Two Hungarian kayakers withdrawn from the Olympic team after failing dope test
August 4th, 2016Népszabadság thinks the blame should be laid at the door of officials who make a good living risking the health of young athletes.
In its front page editorial, Népszabadság says the case corroborates the widespread view that practically all world class sports people use some kind of illegal substances to boost their performance. What is at stake is money – and on both sides. The Olympics must preserve the semblance of purity because the big international sponsors want to avoid negative publicity. On the other hand, athletes will only be paid by their sponsors if they are successful. Népszabadság would find it hard to condemn individual athletes for whom successful Olympic performance may guarantee a decent living for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, the beneficiaries of this crooked system – physicians, chemists, public officials and leaders of sports associations – put the lives and the honour of young athletes at risk. They dump the few who are caught and make a good living from the successes of the rest. Népszabadság would therefore deem it desirable for the suspended sportsmen to reveal the names of those who administered the illegal substances to them.
Tags: drugs, Olympic Games