The doping program joke of the ITF!!!

I don't understand the hype about Bolt. He is just a tall man with longer stride. Not even that graceful.

So being taller, he has an instant "unfair" advantage as they are all on same "vitamins".

I saw some races the other day and for the first time saw Gatlin: now that's a great sprinter.

But yes, it is hard to get one's head around how such a tall man can suddenly have explosiveness and agility that doesn't belong to his size.

Equivalent of seeing a sumo wrestler hop around like Rudolf Nureyev.

noleisthebest wrote:...Equivalent of seeing a sumo wrestler hop around like Rudolf Nureyev.

Yep..at first I believed in Bolt being a special athlete but nowadays I have hardly any doubt he is also one of them.

What/who made you believe Bolt was a special athlete, Federer?

lol...no.

I am not sure, but he looked genuine.

It's because of his height. They said. Unprecedented at 6'5. Mostly sprinters quite a few inches shorter if not more.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/cycling/2015/09/04/lance-armstrong-nike-trek-witness-lawsuit/71672710/

Interesting. I think sponsors, like athletes, shoudl be penalised to have made money from dopers. They are responsible as part of the system. Though I agree they may not have the knowledge to sort the cheat from the cleans.

Good point.

But pro sport is rotten.
We need a miracle,

Since the biological blood passport has come in Nadal has lost 3 from 4 matches against Fognini. Ouch

Yes but I am not sure the blood passport is really efficient. If anything it validates doping cause you can "make" your passport with high levels of red cells (right at the suspicious limit) and make it your "natural" level.

Seems to me the players are hushed from saying anything.

Look what happened to Koellerer when he said..

“Let’s take Nadal. It’s not possible that he tests negative. After 7 months out of the courts due to injury, he came back and won 10 out of 13 tournaments. That is impossible. Impossible! It tells you everything. That combined with the rumours of fake injuries to cover up silent bans. Look, nobody believes in that story that he didn’t take anything! Imagine what it would mean for tennis if it broke the news that he tested positive.”

yep......we know that. And watching a summary of his match yesterday I still think he is on something.

Biopassport is useless. As tenez says, you can basically microdose to keep your levels consistent. Easy.

And frankly Fog was also on somthing yesterday. Thanks for the hilights LS but in the past Fog woudl have never been able to keep that level for 5 sets. Now quite a few other players have caught up and he was able to play fantastic in the 5th. Before he woudl have been dead on his knees cause nadal made him run a lot too.

I big time disagree with your take on Rafa.

I see a different Nadal too. He looks but also acts 'softer' in every way. Judged upon his facial expression, his testosterone level has decreased significantly

Testosterone may have decrease but frankly look at the match, so much running is going on. Fog made him run faster than Djoko ever did for 5 sets by taking the ball early and Nadal ran his fare share till the end.

We are used to seeing players run as much nowadays but frankly it is still not normal. I'd agree that Nadal's FH seems less spiny/powerful but his running was still beyond normal yesterday. I also wonder whether that less spiny FH but that might essentially be down to the USO being faster, hence Nadal having less time to inject his power....very much like pre USO10...where for 5 years he coudl not beat a seed there.

Too many factors to really have a clear view on what makes nadal more vulnerable nowadays but I also found Fog's fitness "extraordinary" yesterday.

If Fog is as fit as you say and able to outlast the NAdal we know, he would be making slam finals.
I think any top 50 player can play a 4 hours match without cramping, although much depends on the intensity. That was Nadal's trademark, but not anymore. The defense is still there but he lacks the power to turn it into attack. And that did help Fog.
I agree though it looks like Nadal at the USO pre 2010. Blake and Youznhy also handled him as a punching bag.

I think we can tell more about Fog's fitness once he's against Djoko.

BTW: did you see Azarenka-Kerber yesterday? If those ladies push their fitness one step further, they might aswell join the atp. It was crazy.

Fog is deffo fitter these days. Look at his FO'11 match vs Montanes. He retired from the next match vs Djoko (the one socal says caused him to lose to feds).

luvsports! wrote:Fog is deffo fitter these days. Look at his FO'11 match vs Montanes. He retired from the next match vs Djoko (the one socal says caused him to lose to feds).

FOGNINIIIIIIII! 

Yeah, 11-9 in the fifth. He did win that match, which also tells something about his fitness.

Perhaps he did improve, many players do. But like i said, if a talented player like Fog can outlast the Nadal we used to know, he would be ranked way higher. But to me, this is not the Nadal we used to know.

