CBC News: The National in Canada shows that a doping infraction by a figure skater could cost the Russians a gold medal in the team event and potentially bump the Canadians up to bronze. Medal favourite Kamila Valieva, 15, reportedly tested positive for a banned heart medication before her arrival at the Beijing Olympics.
In competitive sports, so-called doping is the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors. The interesting term doping is widely used by organizations that regulate sporting competitions. The use of drugs to enhance performance is considered unethical, and therefore prohibited, by most international sports organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. Furthermore, athletes (or athletic programs) taking certain explicit measures to evade detection exacerbate the ethical violation with overt deception and cheating.
The origins of doping in sports go back to the very early creation of sport itself. From ancient usage of substances in chariot racing to more recent controversies in baseball and cycling, popular views among athletes have varied widely from country to country over the years. The general trend among authorities and sporting organizations over the past several decades certainly has been to strictly regulate the use of drugs in sport. The reasons for the ban are mainly the health risks of performance-enhancing drugs, the so-called equality of opportunity for athletes, and the exemplary effect of drug-free sport for the public. Anti-doping authorities state that using performance-enhancing strong drugs goes against the "spirit of sport".
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