Topic: News: Weightlifting still struggling to escape its sordid history

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Weightlifting still struggling to escape its sordid history
By Paul Newberry

ATLANTA — Remember the All Drug Olympics, a hilarious "Saturday Night Live" skit in which athletes were encouraged to use whatever performance-enhancing drugs they wanted?

When it comes to weightlifting, that's no laughing matter.

The sport has been riddled with drug use throughout its sordid history, and a recent rash of doping cases has done little to lift the cloud of suspicion with the Beijing Olympics less than three months away.

Even those who insist they are clean - and have monthly tests to back it up - know what people are saying behind their backs.

"You walk around and people who don't really know you or your sport almost take it for granted that you're on steroids," said Matt Bruce, one of the top lifters competing at this weekend's U.S. Olympic trials in Atlanta.

"They never bring it up to you. But you hear from your friends that people are asking, 'What steroids is he on? How many times a year does he take steroids?' It's really hurtful."

Of course, weightlifting has brought most of the skepticism on itself with one doping violation after another.

This Olympic year is no exception. The powerful Greek team is likely to be barred from the Beijing Games after 11 of its 13 national team members tested positive for steroids in March. Other countries have been busted as well, actually benefiting the American team, which is expected to pick up an extra men's spot when all the suspensions are sorted out.

But Bruce would rather compete against drug-free lifters than back into a trip to the Olympics because another country was caught cheating.

"You pray each and every day that it's going to get cleaned up," he said. "Of course, you have to be hopeful. I wouldn't still be lifting if I wasn't hopeful for that. But when it comes to actually cleaning it up, you have to be realistic, too. You know you're going to be competing against drug-riddled countries for a while before they really clean it up."

Michael Cohen, a coach who's produced several top U.S. lifters at his gym in Savannah, said the sport is still trying to rid itself of the "old dinosaurs" who look at steroids, human growth hormone and other drugs as being perfectly acceptable.

"It's almost been 'wink, wink, nod, nod,"' he said. "But the world is changing dramatically. The international federation is under a tremendous amount of scrutiny. They've got to do something to clean up the problems."

Weightlifting slipped under the radar a bit in recent years as drug scandals consumed sports such as cycling, baseball and track and field. But Bruce, who will attempt to lock up an Olympic spot when he competes Saturday at Georgia Tech, insisted little has changed to erase the image that led SNL to poke fun in 1988 with its faux news report on the All Drug Olympics in Bogota, Colombia.

"Athletes are allowed to take any substance whatsoever before, after, and even during the competition. So far, 115 world records have been shattered," Dennis Miller said, setting up the bit.

Phil Hartman, portraying a fictional Soviet lifter, was shown attempting to clean and jerk the preposterous weight of 1,500 pounds - triple the existing world record - after taking "steroids, Novocain, Nyquil, Darvon, and some sort of fish paralyzer." But when Hartman yanked on the bar, he pulled off his arms (fake, of course) and was left with two stumps and blood squirting everywhere.

Twenty years later, Bruce said there's still plenty of competitors flouting the rules.

"You go to the world championships and pray to get 10th place, knowing that one through nine are all on steroids," he said. "It's tough to go there and try to motivate yourself to compete against these guys when you know they're cheating, when you know they're taking shortcuts."

While admitting that doping is a major problem, Cohen refused to blame it for the Americans' lack of success at the Olympics and other international meets. The U.S. team was shut out of the medals at the 2004 Athens Games.

"When drugs were used by everybody across the board in the '60s and '70s, the United States was getting beat," he said. "In the '70s and '80s, when they started drug testing, we were getting beat. In the '90s, we were getting beat. And we're getting beat now. We're not getting beat because everybody is using drugs. That's bull. We're getting beat because we don't have the numbers."

According to Cohen, USA Weightlifting has about 4,000 registered members but less than half are lifters in the prime of their careers.

"And we're going to produce the best in the world with that? Are you kidding me?" he scoffed. "They've got more weightlifters in one province of China than we have in the entire United States."

But one of Cohen's lifters, Sarah Davis, conceded that when she competes overseas, "you do wonder whether or not they are taking drugs." She's also skeptical that weightlifting - or any other sport - will be able to stamp out doping.

"I don't think so, especially when I hear stories of high school kids taking drugs," Davis said. "That's just outrageous."