I agree.

Fogna with that extremely potent DHBH is a nightmare to Nadal, same as Djokovic is. He played some very risky but great shots especially in the 5th. 

Plus he hits a lot of flat balls and has good sense of game when on. 
He also had this extra motivation to beat Nadal, looking at what happened at Hamburg.

gallery play wrote:If Fog is as fit as you say and able to outlast the NAdal we know, he would be making slam finals.
I think any top 50 player can play a 4 hours match without cramping, although much depends on the intensity. That was Nadal's trademark, but not anymore. The defense is still there but he lacks the power to turn it into attack. And that did help Fog.
I agree though it looks like Nadal at the USO pre 2010. Blake and Youznhy also handled him as a punching bag.

I think we can tell more about Fog's fitness once he's against Djoko.

If you look at the distance covered by Fog (11475.1 - Distance Covered (Feet) - v Nadal :12832.9) it's roughly 10% less running than Nadal but Nadal ran quite a lot (at least in the clip) and Nadal has more margins in his shots so the difficult for Fog is to keep hitting clean winners after running a lot for 5 sets. I find this very suspicious....but Fog also seems bulkier than in the recent past.

BTW: did you see Azarenka-Kerber yesterday? If those ladies push their fitness one step further, they might aswell join the atp. It was crazy.

yes, there again.....it's all about fitness. Serena showed the way.

gallery play wrote:Perhaps he did improve, many players do. But like i said, if a talented player like Fog can outlast the Nadal we used to know, he would be ranked way higher. But to me, this is not the Nadal we used to know.

The mind also is important. The thing is it is easier for Fog to hit clean winners out of Nadal's shorter balls than it from players hitting harder. So once again, beating Nadal has never been a benchmark for success. Rosol, Kyrios, Brown. Darcis, etc...

Tenez wrote:

gallery play wrote:Perhaps he did improve, many players do. But like i said, if a talented player like Fog can outlast the Nadal we used to know, he would be ranked way higher. But to me, this is not the Nadal we used to know.

The mind also is important. The thing is it is easier for Fog to hit clean winners out of Nadal's shorter balls than it from players hitting harder. So once again, beating Nadal has never been a benchmark for success. Rosol, Kyrios, Brown. Darcis, etc...

Not coincidentally all are losses on fresh grass...

NAdal hitting shorter usually was a sign of a weaker fitness. That's why i think Foggy pulled it of

Not sure if Canadian ice speed skater  Hughes's doping offence has been shown here, nevertheless the link is below.

She got a silent ban for 3 months already in 1994 for abusing of efedrin and what is more she got a reccomendation to be silent about it. Of couse she does not know how the efedrin could get into her body.

Translate from Czech

http://www.sport.cz/ostatni/cyklistika/clanek/704874-kanadska-hvezda-hughesova-priznala-po-21-letech-dopingovy-nalez.html#hp-sez

yes silent bans seem to be the norm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34314851

I am glad some are raising questions here.

What I found funny is this:

"Our experience is that the rugby fraternity does not tolerate it."
That sentiment is echoed by Watkins' counterpart at World Rugby, David Ho, who said the game's "values" of fair play and mutual respect were the difference between rugby union and sports more afflicted by doping.
"I think other sports are envious of those values," said Ho, whose organisation has just increased its anti-doping budget by 30% to £1.5m a year, the same amount the IAAF, the governing body of athletics, spends on drug testing.

And of course, as usual, the bad guys are the Russians or the  Chinese. Nothing much wrong with us (and the US in particular), despite winning all the medals. But which relative small country has made huge advance in medals gains recently in almost all physical sport?

Who are we kidding again?

Might is right!

http://www.non-stop-people.com/actu/sport/marion-bartoli-meconnaissable-decouvrez-son-impressionnante-perte-de-poids-87542

Marion Bartoli, retrieving her original shape away from absurd training and doping substances.

Tenez wrote:http://www.non-stop-people.com/actu/sport/marion-bartoli-meconnaissable-decouvrez-son-impressionnante-perte-de-poids-87542

Marion Bartoli, retrieving her original shape away from absurd training and doping substances.

Wow!
That's amazing, I assumed she was always chubby. Looks like she is enjoying herself.
I miss her, though...she was such a character!

On the similar theme, Bouchard withdrew from Wuhan, despite traveling and practising there.

Still feeling the effects of that slip&fall in USO locker room....

