all top guys are on the juice, some are caught and some are not. so chris stop calling them cheaters since their all on the same level playing field exept some are caught and some are not.
Guys, I never said anything about "Australian athletes being the only ones on the gear." Have you seen the Indian doping thread, for example?As for it not being cheating to used banned substances because lots of people do it, I disagree. All the "elite" lifters may do it, depending on what you consider elite, but clearly some that could be elite choose not to cheat. And, Jake, this forum accepts all viewpoints- yours, mine, or anyone's, as long as they follow our rules. If you don't want to hear my opinions, I suggest you don't read them or don't address messages to me.
Groves accepts two-year doping sanctionAustralian weightlifter Deborah Groves has accepted a two-year sanction for a doping offence, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) says.Groves failed to comply with an official request to provide a sample during an out of competition test in Sydney on March 7 this year."Under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, refusing or failing to submit to a request for sample collection after official notification is an anti-doping rule violation and carries a maximum penalty of a two-year suspension for the first offence," ASADA said in a statement.ASADA chairman Richard Ings said athletes will continue to be subject to testing until such time they formally notify their sport in writing of their retirement."Groves stated that at the time of the test she was not actively seeking to compete and had retired," Ings said."However at no stage had she attempted to meet the requirements of Australian Weightlifting to officially notify them of her intention to retire."Groves is eligible to return to competition on March 7 2009.Australian powerlifter Damien Thompson has also accepted a two-year suspension for possession and use of a prohibited substance."This sanction is a result of a joint investigation into the sale of prohibited substances over the internet by ASADA and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)," ASADA said."Thompson ordered a product which he believed to be homeopathic from an Australian internet supplement company in 2005."The product however was found to contain trace amounts of stanozolol, a banned steroid under the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) Code."This case is a timely reminder to all athletes that when buying over the internet products advertised to enhance performance, you may get much more than you bargained for including a two-year ban from competition."Thompson is the fourth person to be sanctioned this year as a direct result of ASADA's powers of investigation.The sanction, which was backdated to the day after Thompson last competed, means he will be eligible to recommence competition on April 22 next year.© 2007 AAP
