WADA proposing doping changes

[SKOT]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2932016

WADA is looking at changing a couple of rules changes.

First, they want to lengthen the minimum ban to 4 years for people that are deliberatly cheating. In that rule, they want to allow for shorter sanctions for people that are not trying to cheat (like Justin Gatlin's first positive test.)

Secondly, they want to speed up the time between a first positive test and sanctioning. In that, they want to test the "B" sample sooner after learning of a positive "A" sample. To go along with this, they suggested changing some testing and hopefully internal control policies as well.

[powerplant42]

Sounds like a good idea to me. If your A test is positive, the B test should be right away. And for people who are deliberately cheating, 4 years definitely is a good start. And for those who aren't trying to cheat, shorter sanctioning sounds pretty fair... doesn't it?

[golfdane]

And how do you know when the athlete wasn't trying to cheat? Who decides that?
If an athlete needs to take a substance in order to treat an injury or condition, is it a pretty forward routine, so there's no excuse to not getting it.

4 year bans do sound like a good idea. Second time, it's for life.
1 year ban for missing 3 out of competion tests. International coordination of such tests.

Doping needs to be fought by all means. I don't want ANY kid to be turned away from sports, just because performance enhancing substances becomes a piece of equipment like spikes.