The discrediting of sport

The big question mark over this summer's Athens Olympics up until now has been whether the Greek authorities will be ready in time to stage the games on 11 August. But the accusations from a disgraced American shot-putter, CJ Hunter, raise an even more troubling question. Have drugs discredited these Olympics already?

The big question mark over this summer's Athens Olympics up until now has been whether the Greek authorities will be ready in time to stage the games on 11 August. But the accusations from a disgraced American shot-putter, CJ Hunter, raise an even more troubling question. Have drugs discredited these Olympics already?

Mr Hunter has alleged that his former wife, Marion Jones, won gold in the 2000 Olympic 100m and 200m races, using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Ms Jones denies this and accuses Mr Hunter of having an axe to grind since she ended their marriage, but there is no doubt in athletics circles that the sport has a substantial drug problem. An investigation into the US Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (Balco) has implicated scores of athletes in a conspiracy involving the previously untraceable steroid THG.

Athletics is perhaps only rivalled by cycling for the title of most drug-riven sport. The British cyclist David Millar admitted this week that he won gold in the world championships last year with the help of a banned substance. But it is increasingly a problem in all sports. The Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months this year for missing a drugs test.

There are some signs that international anti-doping agencies are waking up to this phenomenon and taking a more rigorous approach to prevent cheats slipping through the net. The fact that the Balco scandal came to light last year after a tip-off from an appalled athletics coach, is also an encouraging sign. It is imperative that those who know abuses are taking place should speak out.

Performance-enhancing drugs devalue competitions and tarnish the enjoyment of spectators. They also inflict a damaging physical toll on the athletes who use them. Drug cheats are finding ever more ingenious ways to avoid detection. Unless the relevant authorities raise their game accordingly, the reputation of sport as a whole will pay a terrible price.