Drugs in other sports and the media.

RichN95.

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Interestingly, reading this article, it almost smacks more of an attempt to bring down UKAD than anything

Odd

So you're reading it. Remember when your mother told you it's nice to share with the other children....

thchris1958

delete

The Kennington Kaiser

[/quote]
So you're reading it. Remember when your mother told you it's nice to share with the other children....[/quote]

To be fair, he does look guilty.......

British doctor claims he doped 150 sports stars

Insight Published: 3 April 2016
Comment (0) Print
Dr Mark Bonar operates from a clinic in central London. He says the athletes he treats with banned substances have achieved ‘phenomenal’ improvements in their performance
A BRITISH doctor has been secretly filmed describing how he prescribed banned performance- enhancing drugs to 150 elite sportsmen, including Premier League footballers.

An investigation by The Sunday Times has found that Dr Mark Bonar charges sports stars thousands of pounds for illicit drug programmes.

Yesterday, the culture secretary, John Whittingdale, ordered an inquiry into the taxpayer-funded UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) watchdog, which was given evidence about the doctor’s doping activities two years ago, but failed to take any action to stop him.


Bonar, 38, who is based at a private London clinic, made a series of extraordinary disclosures in meetings with undercover re­porters which lay bare for the first time the depth of the drugs cheating culture within British sport. He claimed:

His network of secret “clients” included an England cricketer, British Tour de France cyclists, a British boxing champion, tennis players and martial arts competitors as well as football players

Bonar claims he has treated Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester City and Birmingham City players. Despite Bonar’s claims, The Sunday Times has no independent evidence Bonar treated the players. There is no evidence the clubs were aware of Bonar’s relationship with any players or drug use by them

In the past six years he has treated more than 150 sports people from the UK and abroad variously with banned substances such as erythropoietin (EPO), steroids and human growth hormone, and the sports performance improvements were “phenomenal”

He was introduced to several sportsmen by a former Chelsea fitness coach who himself said he had suggested to a Premier League player that he should contact the doctor about steroid treatment

He had given performance- enhancing drugs to two professional dancers from BBC television’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Bonar’s description of his illicit work will shock British sports fans. It comes in the wake of this newspaper’s doping scandal exposé last summer, which revealed widespread cheating at top international athletics events.

His admissions also raise serious questions about the competence of Ukad, which has been chosen to investigate the recent doping allegations in Russian sport and will oversee the worldwide effort to stamp out the use of banned drugs ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Ukad, which receives £6m of taxpayers’ money to police British sport, was given documentary evidence of the doctor’s doping activities two years ago, but dismissed the allegations after a perfunctory investigation.

Whittingdale said he was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the revelations about Bonar and demanded to know why Ukad did not act sooner. “I have asked for an urgent independent investigation into what action was taken when these allegations were first received and what more needs to be done to ensure that British sport remains clean,” he said.

“There is no room for complacency in the fight against doping and the government is already looking at whether existing legislation in this area goes far enough. If it becomes clear that stronger criminal sanctions are needed, then we will not hesitate to act.”

After viewing the undercover footage of the meetings with Bonar, Toni Minichiello, coach to the Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill, said: “This case shows that British sport has a bigger doping problem than any of us imagined.”

He called on Nicole Sapstead, Ukad’s chief executive, to resign. “Her clear error of judgment in failing to ensure Ukad properly investigated Bonar makes her position untenable because she has failed in her fundamental duty to protect clean  athletes.”

Lord Moynihan, the former sports minister, called for Ukad to be suspended from its duties and said Sapstead’s position appeared to be “untenable”. Emails confirm Sapstead was aware of the case at the time.

Bonar is an anti-ageing doctor who treats private patients at the Omniya clinic in Knightsbridge, London. He claims to take a cut on the medications he prescribes. Omniya said last week that it did not know that Bonar was treating sports stars.

The Sunday Times was first tipped off about Bonar’s doping activities by a sportsman who had approached Ukad with evidence about the doctor after he himself had been suspended for breaching anti-doping rules.

