Here is an email I received from USA Triathlon:
Dear athletes,
As if you aren’t already informed enough about the drug testing… I have more information from our Team USA doc, Dr. Hunt. Please read below:
I am sure you have already seen the article, but in case you have not, there was one today in Inside Triathlon about the ITU’s move to test all amateurs at the World’s.
Anyone with a TUE form will, in addition to submitting this to USADA, have to either email it to Leslie Buchanan at ITU at leslie.buchanan@triathlon.org or fax it to her at 1-604-904-9249. While the ITU did not mention that they would honor a TUE already granted by USADA, I would advise the athlete to also submit to USADA in case any there are any questions or problems with ITU.
I suspect that this fallout from the Eric Zabel admission of doping and the current controversey with the Cycling Worlds in Stuttgart. The German govt wanted to cancel the event for fear of a multitude of doping positives. Nevertheless, the ITU is going to have a BIG bill for all of the tests that they are proposing.
Call if you have any questions.
Andrew Hunt, MD
All Amateurs? That’s intense. Thing is, I really don’t suspect any of the amateurs I know of doing drugs. Just seems like a bunch of us are at the same level, wouldn’t someone on drugs be WAY better? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
One question about all this. We see a ton of journalism on how awful drugs are, but there’s one thing I never really see addressed. How can somebody take performance enhancing substances, and feel even 1% of the sense of accomplishment that they would feel doing it without the drugs. Personally, I’d rather be 95th percentile of the sport, and Legit, than 99.9th percentile by cheating. It’s like playing Charades and mouthing the word to your partner when nobody’s looking. Sure he’ll guess “Bill Nye the Science Guy teaching about centripetal force” from a series of triangles and circles on the blackboard, but does that really make you feel good about winning? I’d like to see some of the sports psychology behind why these athletes do it.
Sport should be about seeing how good you can be with what you were given. It doesn’t really matter if you are the best in the World, the important thing (to me at least) is to find out.
I don’t think if you put triangles and circles on the blackboard and mouthed the answer that anyone would guess “Bill Nye the Science Guy teaching about centripetal forceâ€. Piper would guess ‘Circle’ though. I think you have an edge on most of these athletes with your cushy life at home, no mowing the yard and parents to tote your stuff around Europe for you. I also don’t think you’ve ever been 95th percentile, 97th maybe but probably never lower. Does anyone play charades anymore?
dude, i hear you Ben! not that I compete against anyone who dopes (at least I hope not, cuase that means they’re really not that good), it’s bogus that someone would even think of doping. I second everything you said. Sports are about challenging yourself and seeing what you’re capable, not seeing what you’re capable compared to other people. as my parents always said, winning isn’t everything