Michael Phelps calls for anyone who tests positive for a prohibited substance to be banned for life “I believe one and done,” he said. Phelps also spoke on his disappointment in the results of the US men at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Phelps has been vocal in his opinion regarding anti-doping. He and Allison Schmitt testified at a United States Congressional hearing before the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation in June.
Both took aim at WADA’s handling over 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the banned substance TMZ at the start of 2021 and some went on to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games about six months later.
Reports have also been released on two other case in which Chinese swimmers have tested positive but have not been punished. In 2016 and 2017, three Chinese swimmers tested positive for clenbuterol. The swimmers were cleared using contamination as the explanation. Just last week, the New York Times released another case in which Chinese swimmers tested positive as two swimmers tested positive for metandienone in late 2022, citing burgers from a night out were the source.
Phelps had said of WADA, “We need to hold them responsible.” His most recent comments speak on the athletes. “If you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again, cut and dry,” he said. “I believe one and done.”
“If everybody is not going through that same testing, I have a serious problem because it means the level of sport is not fair and it’s not even,” Phelps continued. “If you’re taking that risk, then you don’t belong in here.”
He also spoke on his regular testing, saying he subjected himself to taking extra tests before the 2008 Beijing Olympics so make sure no one could doubt that he was clean.
“People called me a cheater throughout my career,” he said while in Paris. “I subjected myself to do more testing, blood and urine, weekly. Why? For the reason that I could say I’m not cheating and I am clean and here are the results,” he continued. “I won 23 Olympic gold medals the clean way. It can be done.”
Phelps also spoke on the results of the US at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The US led the medal table a the end of the 9-day competition with 8 gold medals, 1 more than Australia who was 2nd on the medal table with 7 golds. Overall, the US led with 28 total medals, no other country had more than 18 as Australia was 2nd in total medals as well.
Phelps said, “The other people are catching up, they’re doing the same thing, right? So hopefully we are able to make that transition into 2028.” He continued, “For me as a whole, I was pretty disappointed to see the US swimming results. Obviously there were a few standout swims and those you have to recognize.”
Bobby Finke was the swimmer that Phelps gave recognition to as Finke set a World Record in the men’s 1500 freestyle with a 14:30.67. The US men were down to their final individual event, with Finke in the final of the 1500, to continue their streak of winning at least one gold medal at every Olympic Games since 1900. Finke delivered, bringing home the lone individual gold medal for the US men. The gold was also significant as it tied the US with Australia for 7 gold medals each, before the US women won the 4×100 medley relay to close the meet on top.
Regarding the Chinese, Swimswam would do the swimming world a solid if they landed an interview with Dennis Cotterell.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/china-shuts-up-michael-phelps-in-doping-scandal-war/ss-AA1osoqu?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=7b98eb69848b45f795367c6657c1f95b&ei=7
Suddenly, after all these years, Katie Ledecky reveals that she has POTS.
She says this is treated by diet, but does she actually have a medical exemption hiding in the background?
It seems odd that she would reveal it this year.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/why-katie-ledecky-initially-kept-her-pots-diagnosis-private/5678196/
Some of the treatments for POTS, such as beta-blockers (which slow your heart rate) seem like the opposite of performance enhancing.
From what Ledecky has said it sounds like she’s able to manage it with diet and lifestyle. So, she eats more salt and drinks more fluids. That’s it.
As to why she’s revealing it now; my guess is that it just has to do with publishing her book.
Fludrocortisone is a very common treatment for POTS and it is banned by WADA. Actually most treatments for POTS are banned by WADA so she very likely has multiple TUEs.
citation needed
She has a right to privacy if she did nothing wrong.
The issue is when people don’t want her to win. And so even the smallest possibility that she may be doping, would be considered threatening to them. Nobody can really know 100 percent and that’s the issue about disclosing stuff.
Ironically the more you talk about it, the more people are going to wonder if it’s true. And that’s the problem with disclosing stuff even when innocent. People will wonder.
What happened to “transparency”? What about the privacy of Chinese athletes? Every athlete should state what they are taking, accept it as being an athlete there is nothing to be ashamed about when having medical conditions…only if you fake it and get ped from tue
If you are TUE exempted then you should exclude from Olympic platform. The platform is meant for healthy sports and competitive competitions.
Former athlete here. If you want to see change the rule should be your country has X amount of athletes caught doping the head of swimming in that country gets a lifetime ban from being involved in sports. Coach has more than 3 athletes caught lifetime ban. Then keep all the rules the same for athletes. Guarantee you no one would be doping. Banning people who are replaceable (athletes) wouldn’t make a difference go top down if you want results.
Given the comments so far on the article, I’ll likely get flack for this.
I agree with a one and done policy. I also would take it a step further and say if you miss three tests, that’s also an immediate ban. I also would like there to be far more scrutiny around TUEs.
On the flip side, I would want to see a stronger appeals process put in place than what we have today.
Can you give reasons for this?
Because at the end of the day, many cases of d*ping aren’t really intentional on the athlete’s side, and not all cases of contamination can be proven. To effectively end an athlete’s career for a decision they didn’t make or for just simply being unfortunate is unjust, and isn’t actually better for the sport.
That’s where the stronger appeals process comes in.
Automatic provisional ban on a positive case pending appeal. If it’s contamination, let that come out in the appeal. In general I tend to take a pretty hard tack on unintentional doping cases, but again, that’s where a more robust appeals process comes into play.
Okay, I get where you are coming from.
Still, even a stronger appeals process isn’t invincible, and unjust lifelong bans will be dealt no question. In general, if you look at other areas of life and society, a one and done approach is never the way to go, because it ignores the capacity for change. Plus it’s generally accepted that nobody in pro sports is 100% clean.
Am I the only one who thinks things work pretty well as is? People are getting off who maybe popped for small amounts of stuff for which there is hardly much evidence it even makes much difference, and those busted for the real stuff like anabolic steroids or like substances are getting real bans.
Without solid evidence, accusations can lead to unnecessary controversy and potentially harm innocent athletes.
That’s why evidence is needed to avoid ever doing just that. What Phelps is really advocating for is the opposite and to disregard need of evidence and rush to accuse China despite Wada already clearing them under due process. And unfortunately a lot of populist types are too willing to embrace calling China as cheats especially when the proof is insufficient.
It would be better to first provide evidence that those swimmers were cheating before calling them to be banned. WADA hasn’t even claimed that they were cheating. What basis does Phelps have to decide that they were? Anyone can easily accuse him of cheating and don’t need evidence either.
What Phelps need to understand is that you can’t make accusations without evidence. You can’t just say a person is Chinese and hence it doesn’t matter if Wada clears them and there is no conclusive evidence. That any Chinese must now be ruled as guilty regardless of no evidence to prove it. He makes a lot of loaded statements and just shows that is promoting a racist mentality that teaches to treat any Chinese as guilty regardless of what WADA or real science expertise thinks.
Where did Phelps say “ a person is Chinese and hence it doesn’t matter if Wada clears them”? You’re just projecting your own guilty conscience because your country can’t win without cheating
Lol is that not what both he and you are saying? 🤡
You wrote that China can’t win without cheating.
And he hadn’t shown any evidence that those athletes cheated and yet already jumping to conclusions that they need to be banned.
Again, where does he say that any specific nation’s athletes need to be banned? 100% projection from a guilty conscience on your part, lol
That’s exactly what it is and what Phelps is advocating.
No evidence that those Chinese swimmers are cheating yet he is already regarding them as cheats and wanting them to be banned for life.
Where does he call out the Chinese specifically? That’s just your projection
Clearly you didn’t watch and read what Phelps said🥲🥲