In the hope of securing a reduction of his suspension, the sportsman handed investigators documents proving that Bonar had prescribed him the banned substances.

However, Ukad later dismissed the athlete’s evidence as being of “little or no value” and said there were “no grounds for action to be taken against Dr Bonar”. Ukad considered it had no jurisdiction over Bonar but it did not contact or pass on the evidence to the General Medical Council (GMC) which has clear rules stating that doctors should not prescribe drugs to enhance sporting performance.

To test the sportsman’s evidence, this newspaper sent an aspiring Olympic runner to Bonar’s clinic. His appointments were recorded using a hidden camera.

In the first meeting, Bonar told the athlete: “Some of these treatments I use are banned on a professional circuit. So, you have to be mindful of that. Having said that — I have worked with lots of professional athletes who do use these treatments.”

He prescribed prohibited drugs to the runner and suggested his performance would improve with a course of EPO which he was happy to supply.

The doctor went on to talk about the other sportsmen he claimed he had treated in a series of meetings with undercover reporters. He said drugs were now a part of sport and claimed he had “never met a clean athlete”.

It is the first time that Premier League players have been dragged into the doping scandal. Bonar claimed he had worked with “a few footballers” who have been or are currently members of the playing staff of the Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City, and the Championship side Birmingham City.

Bonar said athletes knew about his services through word of mouth. “I don’t really advertise . . . I don’t want that media scrutiny that kind of [thing], you know, coming down on you.”

Although he named athletes from several different sports, this newspaper has decided not to publicise them until Bonar’s claims have been further investigated. Those contacted by The Sunday Times either denied being treated by him or declined to comment.

As part of the service Bonar was offering to the undercover reporters, he introduced them to Rob Brinded, a former fitness coach at Chelsea football club. Bonar said the pair had “collaborated on a lot of clients”. He added: “We are a great team.”

Brinded revealed to the reporters that he had been told that a number of Chelsea players were taking banned sports drugs during his time at the club between 2001 and 2007. Yesterday his lawyer claimed that there must have been a “misunderstanding” and he denied saying that any Chelsea players were ever taking banned drugs.

He said he had recently suggested a first team player from a Premier League club contact Bonar in order to undergo a course of steroid treatment. “I know he’s [Bonar] worked with a lot of footballers,” Brinded said.

Brinded said he would not take part in the doping himself and that would all be dealt with by Bonar. There is no evidence that the players Bonar claims to have treated were referred to him by Brinded, who denies referring any sports clients to Bonar.

The General Medical Council’s rules state that doctors: “Must not prescribe or collude in the provision of medicines or treatment with the intention of improperly enhancing an individual’s performance in sport.”

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC, said: ‘I would like to thank The Sunday Times for bringing these issues to our attention. These are serious allegations and we will follow them up as a matter of urgency.”

Last week Bonar denied doping sports stars to enhance their performance and said he had not breached GMC rules. “The fact that some of my patients happen to be professional athletes is irrelevant. If they have proven deficiencies on blood work and are symptomatic, I will treat them.

“They are well fully aware of the risks of using these medicines in professional sport and it is their responsibility to comply with anti-doping regulations.”

David Kenworthy, the chairman of Ukad, issued a statement saying: “An independent review will be conducted into the issues raised by The Sunday Times.

“They will also be asked to make any recommendations to improve the way in which intelligence is dealt with in the future so that Ukad can be as effective as possible in keeping sport clean.”


Comment (0) Print

milton50

I wonder if he means boxing champion figuratively or literally.

The_Boy

Milton50 wrote:

I wonder if he means boxing champion figuratively or literally.

Boxing champion could mean anything*, really. So probably literally, but not quite what they are hinting at.

Eta: 'anything' in a figurative sense. As in regional champ, amateur champ etc.

RichN95.

So what we have here is an undercover sting operation against a man who in a couple of weeks is up before the GMC charged with lying a client. So excuse me if I don't take everything he says as gospel truth.

