Kissena Forum Archive

Aug 04, 2012 at 12:20 AM

Wump, I don't think it was a "wast of time" his line

You’ve been unathletic all your life, you’ve got the first stench of mortality firmly wedged in your nostrils (and it’s a smell that only gets stronger with each passing year), and you got involved in something that seemed to reverse the clock.

Was pretty good, and struck a chord. I also like his idea of two sides to cycling; the blindly competitive and the "celebrate life, bullshit and all"

I take the point that bashing the fondo is lame, but overall I like the writing and the sentiment behind it.

DA's doping does seem "different" from other stuff although it's probably "too soon" to put our finger to it. Perhaps it is the full admission - if not the sentiment - of guilt, or the proximity, or ... but I do hope we will be looking back at this as an important turning point when NYC racing "started" testing.

Ian, I'm sorry but I just don't see the downside in testing beyond what it says about the participants and the sport.

Knowing I'm racing on stolen fruit loops I'd be plenty happy with a better place at my "A" races if the guys ahead of me tested positive, or the validation that "nope, they're just that much stronger" if not.

http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/london-live-follow-mondays-action-at-the-olympics-2/#official-statements-on-doping-positive

Aug 06, 2012 at 03:23 PM

This kind of mixed message is a big problem. Are they testing for cheats, criminals or morality? Poor bastard.

Statement from U.S.O.C. spokesman Patrick Sandusky:

“Nick Delpopolo has failed an in-competition drug test (THC, marijuana) and as a result, he has been disqualified from the Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee. The United States Olympic Committee is absolutely committed to clean competition and stringent anti-doping penalties. Any positive test, for any banned substance, comes with the appropriate consequences and we absolutely support the disqualification. We look forward to witnessing the continued success of our athletes and commend their dedication to clean sport.”

Statement from Nicholas Delpopolo:

“My positive test was caused by my inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana, before I left for the Olympic Games. I apologize to U.S. Olympic Committee, to my teammates, and to my fans, and I am embarrassed by this mistake. I look forward to representing my country in the future, and will re-dedicate myself to being the best judo athlete that I can be.”

— Lynn Zinser

Aug 06, 2012 at 03:42 PM

The apparent justification for THC exclusion is that it steadies the nerves for sports like golf and shooting and, of course, snooker. However, I don't think those don't appear on the Ragot list of "sports".

Aug 06, 2012 at 03:51 PM

It would seem that a drug like this helps in sports where being calm and having a steady hand are keys to success.

At the same time, I'm really suspicious of the idea that taking a pot brownie two weeks ago caused someone to fail an in-competition test. As I suggested earlier, the athlete seems to be muddying the waters.

Aug 06, 2012 at 03:53 PM

@ Wump: I read this wrong. In-competition all is fair.

Aug 06, 2012 at 04:46 PM

THC is lipid soluble. It stays in the system a long time. 7 days for sure. 14 days seems plausible depending on sensitivity of the test. Unlike water soluble drugs like amphetamines, I don't think you can wash it out with diuretics.

The "accidental" eating of a pot brownie is surely disingenuous. I think that is the right meaning of the word this time. As in, "I didn't inhale"

WilliamDC

Aug 06, 2012 at 05:04 PM

we always heard that thc stayed in your fat for up to a month

this ban is such such baloney, though

i've never used marijuana, but when i didn't, i was a total klutz and could barely open my own pudding cup let alone engage in sport.

there are actual drugs whose sole purpose is to calm your nerves.

they're called beta blockers and they are also illegal, but for a good reason . . . they work and they don't leave a film of Doritos dust all over your clothes.

ian ellis

Aug 06, 2012 at 08:25 PM

I thought it was a month too, at least that is what I was told when I was moving to the US and had to get tested for my Visa, not that I need have worried because I learned from the President and didn't inhale.

Aug 08, 2012 at 04:24 PM

New information - at least to me - about how anti-doping is administered (according to Velonews)

It’s because of the potential conflict of interest that can occur when governing bodies both test and police their own athletes that WADA, and its national affiliates, were instituted by the by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999, with the WADA Code implemented prior to the 2004 Olympic Games.

WADA receives roughly half its funding from the IOC. USADA receives its funding from a federal grant through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), as well as through revenue generated from contracts for anti-doping services with sport organizations, most notably the USOC.

Under the WADA Code, national governing bodies, such as USA Cycling, do not actively conduct or adjudicate doping investigations, but rather they simply enforce any and all sanctions handed down by their accompanying national anti-doping agency; they prohibit athletes from competing during a suspension.

If USADA does sanction Armstrong, WADA Code states that the athlete’s international federation — in this case, the UCI — has the right to appeal the sanction to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.

mperlberg

Aug 11, 2012 at 10:33 PM

how common is this stuff amongst the general population?

http://www.androgel.com/

happened to see a commercial with some scary warnings: "discontinue use if family members exhibit early onset of puberty, hair growth on unusual places on females..."

http://www.patientpov.org/direct-to-consumer-marketing/caveat-emptor-direct-to-consumer-dtc-ads-for-testosterone-replacement-therapy-soar

Aug 11, 2012 at 10:46 PM

I believe it is getting more common. This is for "Low-T" and as the web page indicates, it's designed for healthy males. I hear more and more docs are prescribing it.

disclosure: I know the author and she used a picture of mine in the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/opinion/sunday/how-to-get-doping-out-of-sports.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytopinion&seid=auto

Aug 12, 2012 at 01:25 AM

Wow!

