The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang are still young, but there has already been the first case of doping. In this interview, sports scientists Prof Dr Dirk Büsch and Dr Katharina Pöppel talk about why testing and repression alone will not make sport cleaner.
QUESTION: Discussions about doping before the Games, now the first concrete case: will these Winter Games be particularly dirty?
PÖPPEL: First of all, it is important to critically scrutinise the media coverage of doping. After the first German medals right at the beginning of the Games, the topic quickly cooled down again - the medal table is what counts most. Otherwise, the use of drugs to improve performance is unfortunately as old as the Olympic Games themselves. The only difference is that athletes today are under general suspicion - "in dubio pro reo" no longer applies. That's unfortunate for the clean athletes.
BÜSCH: Incidentally, we can also assume that most cases of doping at these Games will only be discovered afterwards - thanks to improved doping analysis methods. The results lists are therefore often only provisional for many years, which disavows the sporting character of the Olympic Games and seriously diminishes the enthusiasm for the competition.
PÖPPEL: Incidentally, it is paradoxical that the number of doping samples taken at the Olympic Games is constantly increasing; yet one gets the impression that this does not limit the extent of doping. If you want to prevent doping, you have to take a different approach...
QUESTION: What do you think those responsible should do?
PÖPPEL: Firstly, internationally comparable standards are important for successfully combating doping. Then the convicted athletes will no longer be able to relativise their actions. On the other hand, more financial resources must be made available for prevention: Doping tests and repression are certainly necessary, but they do not improve the sport. Especially as the ban on performance-enhancing substances is always one step behind current developments.
QUESTION: You are currently preparing an application project for doping prevention in youth competitive sport. What is it about?
PÖPPEL: Doping prevention is primarily about protecting young athletes even before doping behaviour has manifested itself. This is because the use of doping substances or dietary supplements can have particularly far-reaching and sometimes harmful consequences for adolescents. Especially as these risks are usually not sufficiently reflected from a young person's perspective.
BÜSCH: With our project, which we want to apply for from the Federal Institute for Sports Science, we would like to contribute to establishing appropriate quality management in German youth competitive sport.
QUESTION: Are there any figures on how widespread doping is among adolescents?
BÜSCH: There are currently no current or reliable figures on the prevalence of doping in German youth competitive sport. The data situation for international youth competitive sport is also indifferent. However, systematic data collection would certainly be helpful for national and international youth competitive sport.
QUESTION: Under what conditions can doping prevention be successful with young athletes?
PÖPPEL: We see prevention primarily as an educational learning process that only works if the athlete is involved and active and sees a positive purpose in their involvement. In addition, the athlete's environment should be taken into account much more than before. By this I mean coaches and parents in particular. After all, they are the ones who have the greatest influence on a young athlete in their early years - this is where initial socialisation takes place, which can also include taking painkillers, vitamin supplements and dietary supplements.
BÜSCH: In addition to the educational learning process, it will also be important to orientate the training and competition system of our young athletes more strongly than before towards long-term rather than short-term success in order to successfully promote their independent sporting development.
QUESTION: How is doping prevention regulated in Germany? What is the position of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA)?
PÖPPEL: In preliminary discussions on the project proposal, it became clear that prevention in German is pursued by NADA and the German Sports Youth (dsj) in the Olympic Sports Confederation with equal commitment, but with very different resources. The majority of the budget still goes, or must go, to doping controls and analyses. However, NADA and the dsj are endeavouring to adapt their prevention services to current developments.
QUESTION: Will "clean" games remain a fairy tale or will they exist at some point?
BÜSCH: To be honest, clean games would be a novelty - we should set the bar at a realistic level. Especially as unknowingly doping, for example through contaminated food supplements, can always happen.
PÖPPEL: Ultimately, every single athlete who decides not to use doping is a success for sport and the Olympic values.