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| WTC’s new Ironman Pro Anti-Doping Program |
      WTC’s new Ironman Pro Anti-Doping Program – “You’re the dope if you believe it works!” In the first editorial piece I wrote, I discussed the new program for professional/elite triathletes wanting to race Ironman events, and how this program should force them to really consider if they want to support WTC, or vote with their feet and support independent race directors who offer better support. To review, here’s a brief summary of the program: 1. All pros must pay $750, renewable annually, in order to compete at any official WTC event. At which point, they are no longer charged for entries for the year. 2. This cost supposedly goes toward the new drug testing program. (This is where the focus of this piece will be.). 3. All pros must finish within 5% of the winner in their gender, in order to claim a Kona slot. 4. All pros must finish within 8% of the winner in their gender, in order to receive any prize money. 5. Originally, any prize money not claimed due to the 8% rule, would NOT be redistributed, but instead kept by WTC. This rule changed after just two events, when it became clear that this was poor policy. The new drug testing program is poorly designed and will fail to do anything of substance. WTC claims this new fee and program will allow them to test athletes out of competition, not just at events. Amazingly, if an athlete pays $750 as a pro, then this will take care of all the random, out of competition drug tests for all athletes involved! At least, this is what we are lead to believe, even though our simple math skills help us know it It will not cover the plane tickets, hotel, car rental, gas and food for the tester, as well as the cost for the test, plus all the other administrative work, for more than a single testing of the athlete. But WTC leads us to believe that the pros must pay this fee to cover the costs of the testing. The biggest reason this new drug testing plan is a failure is because athletes do not need to even enter the drug testing pool until they have applied and been granted a membership, which is due one month before the event the athlete would like to enter. Basically, an athlete gets to choose when they get tested. It doesn’t take a medical degree to understand testing windows of performance enhancing drugs. Anyone with access to Google can get that in an instance. When athletes control the testing, it isn’t objective, it’s a disguise to the sporting world of sport trying to show it as something it is not. Interestingly enough, there hasn’t been drug testing at some of the WTC events this year, where prize money has been distributed. Even worse, there are many pro’s who have paid their fee for the program, yet have not once been asked for their whereabouts, or even tested yet! So the question remains, what did this money pay for? What is different this year than years past which was random testing at random events? I think it’s important to point out, I don’t even believe drugs in triathlon are anywhere near the problem at the elite level compared to other, higher profile, bigger money sports, like NFL, MLB, PGA and cycling. The pro’s in triathlon simply do not have the financial backing and/or income stream to support systematic-doping, save for about four or five athletes. Age groupers have more financial means to make this happen. So with all these holes in this system and the lack of current enforcement, I think you’d have to be on drugs yourself to think it is anything but a failure. But hey, at least WTC made $750 from each pro. All pros need to truly consider if this fee and this program is something they want to be a part of. The power of the pros is really untested, and this may be the test which brings about their power. Jim Vance is a USAT Level 2 and Elite Coach for TrainingBible Coaching, and an elite triathlete. Questions or comments can be sent to jvance@trainingbible.com Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites       |