Chris Hoy's view on drugs and the Olympics

pottssteve

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... s-Hoy.html

Interesting to hear his views.

Steve

iainf72

So in short, he's not really bothered about the international rules and thinks violating the WADA code is ok?

rick_chasey

Yeah.

afx237vi

Track cycling world = Olympics > everything else.

Road cycling world = Meh, why is the Olympics being treated differently to every other race I do?

cougie

I'm with him. I'd much rather not see drugs cheats at the Olympic Games.

With Pros = the Grand Tours etc are their bread and butter. The Olympics should be a privilege - not a right.

Daz555

iainf72 wrote:

So in short, he's not really bothered about the international rules and thinks violating the WADA code is ok?

The BOA holds a higher standard than WADA so yeah, why not.

"Just because everyone else is doing it" does not make it right.

iainf72

Daz555 wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

So in short, he's not really bothered about the international rules and thinks violating the WADA code is ok?

The BOA holds a higher standard than WADA so yeah, why not.

"Just because everyone else is doing it" does not make it right.

The BOA signed up to adhere to the WADA code. They're currently violating it. You can't just choose which parts of the rules you'll agree with.

Tom Butcher

Personally I disagree with Chris Hoy on this - even if the BOA were allowed to have a unilateral ban I don't think they should - but having said it's good that an athlete is willing to stand up and voice opinions even when they might be controversial in some quarters.

iainf72

Cavendish seems to want Mr Millar on his team for 2012

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/16358631.stm?

Rodrego Hernandez

iainf72 wrote:

Cavendish seems to want Mr Millar on his team for 2012

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/16358631.stm?

He's probably been told to say that (if he really did) by his management team who coincidentally is Millars sister who coincidentally is very, very close to Dave B who will pick the team.

edhornby

Cav wants millar on his team because he was the road captain of the team that delivered the World Champs win and is still fast when it comes to slamming the miles down at a high speed (which is what you need on a course like the london one)

I'm not sure whether a life ban is the right thing ultimately - a 3 or 4 year ban that is commutable for dobbing in is the better option I think....

iainf72

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

He's probably been told to say that (if he really did) by his management team who coincidentally is Millars sister who coincidentally is very, very close to Dave B who will pick the team.

Are Face still managing him? I thought he'd moved to a much bigger shop?

Rodrego Hernandez

iainf72 wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

He's probably been told to say that (if he really did) by his management team who coincidentally is Millars sister who coincidentally is very, very close to Dave B who will pick the team.

Are Face still managing him? I thought he'd moved to a much bigger shop?

I think they still manage some aspect of him and are on a retainer for BSkyB which is keeping them in business outside of the revolutions. Have heard they aren't going too well at the moment paying suppliers late and all that sort of thing.

carl_p

The David Millar situation is currently being discussed on Radio 5 Live with phone ins and text ins and so on. On balance people are very supportive of the BOA's Olympic lifetime ban.

Ron Stuart

Olympics are about prestige and big businesses spin off, world championships are about the sport and who is the best. There is no good reason why the both can't be conducted under the same governing rules what ever they may be.
I have taken part in world championship sailing and the standard is on average much higher than the Olympics because you can have the top three or four sailors in the world all from the same nation, whereas with the Olympics there is a representative from each nation potentially. I know athletics is different but only up to a point. There are competitors from some nations in the Olympic cycling road races that any British Cat 1 rider would murder plus a lot of sports have a selection process that requires a qualification procedure to take place before you can even think of taking part in a world champs.
Time for Hoy to get things in proportion, the Olympics has just become a load of hype, you have only to look at that awful logo that cost £5m to produce to realise the event has got out of all proportion.
So yes ban the cheats for life if that’s what is generally thought to be best, but ban them from everything or if it's a 2, 4, 6 whatever year ban then after you have done your porridge you can be free to do your sport again just like every other country in the world does.
Finally a clean rider like Hoy has everything to gain by life bans hasn’t he :?:

pottssteve

I can understand Chris Hoy not wanting the Olympics "tainted" by athletes who have such clear doping associations as David Millar. Hoy's reputation and sporting career has been built on Olympic success, of course, and anything which may be seen to erode standards or taint the games so openly would be detrimental. Road racing is, I suppose, a more gritty, professional sport where people who ride earn their living - this is one of the reasons why doping became so widespread; it made people's livelihoods more secure in a deeply hard and competitive environment.

Personally, having read his autobiography I respect David Millar for his candor. He cannot change what he did, but his doping should be looked at within the wider picture of a sport that, at the time, was riddled with substance abuse. I don't think his more recent anti-doping stance should gain him any favours, but his results since clean should be respected. The bottom line is, if the BOA have signed up to the WADA code they should follow it. If this benefites Mr. Millar, so be it.

Steve