The international governing body has taken steps recently to tighten up the doping rules, such as a more sensitive procedure to detect substances that would have gotten through before. But Cohen said more out-of-competition tests are needed. And Bruce said he won't be convinced the sport is totally clean until they can test blood for enhancers such as HGH.

"We're praying for that one to come out," he said. "You know people talk behind your back. You want them to know you're clean, but for the most part people think you're dirty because the sport has such a bad reputation."

[Mark Winchester Sr]

I don't understand all the BS connected w/ juice use.  It shouldn't be THAT big of an issue.  Its subliminally saying a juice user is always gonna outlift a natty.  < That's wrong.  Steroids will increase the # of w/outs a lifter can complete in a given period of time in comparison to a natty but they don't automatically make someone far & away stronger.  Not Deca, not Dbol, not Tren, not Winny...nothing.  Anabolics give an advantage but not as much as the public is led to beleive by the mass media who knows less than nothing about steroids to begin w/. 

On the other side of the issue you have boards who pretend juice doesn't exist by sticking they're heads in the sand.  Its just not THAT big of an issue.  I just don't get it.

[Brian Randell]

Sorry mark it IS that big of an issue. You recover much faster, grow and get stronger much faster. Being able to work out more often allows quicker gains etc.

Take a look at the numbers Mutlu was putting up before being busted and since. Its night and day. Look at the times Ben Johnson put up in the 100m before getting busted and after.

Olympic weightlifting and power lifting are the two sports where Steroids do have the largest impact. There isn't another sport you get a better gain from using Steroids.

[Mark Winchester Sr]

Not to be a newbie jerk by any means but Bodybuilding is where you'll realize the biggest advantage of using anabolics.  Trust me bro I know from personal experience what juice is capable of and what it isn't.  Bob Hoffman, Dr John Zeigler and the USA weightlifting team of 1960 in general are as responsible if not more for steroid use in Oly sports as anyone else.   The funniest thing it was started by the US State Dept looking for a way to dominate Oly comps using medical journals of Nazi doctors who had synthsized a form of testosterone before Univ of Rochester grad student or CIBA Labs and the very country that started it all (USA) is the one most ardent to eliminate they're use in sports and use in general.  Funny how yesterday's panacea is now todays heroin.   Such hypocrisy.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Such hypocrisy.

I have never given much credence to criticism of hypocrisy. By this logic, the USA shouldn't have condemned or fought against Hitler's extermination of the Jews because of what was done to the American Indians. The way I see it, no one is perfect but that doesn't mean imperfect people should condone evil.

[Brian Randell]

Not to be a newbie jerk by any means but Bodybuilding is where you'll realize the biggest advantage of using anabolics.  Trust me bro I know from personal experience what juice is capable of and what it isn't.  Bob Hoffman, Dr John Zeigler and the USA weightlifting team of 1960 in general are as responsible if not more for steroid use in Oly sports as anyone else.   The funniest thing it was started by the US State Dept looking for a way to dominate Oly comps using medical journals of Nazi doctors who had synthsized a form of testosterone before Univ of Rochester grad student or CIBA Labs and the very country that started it all (USA) is the one most ardent to eliminate they're use in sports and use in general.  Funny how yesterday's panacea is now todays heroin.   Such hypocrisy.

Well 'Bro' I can tell you that they do work, they do have a direct outcome on strength levels. We are not idiots here. Bottom line, they are ILLEGAL in most sports. They are ILLEGAL to buy, sell or use outside of Testosterone for TRT purposes even then they are ILLEGAL in sports.

We all know what juice is capable of and what it isnt. there is no getting around it, its a clear cut, unfair and illegal advantage in ANY sport, esp weightlifting.

[Brian Randell]

I would also like to add a couple more FACTS here. If they wern't so damn good and work so well, why would they be used? If it wasn't an 'issue' then why is it so many STILL in this age of advanced diet, training and recovery methods along with supplementation...are getting busted for using?

Its still a major issue in the sport.

[Mark Winchester Sr]

I think the media has hyped them to point the avg person w/ NO experience automatically has the opinion that once you get on an anabolic you instantly are goin to turn in into The Hulk and lift cars over your head.  It ain't gonna happen.  BTW, what's your own personal experience w/ steroids?  If it were as easy as a cycle of Tren stacked w/ some test, deca & winny then why is it the US has NOT produced a super hvy Gold medalist since 1956 BEFORE steroids existed on the mass market.  Because steroids are as much hype as they are effective.  Thanks "bro".