In the part where he claims to deal with cyclists he says he gives them steroids for 'bulk' and 'strength'. Now even I know that the bulk is not a good idea and steroids taken by cyclists have been for recovery.

My take is that he very likely provides doping products to people including sportsmen, but it's also likely that he's embellishing his credentials somewhat. He's certainly not a Ferrari or a Fuentes. He's not even a Leinders. My guess is that the nearest to the Tour de France that his cyclists have got is L'Etape.

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

My guess is that the nearest to the Tour de France that his cyclists have got is L'Etape.

Sky rider would be monitored, and even of the team were comfortable with that stuff they wouldn't be sending riders out to find their own docs, so can't be any of them. Likewise orica and movistar, IMO.

Friend I was chatting to last night when the rumours first hit the twatters suggested Cummings as a lone wolf, doing his own thing kind of a rider but he has a stage win and the article would have mentioned this. So he's out. Which leaves Millar - obviously not - and one or two others from years back.

So until an actual (figurative) smoking gun is produced, I'd say Rich is on the money and it's piss and wind to drum up business.

The_Boy

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

RichN95.

The_Boy wrote:

Friend I was chatting to last night when the rumours first hit the twatters suggested Cummings as a lone wolf, doing his own thing kind of a rider but he has a stage win and the article would have mentioned this. So he's out. Which leaves Millar - obviously not - and one or two others from years back.

That will be the same Steve Cummings that Taylor Phinney called 'the purest of the pure' when it comes to (legal) pills and supplements.

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Friend I was chatting to last night when the rumours first hit the twatters suggested Cummings as a lone wolf, doing his own thing kind of a rider but he has a stage win and the article would have mentioned this. So he's out. Which leaves Millar - obviously not - and one or two others from years back.

That will be the same Steve Cummings that Taylor Phinney called 'the purest of the pure' when it comes to (legal) pills and supplements.

The one I've dismissed as fitting the profile of the cyclist in the article? Yes.

Unless the ST have something else, the boy's a fantasist.

term1te

The_Boy wrote:

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

Vladimir trying to get back into the Olympics by discrediting UKAD?

mm1

The_Boy wrote:

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

John Whittingdale "shocked" that this story has kept news of his extra curricular activities off the front page. Closing down UKAD is a nice little diversion from destroying the BBC I suppose.

salsiccia1

Term1te wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

Vladimir trying to get back into the Olympics by discrediting UKAD?

I'd put money on it being that. The article spends more time sticking the boot into Ukad than worrying about the sportsmen/women involved.

Richmond Racer 2

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Term1te wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

Vladimir trying to get back into the Olympics by discrediting UKAD?

I'd put money on it being that. The article spends more time sticking the boot into Ukad than worrying about the sportsmen/women involved.

Exactly.

bobmcstuff

Read the BBC article on it, sounds more like this Bonar fellow was bragging to get business.

Seems like a bit of a loophole if he can get out of being investigated by Ukad through not being governed by a sport though.

Bo Duke

Of course he was bragging to get business. You don't think that Ferrari spoke of his achievements like that at a first meeting do you? The guy's another Walter Mitty.

rick_chasey

Didn't enjoy the "tax payer funded" prefix to UKAD on para 3.

No_Ta_Doctor

Dodgy Doctor With Dubious Professional Ethics Oversells Credentials To Drum Up Business

Now that's a snappy headline. He appears to be a snake-oil salesman, who just happens to have access to stuff that can actually work.

That said, we do need answers to what UKAD knew and when, and whether they could have done something with it. We also need the names. I'd hazard a guess that they're nowhere near the "household name" size. Regardless of whether the ST could have named them or not, it would have gone to town if it heard it had a decent sized fish hooked. Where is the "England Star" line, for example? Or reference to winners medals?

