elite Athletics Competitions Assessed by Randomized-Response Surveys Sports Medicine January 2018, volume 48, Issue 1 pp 211-219

The use of banned drugs is rife in sport The Economist, February 10th 2018

British athletes may have won thanks to drugs, a report suggests The Economist, March 8th 2018

Is the World Cup really free from doping? The Economist, July 6th 2018

Nike is embroiled in a doping scandal The Economist, October 5th 2019

How do you stop athletes doping?

“I really don’t think an athlete walks into sport with the desire one day to dope,” says Rob Koehler, former deputy head of WADA. In an extended interview (see clip below) he outlines why some athletes start to take banned substances and what could be done to stop them.

Why doping in sport is so hard to catch The Economist, November 26th 2015

Antoine Duval, senior researcher at the Asser Institute, an international law research organisation in The Hague, describes WADA as a “powerless rule-maker” incapable of ending drug-use in sport. He azrgues that, to discourage cheats, the institutions that regulate sports should be reformed (see article below).

Tackling Doping Seriously - Reforming the World Anti-Doping System after the Russian Scandal Antoine Duval, ASSER Institute, September 1st 2016

How athletes can use medical exemptions to beat drug testers The Economist, September 19th 2016

How to stop doping in sports The Economist, February 8th 2018