Doping

The smooth running of Olympics has been disrupted numerous times due to doping allegations. The worst thing is that those who have been charged of using illegal drugs have faced either lifetime banishment or similar penalties. The International Olympic Committee has taken stringent measures to put an end to this problem.

The malpractice of using drugs as effective means to enhance physical stamina started in the beginning of the twentieth century. It was Thomas J. Hicks who was first accused of using performance-enhancing drugs. He was administered strychnine and brandy as he was warming up for the Marathon event in 1904. As such incidents kept mounting on, the Olympic authority had no other option but to officially ban certain drugs. It was finally imposed in the 1967.

Any unspecified and illegal drug can be extremely harmful for physiological system. Doping has taken its fatal toll on many athletes. Many have died and many have lost their power forever to set foot on the field. Oftentimes it's been found that the concerned athlete or participant in the Olympics has not consumed any illegal drug out of his or her own accord. Taking in an innocuous looking tablet for a slight cold can spell doom's day for any Olympian. It is always advised that one should consult the physician or team doctor before having any medicine. Many have suffered without committing any willful crime. The sheer ignorance of clinical specifications has led to embarrassing and damaging situations.

It is not just the athlete who suffers if found guilty of using banned drugs. The country from which he or she comes from faces the most humiliating situation. The Olympic authority imposes severe penalties on the regulating body of games and sports in that particular country. The players are banned from taking part in future Olympics as well.

Enemark Jensen suffered the worst implication of doping at the cost of his dear life. It is believed that he succumbed to doping overdoses during a cycle race in the Rome Olympics. In a span of 38 years, 74 athletes were found guilty of using illegal drugs and they were stripped of their winning medals. Hans Gunnar Liljenwall was the first athlete in the Olympics to have been tested positive of banned clinical substances. It happened in the 1968 Summer Olympics and he was deprived of his bronze medal.

Despite a strong surveillance by the International Olympic Committee, many instances of doping go unnoticed. The administering of anabolic steroids has often gone undetected. In the wake of these problems the Olympic authority has decided to tighten up their medical examination procedure considerably so that the menace of doping can be shown the exit door for once and all.