Men's Sprinting - My View

The 100m sprint. The epitome of track and field but a dark shadow continually covers the short distance and has done for as far as I can remember.

Usain Bolt. Tyson Gay.  Yohan Blake. Asafa Powell. Nesta Carter. Maurice Greene. Justin Gatlin. Steve Mullings. Donovan Bailey. Bruny Surin.

The ten fastest men in the history of sprinting. How many have tested positive for a banned substance? Two or three? Nope, it's five. Five out of ten. Half of the list. How embarrassing is that?

I'm not a total sceptic but how many sprinters out there have cheated or continue to cheat and have yet to be caught? I never suspected Asafa Powell as a drug cheat but it seems that this is the case. Both himself and Gay are currently under investigation and they have to be given the time before their fate is sealed but I think once someone is caught cheating, they should be subjected to a lifetime ban.

Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell. The latest in a long list of drug cheats. 

For example, Justin Gatlin and Dwain Chambers both featured at this week's World Championships and they are two of the many athletes who have served bans for doping within the sport. Now, they have obviously served their time but should they be allowed to compete, win and win medals on a world stage? Not for me.

An comparison that popped into my head may seem a bit harsh on the sprinters but it's what immediately sprung into my mind. Imagine a murderer serving their time in jail for 'X' amount of years, being released, and going on to become a lawyer, politician or high flying member of society. It would make you uneasy, wouldn't it?

The advances in testing to ascertain whether athletes are cheating have been clear and evident but there will always be a way for those who want to cheat to do so. As the methods of testing improve, the ways to hide the cheating will as well which makes it a very delicate situation for the governing bodies in charge of all sports, not just athletics.

How many athletes over the years who have now retired, cheated their way to World, Commonwealth or Olympic glory? We'll never know unless they confess and after hiding it for so many years, that possibility is very slim.

Those who know me, or read my work on a regular basis will know that I am an avid bowler and although this is a sport that requires very little in the way of fitness or stamina it's the only sport I play to a decent level but I would NEVER dream of cheating in order to better myself or my game. If you are world class, you get there from being a hard-worker, loyal, talented and determined not by doping yourself with performance enhancing drugs which give you an unfair advantage over the numerous honest people who are doing the best they can with what they were born with.

I don't think cheating in sport will ever go away, it has been around as long as sport but I hope that those that sit in the big chairs and control the way they are governed take heed of what the fans, journalists and the athletes themselves have to say about drug cheats. If someone who has cheated in the past is competing in a competition at a high level, nine times out of ten you'll hear the commentator point out this fact because they agree that they probably shouldn't be back to where they are.

The athletes aren't always to blame as coaches and other team members can always play a part but if someone suddenly springs onto the scene, especially in sprinting, people are going to be sceptical. It may well be that they are naturally gifted and that they are not cheating but there is always going to be that doubt.

If a sprinter can be eliminated from a race for one false start then they can be eliminated from the sport for one negative test.