I was going to post this on "Other Sports" but as there has been no activity since January I thought I'd give it as miss.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the men’s 100M final!

Listening to the crowd’s reaction after their dreams were crushed was sumptuous, I too would have loved for him to finish on a high, but sport can be cruel – get a grip! First item on the National News, really?

I personally found it quite Cathartic, but I’m so used to sporting failure, in fact I challenge anybody to “Top Trump” the Don Fox missed goal for sporting disappointments.

But the thing that really made my blood boil, NO not the two times drug cheat who turned his life around & won gold at thirty five years old.... it was this.

When they were walking out doing some freaky moves, behind them was a banner or something saying – 100M MEN FINAL I think?

What has happened to the ‘S?

Although it was a long way from the "happy ending" that the media and many fans around the world, it was only a race and it's not going to affect anyones day to day life.
As far a Gatlan is concerned, after serving his 2 year ban, he followed the rules and came back and won.
If this is so unpalatable, then, perhaps there should be a rule change ?

It was an oooh not a boooh one of the BBC commentators stated as they rowed back the following morning.

2 bans both appealed both reduced- He has a very good legal team.

Cas are looking at him as a potential winger

The 100m has always been the most overrated sporting event there is IMO.

Of course he's served his bans, but the residual benefits from his use of banned substances will still be there, when he was taking these substances he changed his physicality & will be in a better condition now at 35 than if he had played by the rules all along.

People generally do deserve second (& sometimes third) chances in life, like the South African long jump winner who turned his life around, that was a great story. But when an athlete cheats so blatantly & still benefits from the results of cheating, it's hard to celebrate his success.

Should there be a rule change? Definitely. A 2 year ban is almost worthwhile when the benefits are so great

It's quite incredible that the media are trying to say that it wasn't "booing" and that it was more of an "oo" from the crowd.
Than was just cringe worthy, especially when there was the same reaction at the medal ceremony

In most cases maybe. Lance Armstrong would probably disagree as he is being pursued by sponsors for sponsorship money to be returned, event mgt for event winnings etc etc

Its a dangerous game, without thinking about health impacts

Indeed. I was talking more specifically about athletics, but you're right on Armstrong. Hopefully seeing what's happening to him will act as an even bigger deterrent for those thinking about cheating.

I wonder just how many sportstars are actually totally 'clean' and perform with absolutely no enhancement supplements or additives or allowed 'medications', and rely wholly on exercise and a regular planned (actual food based) diet ?

Unless you are taking banned substances then you are, by definition, "clean". I don't see what adding "supplements" or "additives" into the mix is relevant. All food you consume is a long list of individual substances and additives, and a "supplement" is just an extra portion of something you already consume. Would Popeye fall foul of something for his spinach supplements? He would clearly not hae won as many fights as he did had he been totally spinach-free.

It just means that there's always that fine line between those substances and medications that are legal and those that aren't, noting both are designed to give an additional enhancement to natural performance.

Some people stray over that line due to poor choices or bad advice, others don't but gain unnatural advantages through things other than just hard work and training too.

There's way too much money in sport to suggest that people won't bend/exploit the rules to give them the maximum, albeit allowable, advantage, whether a doctor signing off a TUE or those drugs which might not be detected or aren't yet on the banned list.

Its not as clear cut as some cheat and some don't, just that some are better at avoiding falling foul of the rules, whether through morales or money is debatable.