Pross

Agree that the most likely scenario is that he's talking himself up. It's the same with most of these people caught in newspaper sting operations. The reason they get spotted as targets is because they are indiscreet. If you were a top sportsman going to him considering 'treatment' and he was listing names of other top sports people he was treating at your first meeting would you use him or would you think "woah, if he's telling me these names he'll be telling someone else my name"?

As for UKAD surely they are right in that their mandate doesn't cover chasing doctors in general practice? I suspect they would have targeted any sports people they were told he was treating though. Yes, they could have informed the GMC but should they do that on the basis of here say? With hindsight probably yes just to cover themselves.

dougzz

The problem for UKAD is unlike the ST and Twitter they need evidence to move forward.

mechanism

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

RichN95.

Mechanism wrote:

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

Doping isn't a crime in the UK. It is in Italy and Spain (or at least 'sporting fraud' is)
And medical malpractice, such as this, is a GMC matter.

Richmond Racer 2

Well well, this is interesting

According to a journo called Samuele Marcotti (@Marcotti if you want to look at his Twitter feed -- he writes for The Times, ESPN, Corriere etc - and he's posted some interesting points today on all this (he ain't convinced btw), the Sunday Times have had this story since Oct. And in that time have failed to find any corroborating evidence.

So they obviously devised to go with this splatter approach

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

Mechanism wrote:

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

Doping isn't a crime in the UK. It is in Italy and Spain (or at least 'sporting fraud' is)
And medical malpractice, such as this, is a GMC matter.

Doesn't the illegality also have something to do with supplying controlled substances? Or am I thinking if France? Or possibly just making it up?

RichN95.

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Mechanism wrote:

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

Doping isn't a crime in the UK. It is in Italy and Spain (or at least 'sporting fraud' is)
And medical malpractice, such as this, is a GMC matter.

Doesn't the illegality also have something to do with supplying controlled substances? Or am I thinking if France? Or possibly just making it up?

If you're some bloke selling it out of a gym locker room, then yes. But a doctor prescribing it wouldn't be illegal, I wouldn't have thought.

The_Boy

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Salsiccia1 wrote:

Term1te wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Actually, the most interesting part of the story is how the knives are already out for ukad based on very little in the way of real evidence.

Vladimir trying to get back into the Olympics by discrediting UKAD?

I'd put money on it being that. The article spends more time sticking the boot into Ukad than worrying about the sportsmen/women involved.

Exactly.

Glad it wasn't just me making that link. I tend to be more Sean Bean in game of thrones than Machiavelli when it comes to political machinations so generally ignore my instincts.

mechanism

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Mechanism wrote:

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

Doping isn't a crime in the UK. It is in Italy and Spain (or at least 'sporting fraud' is)
And medical malpractice, such as this, is a GMC matter.

Doesn't the illegality also have something to do with supplying controlled substances? Or am I thinking if France? Or possibly just making it up?

If you're some bloke selling it out of a gym locker room, then yes. But a doctor prescribing it wouldn't be illegal, I wouldn't have thought.

Also illegal (I may be wrong on this) to obtain without a prescription e.g. buying online from China.

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Mechanism wrote:

I'm a bit vague on legal aspects of doping in the UK but the police here don't seem to get involved which contrasts with the cases in Italy and Spain.

Doping isn't a crime in the UK. It is in Italy and Spain (or at least 'sporting fraud' is)
And medical malpractice, such as this, is a GMC matter.

Doesn't the illegality also have something to do with supplying controlled substances? Or am I thinking if France? Or possibly just making it up?

If you're some bloke selling it out of a gym locker room, then yes. But a doctor prescribing it wouldn't be illegal, I wouldn't have thought.

Yeah, I think I was mixing up two situations, tbh. Revisiting recent rugby scandals, and the Toulon story a while ago was allegedly pharmacies supplying products apparently without scripts.

thchris1958

the ST sent a petition to Chris Froome and Andry Murray today for #jaildopers

https://twitter.com/thesundaytimes/stat ... 3273391104

joelsim

Dr Bonar's been ejaculated from his position.