Troicki loses fourth consecutive ATP tournament in the first round. Again - to a nobody. (USO doesn't count, ran by ITF).

I am beginning to suspect this is how ATP is dealing with players they catch.
Silent ban but a "playing" one.

Bouchard going through the same thing.
I'll start paying attention to others.

noleisthebest wrote:Troicki loses fourth consecutive ATP tournament in  the first round. Again - to a nobody. (USO doesn't count, ran by ITF).

I am beginning to suspect this is how ATP is dealing with players they catch.
Silent ban but a "playing" one.

Bouchard going through the same thing.
I'll start paying attention to others.

I would be surprised if the ATP were willing players to tank matches. That would be even worse to justify than covering doping. I think Troicki is just going through a bad patch...probably injured.

not doping here but spanish racers are again at odd with fair play as they are trying to steal championship off the 36yo motorbike racing maestro.

Tenez wrote:not doping here but spanish racers are again at odd with fair play as they are trying to steal championship off the 36yo motorbike racing maestro.

Didn't know one existed!
What are the Spaniards up to this time?

team work to prevent the italian from winning his 10th title.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/34765444

Russians have all the bad press atm. But again, the most doped country with twice the UK population had less medal than the brits at the Olympic 2012 (below link).

We just have to look at Davydenko and Murray's bodies to work out that WADA clearly is not up to date with anti-doping technology or is simply, in turn, biased with a political agenda.

I am not saying Russian don't dope...I am saying they clearly are singled out here as they certainly do not distinguish themselves on the sport arena nowadays.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/medals/countries

In many respects, I look forward to leaving this world.

noleisthebest wrote:In many respects, I look forward to leaving this world.

That's taking it to heart.

Considering there is more money in tennis than athletism, I am not sure why Russian tennis players are not more efficient at doping.

Their best player in number 50 in the world and have only 3 players in the top 100 even though it has been a country prolific in players.

I am expecting Rubi to put on some weight and muscle in the off season.
His coach promised it!

Disgraceful stuff from the Russians, good on WADA to clamp down on it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/34766733

Those tweets are worse than anything. They are gold or silver medals accusing lesser athletes of doping. Like Murray's tweet mocking Odesnik.

What a joke!

DONALD TRUMP wrote:Disgraceful stuff from the Russians, good on WADA to clamp down on it.

Yes...almost as bad as Santa Maria ordeing destruction of nadal's blood bags.

Tenez wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/34766733

Those tweets are worse than anything.  They are gold or silver medals accusing lesser athletes of doping.  Like Murray's tweet mocking Odesnik.

What a joke!

Sorry, don't follow any of it...just read it...didn't realise it's that bad.(the circus)
Looks like a public stoning with words.

Really ugly.

The Russians came fourth in the medal table.... 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/34774405

now that the papers are all blaming Russia, in the footprints (much lower down the headlines list) they say it;s not Russia only.

And of course in the West they are no problems......but looking at the world cup rugby players, there is little doubt that doping is rampant to in our soicieties. This is just part of teh economic war launched a year ago against russia.

I had a tiny look and was staggered to see that WADA want to ban Russia from Rio Olympics.
I didn't know it was that serious.

Clearly all to do with current political situation...I suppose it's always been like that...Moscow games, LA games...

Except now it somehow feels more ominous now with media having such grip on people.

====================================================
And along the same line, top 4 players have been asked to comment in London this week:

Federer:

"I think they are trying their most but we can do more.

Whenever you make the quarter-finals of a tournament, when the points are greater, the money is greater, you should know that you will be tested.

I think that would be very clear and simple. And if they keep the tests for longer, I'm all for that, not just weeks and months, years I'm talking about. That's when you scare people.

There needs to be more resources. It's very important. Players need to feel that they're going to be tests. So they will shy away from any silly thought they might have.

I'm always surprised when I walk off court after a final and I'm like 'where is anti-doping?"


Nadal:

"Tennis is a rich sport and people who run the sport need to make sure the sport is completely and 100 percent clean. It's not the players' responsibility, it's the management's responsibility."


Murray:

"The prize money now is so high that there is no reason not to have as perfect a process as possible really and the more money invested in it gives you a better chance of catching anyone who is cheating."


Djokovic:

From the point of view of tennis, we've been very good that we've hadn't had many doping scandals.
It's very solid."

======================================================

Very telling comments...

yes....all in praise of anti-doping....but one sounds more concerned and genuine than the others.

I thought Fed was sharper than usual, esp mentioning no control after finals.