Vaughters just admitted in the New York Times that he doped.

He's hinted at as much before but this is a pretty big step.

Aug 12, 2012 at 02:32 AM

USADA might have forced his hand.

Hinted understates how he's talked around doping in the past.

Aug 12, 2012 at 02:33 AM

I suspect he testified, actually. Time will tell, one hopes.

jfogden

Aug 14, 2012 at 11:58 PM

LA hates JV, has talked shit about him and his teams since he started TIAA-CREF. I am sure JV gave states.

Cabrera Barred 50 Games for Doping

Aug 15, 2012 at 10:24 PM

Not just local and not just cyclists:

Cabrera, 28, the most valuable player of the 2012 All-Star Game, is hitting .346, the second highest average in the National League, with 11 home runs and 60 runs batted in, for a Giants team that was tied with the Dodgers for first place in the National League West entering Wednesday’s games. He leads the major leagues with 159 hits and 84 runs.

Unknown

Aug 16, 2012 at 02:50 AM

I live down in pharma-land (Princeton). In speaking to some researchers from GSK they mentioned that they have had a lot of interest from "endurance athletes" in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GW_501516

It's still in clinical trials and is not approved for human use. Using drugs still in clinical trials is beyond dumb, and it "sounds" like a number of people are doing just that.

Unknown

Aug 16, 2012 at 02:53 AM

On Androgel - DO NOT BRING THAT INTO YOUR HOME IF YOU HAVE KIDS. It will cause havoc with their endocrine system and sets them up for a wide variety of cancers later on in life. The NYT touched on this earlier this year:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/when-hormone-creams-expose-others-to-risks/

Aug 17, 2012 at 03:25 PM

I strongly encourage and recommend shouting when kids safety is involved.

For example COIN SIZED WATCH BATTERIES and RARE EARTH MAGNETS aka "BUCKLEY BALLS"

Both are insanely dangerous.

Keep on hollerin'

http://www.androgel.com/what-is-androgel.aspx

Aug 17, 2012 at 05:17 PM

better yet, from the androgel website

What is AndroGel 1.62%?

AndroGel^® (testosterone gel) 1.62%, a controlled substance (CIII), is a daily testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) that can help bring your T levels back to normal with daily use.

Signs of puberty that are not expected have happened in young children who were accidentally exposed to testosterone through contact with men using AndroGel 1.62%. Women and children should avoid contact with the unwashed or unclothed application area where AndroGel 1.62% has been applied. Patients must strictly follow the recommended instructions for use.

AndroGel 1.62% is a low-volume formulation that comes in a multi-dose pump. It’s a clear, odorless gel that helps bring your T levels back to normal, when used daily. The testosterone in AndroGel 1.62% is the same testosterone that your body makes naturally.

JoshuaC

Sep 01, 2012 at 11:13 AM

http://www.usada.org/media/sanction-lopez8312012

18 Year old tests positive for weed at Junior Track Nationals

<<

USADA announced today that Cesar Lopez of El Paso, Texas, an athlete in the sport of Cycling, has tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a suspension for his doping offense.

Lopez, 18, tested positive for carboxy-THC, a marijuana metabolite in the class of Cannabinoids, in a sample collected on July 13, 2012 at the Junior Track Nationals in Trexlertown, Pa. Cannabinoids are prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the International Cycling Union (UCI) Anti-Doping Rules, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA Prohibited List. Cannabinoids are listed as Specified Substances, and therefore the presence of those substances in an athlete’s sample can result in a reduced sanction.

Lopez accepted a three-month period of ineligibility, which began on August 2, 2012, the day he accepted a provisional sanction. The period of ineligibility was suspended and reduced to time served, after his successful completion of a USADA anti-doping educational program.

As a result of the doping violation, Lopez has been disqualified from his competitive results achieved on July 13, 2012, the day his sample was collected, through and including August 30, 2012, the date he completed the doping education program, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.

>>

Thierry Bonnaire

Sep 01, 2012 at 01:20 PM

Can someone tell me how THC can enhance performance, I would be very happy to know.

vlad

Sep 01, 2012 at 03:42 PM

It can't, although some may argue that it's an analgesic. It might also calm nerves/harsh vibes.

It's also an illegal drug, so there's that... even though I don't think it should be.

Jeff Owens

Sep 01, 2012 at 03:58 PM

Can you liquify it and inject it into your belly fat?

alyoshas

Sep 01, 2012 at 10:40 PM

it can lower your resting heart rate, also yes it tends to diminish the sympathetic system (fight or flight) and its impact on physiological function such that perhaps only the energy focused onto providing power to the pedals of the bicycle is recruited and all other superfluous activity such as stress and eagerness is diminished.

jim_nelson

Sep 01, 2012 at 10:45 PM

unfair advantage during Doritos primes