Drug Testing Pros And Cons

“The first thing is the thing that everyone likes to talk about the most, the drug issue. I am not going to say that it is impossible to make it to the podium drug free, or that people don't do that from time to time. Hell we have had people like Hayworth, Knott, Chaplin, and Barnett make the podium in the last 15 years in the Olympics, World's and Junior Worlds. Germany has a very strict drug testing program and they produce more "A" session lifters than us by far. But, once you are "in the club" so to speak, people start talking to you honestly about drug use, including foreign lifters and coaches. There is no question that the countries that dominate in weightlifting are heavy into PED's, no question at all. Among the right crowd, they admit it freely. In fact they literally make fun of countries like the USA who attempt to compete without PED's. No, USADA alone does not prevent us from winning. But there is no question that an athlete subject to regular testing such as provided by USADA is competing at a disadvantage when facing lifters from some of the countries that are historically dominant.”

Some lifters in the US system feel that the issue of performance enhancing …show more content…
America has had flashes of success in the time since 1960. External factors have had an undisputed effect on the success of the sport from the American perspective. However, the deep cultural shift needed to improve the US’ chances on the world stage could already be underway. The rise in attendance at the USAW is an encouraging sign and means that finally a larger crop of interested athletes could be available. If that momentum can continue the US may have the talent amongst that greater population make it back to the Olympic podium with a welcome increase in