Conference kaosws::canada

I guess Ben is what he was banned from:  Amateur.

With no education, I hope he has some money left from before otherwise he'll be
lining up at the UI office and maybe even the welfare office.

/Mario

	He was banned for life last time

	Heather

    Re: being banned for life last time:
    
    Not true - he was suspended by the IAAF for two years.  He may have
    been banned for life from receiving funding from the Canadian
    government.
    
    Garry

    From what I understand, the banned substance was testosterone.  There
    were some numbers which meant little to me, which supposedly indicated
    the amount of testosterone present in his system.  The normal "number"
    (or ratio for something) was 6, and Ben's number was "over 10". 
    Clearly not something normal, which is why the IAAF wasted no time in
    going ahead with the ban.  It was apparently a clear-cut case. A doctor
    associated with Canada's olympic team commented on the radio this
    morning that he didn't see any plausible basis for appeal.
    

    I'm no doctor, but here's what I recall from a CBS Radio interview
    with a Canadian doctor (perhaps the head ofthe drug testing folks):
    
    Please ignore all spelling errors!
    
    Testostrone is the hormone that helps develop bulk and strength. 
    Another hormone, epitestostrone is also normally present and the ratio
    of testostrone to epitestostron is "1 to 1" or 1:1.
    
    If testostrone is injected, ingested etc., the testostrone to epitestrone 
    ratio will not be 1:1.  They don't actually check for absolute levels of 
    testostrone or epitestostrone, they check the ratio.  A few people 
    legitemately have ratio that exceed 1:1 - there are known cases of 
    ratios in the 6:1 to 7:1 ratio, so they don't get concerned for ratios 
    less than about 10:1.  If the ratio is above 10:1, it's just about
    absolutely certain, testostrone has been added.
    
    Regards,
    
    Garry
     

As DECies, techies, and computer weenies, we may be getting technical here but
last time, didn't Ben inject Stanozolol and not Testosterone?  

Stanolozol is a banned substance which would elevate the Testosterone level in
the body.

Maybe he should have injected some horse urine as some other athletes did to
hide the presense of steroids.

/Mario

    I think all this mess shows is that our canadian doctors are not as
    good as the other countries (mainly US).  If anyone ever got face to
    face with Florence Gloria Joiner, they would have tought she was a man!
    And don't beleive for an instant Carl Lewis is "clean".
    
    Jean
    

    
    Good one Jean....I tend to agree. Our techno weenies in the athletic
    field just aren't smart enough to mask the chemicals.

    RE: .-2
    
    I've always wondered about the american testing system, and the
    commercial pressures that are on the track and field meet organizers to
    "get the stars".  Do you think that perhaps it's the track and field meet
    organizers and officials, rather than the doctors/coaches, who allow
    a certain amount of cheating to go on in the US?
    
    Pieter

    
    >organizers and officials, rather than the doctors/coaches, who allow
    >a certain amount of cheating to go on in the US?
    
    Please avoid quoting speculation as fact.
    
    Stuart

    Based upon the Dubbin enquiry, we know for a fact that Ben's initial
    cheating was at least allowed, condoned, abetted, and assisted by his 
    physician, Astaphan, and his coach, Charlie Francis.
    
    Pieter
    

Can anyone speculate on whether Bruni Surin and/or Mark McKoy are "clean"?

After this past weekend, both are world champions.  Bruni publicizes the fact
that he is clean and McKoy has come back after his 2-year suspension from using
banned drugs.

I think both are clean.  (speculation).

/Mario

    In Eurpoe where athletics is a major spectator sport, most reports are
    very encouraging regarding a) the life ban on Ben and, b) the recent
    successes of Surin and McCoy - in that these events have restored some
    faith into Canadian athletics.
    
    My view is that Ben's original demise was pure fate - he was stupid and
    unlucky.  However, it opened up the sport to more scrutiny, where if
    someone like Ben wasn't caught in the circumstance that he was (Olympic
    final, record etc.) it makes me wonder where the sport would be to day.
    
    I don't doubt that many 'top class' athletes have taken drugs - or are
    taking banned substances today - but are doing it with a good chemist
    as part of the team!
    
    As for Surin and McCoy - who knows?  Surin's career to date suggests
    he's been developing steadily (no also-ran one day, record beater the
    next) and after McCoy's close calls perhaps he too is clean.
    
    Ben will be always be a hero for many. (even if this is note .666!). 
    Perhaps he'll play some decent football, if he doesn't get caught again!
                  
    CJ

    Are you implying that Ben is "The Beast" ?
    
    Glenn