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Olympic Doping and False Positives

Started by SGOS, May 14, 2021, 08:46:36 AM

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SGOS

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/opinion/brenda-martinez-doping-depression-olympics.html?campaign_id=39&emc=edit_ty_20210514&instance_id=30791&nl=opinion-today&regi_id=129705843&segment_id=58050&te=1&user_id=33a2a6e6868fd65c48b0f219d16ed7c2

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When Brenda Martinez, an Olympian and one of the top track and field athletes in America, tested positive for a banned substance in September 2020, the source was a prescription drug that is not athletically performance-enhancing or even prohibited: an antidepressant. Her pills were contaminated with a diuretic that was not listed on the label and is not allowed. The episode almost derailed her career.
To keep a level playing field, Doping can't be allowed, so I understand the Olympic Committee's obsession with it, which leads to these odd situations like contaminated legal drugs.  If the Food and Drug Administration were equally obsessed, this wouldn't happen.

I don't mean to be negative about the FDA.  In this case, they were being lax about an impurity that was not harmful under normal circumstances.  I don't know if there can be a workaround involving trace amounts of drugs during Olympic testing or not.  Perhaps before going public with an athlete's tests, they may want to test whatever medications an athlete is using for purity, before wrecking someones career and reputation.