[Kei_is_a_samurai]

A Belgian tennis player: "Doping is a reality. Why not legalize it? '
Reported by Imanol Corcostegui


It is rare to read as clearly expressed the doubts of a professional tennis player on the practice of doping in sport. Interviewed by Radio Twizz, Christophe Rochus, whose remarks were relayed by La Libre Belgique, is convinced that this is a reality:

"When I got in the top 100, I said in the media that it was boosted outrageous all these players and I received a threatening letter from the ATP Tour said:" This is the last time you mention that. You have no evidence, you have nothing. "Finally, all the players I mentioned have tested positive. They were all Argentines. '

Belgian wonders especially on sudden absences of some champions like Nadal or Soderling:

" Look Robin Söderling ... He won the tournament in Bastad in 2011 and since then it no longer plays tennis. It is supposedly seriously ill while I'm sure he was unbeatable at the time. We can not overlook the fact that it is very suspicious! It reached the highest level of his career and the day after, it says I can not play tennis ... Me, it seems incredible.

You say "Oh, that's weird." There is still a lot of suspicious things that happen and it seems that the best have nothing. Just like anywhere, there are always people you can buy! '



http://www.rue89.com/rue89-sport/201...s-le-legaliser

[Zepploydath]

Interesting points that will no doubt offend many.

[Abel]

Obviously they shouldn't be legalised but anything that brings attention to how bafflingly poor the doping controls are in tennis is a good thing. Good for him for speaking up.

[Abel]

Originally Posted by Looner

I can understand his doubts over Nadal but Soderling's mono could have become worse and we saw RF winning a GS even if he suffered from the illness earlier in the year.

To me, Djokovic's transformation into a running machine is a lot more debatable even if the egg is not banned.

The egg was used during 2010, no? Rather than the end of the year/early 2011. I think Nole's ascent to greatness from late 2010 to the present day has myriad factors, far beyond mere improvement in fitness.

[Punky]

Sport (or, primarily in North America, sports) is all forms of competitive physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and provide entertainment to participants

doping isnt one of them.

[abraxas21]

Originally Posted by Rochus

"Finally, all the players I mentioned have tested positive. They were all Argentines."

surprise, surprise...

[philosophicalarf]

A few other players have said the same thing, but the ATP always slaps them down fast :-) About a decade or so back they started to get strict on this, after lots of players had accused Agassi of doping.


Anyway, it's blindingly obvious doping will be rampant in tennis. You have it in all top level professional sports, it's even getting common in a lot of amateur stuff now. With tennis dopetesting almost non-existent, it's inevitable.

[motorhead]

seems legit

[abraxas21]

Originally Posted by Kei_is_a_samurai

A Belgian tennis player: "Doping is a reality. Why not legalize it? '
Reported by Imanol Corcostegui


It is rare to read as clearly expressed the doubts of a professional tennis player on the practice of doping in sport. Interviewed by Radio Twizz, Christophe Rochus, whose remarks were relayed by La Libre Belgique, is convinced that this is a reality:

"When I got in the top 100, I said in the media that it was boosted outrageous all these players and I received a threatening letter from the ATP Tour said:" This is the last time you mention that. You have no evidence, you have nothing. "Finally, all the players I mentioned have tested positive. They were all Argentines. '

Belgian wonders especially on sudden absences of some champions like Nadal or Soderling:

" Look Robin Söderling ... He won the tournament in Bastad in 2011 and since then it no longer plays tennis. It is supposedly seriously ill while I'm sure he was unbeatable at the time. We can not overlook the fact that it is very suspicious! It reached the highest level of his career and the day after, it says I can not play tennis ... Me, it seems incredible.

You say "Oh, that's weird." There is still a lot of suspicious things that happen and it seems that the best have nothing. Just like anywhere, there are always people you can buy! '



http://www.rue89.com/rue89-sport/201...s-le-legaliser

rochus is right on the money but i don't think doping should be made legal.

we need more restrictions and more supervision.

[Sham Kay]

You missed a trick by not using the title "Christophe Rochus accuses Nadal, Soderling and all Argentines of doping"

[Orka_n]

There are most certainly dopers in the top 100 but to point out Soderling who have been medically proven to have mononucleosis and is also practicing as hard as his body allows him for a possible return to the tour...

Christophe is a known asshole though, nothing new about that.

[VamosRafaNadal]

As far as I'm concerned, ATP now does a great job to avoid doping from tennis. Rafa Nadal said on an interview that as a tennis player you have to say each of the 365 days of the year where you will be (including when you're on holidays) and say a time where ATP can find you (in the indicated place). There are one or more doping controls each month (Nadal had at least two in December, in two consecutive days at 6:30 am, as it is a time that he knows that he'll be at home... good way to start the day but he offered a coffee to the ATP workers ). They take samples of urine, blood or both.

I think that this protocol is fine. But this is the teorical protocol, if we implement it on reality in the same way as it is described I think that there is no need to have doping problems. But if it is something that can make the ATP doping controls better, it is positive to use it. I think that we can't allow doping and that there have to be ways to fight against it.

EDIT: philosophicalarf gave me information about the average doping controls that are done each year, so I change my words, as I was only focused on the protocol (that I think that it is correct) but not in the times a year that doping controls are done (wich I thought that were more). So there is the philosophicalarf message: here and my answer: here

[Looner]

Originally Posted by Abel

The egg was used during 2010, no? Rather than the end of the year/early 2011. I think Nole's ascent to greatness from late 2010 to the present day has myriad factors, far beyond mere improvement in fitness.

Ascent to greatness in 2010? He won a tight match with a bucketload of mistakes against Fed at the USO and then proceeded to bend over to Nadal in the final. Winning DC against the French is hardly greatness...

The reason I mentioned the egg was because it can be used to mask the use of EPO, not that it in itself is illegal. Of course, I cannot prove my suspicions but this was the case with Cheatstrong for many years and you can see the result in Oprah's show.

Finally, Djokovic's improvement in fitness had all to do with his success in 2011 and his 2012 AO win in the final.

Originally Posted by abraxas21

in other words, "i'm a fanboy so i'll only raise doping suspicions on the players i dislike".

Not that you deserve a reply but no. I just don't think his reasoning makes sense. You can have mono and play tennis and win a small on the surface you made your breakthrough. If you want to point some other points he made that make more sense feel free.

[Lopez]

Don't think doping should be legalized, at least not the substances that can cause damage to athletes. Sport is supposed to promote a healthy lifestyle. There may be some stuff that could be argued for, but not knowing enough I will refrain naming any .

[Han Solo]

Originally Posted by Abel

Obviously they shouldn't be legalised but anything that brings attention to how bafflingly poor the doping controls are in tennis is a good thing. Good for him for speaking up.

I agree. His idea is facile and he clearly lacks brain cells. But the more professionals who go on record to speak about doping as "reality", and begin to question the suspicious nature of other players withdrawals, the better.