Clara Hughes Talks About Doping Positive

[spartanKid]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/clara-hughes-reveals-1994-doping-positive/

It's ephedrine, not EPO, test, etc. I think what's more interesting is the additional evidence that federations and national teams were all supportive of sweeping positive tests under the rug.

[RonW87]

She's sort of a saint here in Canada. I wonder if this will dent her halo.

[DarkStar]

She's sort of a saint here in Canada. I wonder if this will dent her halo.
Doubt it, at least not by me.

[Idris Icabod]

She's sort of a saint here in Canada. I wonder if this will dent her halo.

I chatted with her for a few miles years ago when she was down training in Tucson. I hadn't heard of her but went home and searched her on Google, I was pretty blown away with her accomplishments. I remember her being really friendly so she gets my stamp of approval for as little as that is worth.

[summilux]

No possible way to dent that halo. Olympian. Activist. All round nice person.

From her, the cough syrup story is believable.

[CunegoFan]

Her allegation of Nazi frogmen spiking her water bottle while she was in the loo sounds totally legit.

[echappist]

No possible way to dent that halo. Olympian. Activist. All round nice person.

From her, the cough syrup story is believable.

i'm not as sure. And that's coming from someone who don't have many favorite athletes but has had Hughes listed as one of my favorites on facebook since 2010. I'm not going to remove her name from the list now that this is out, but i think it's important to be able to differentiate a particular failing from overall personal character.

She has indeed done much to raise awareness for mental health and the plight of the First Nation, but those are red herrings as far as doping is concerned. Then again, i don't view dopers per se as odious people; it's just that the most famous of the bunch (e.g. Lance) was a psychopaths as well as a doper. It's the same reason why people are willing to overlook what Jens Voigt has done despite going toe-to-toe in a two-man break with a rampant Vino at the 2005 Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

[soulspinner]

Her allegation of Nazi frogmen spiking her water bottle while she was in the loo sounds totally legit.

:)

[peanutgallery]

When you're right you're right

A few of her predecessors in this kind of thing may have this particular angle trademarked. It's so 1994

Her allegation of Nazi frogmen spiking her water bottle while she was in the loo sounds totally legit.

[Grant McLean]

A few people around here fail the test for compassion
on a fairly regular basis. lifetime ban from humanity?

-g

[93legendti]

Go easy on Clara, since Elvis Stojko retired, Canada doesn't have many sports heroes. :D


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/former-canadian-olympic-star-reveals-1994-doping-violation-171306043--spt.html;_ylt=A0LEVwx_k_FV6qMAvy3BGOd_;_ylu=X3oDMT ByMDgyYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--


"Ephedrine promotes short-term weight loss, specifically by burning fat, and is used to improve performance before a competition. It also is found in cold medication and can help fight lung infections. It may be used as a stimulant, concentration aid, decongestant and appetite suppressant."

[andrew+]

I'm surprised ephedrine is illegal. It's a stimulant comparable to caffeine, available over the counter, and a common ingredient in "pre-workouts," or at least was in the past.

At the very least we should discriminate between something like this and "harder" doping: EPO, test, FG-4592, etc.

[mg2ride]

Sounds like the same as excuses that every cheater uses!

[Stephen2014]

Anything from "food doping" (taking an energy gel beyond the distance limit of a race stage and paying a fine) and maybe getting the boost to win an otherwise unwinnable stage, up to what Lanceyboy did are all wrong, no excuses.

[goonster]

I'm surprised ephedrine is illegal. It's a stimulant comparable to caffeine, available over the counter, and a common ingredient in "pre-workouts," or at least was in the past.

It was all fun and games until some lard-ass minor league pitcher gobbled one handful too many, a few years ago. Congressional hearings followed, and OTC availability is now severely curtailed.

Also, ephedrine is in a slightly different league from caffeine, as any long-haul trucker knows ...

[goonster]

Her allegation of Nazi frogmen spiking her water bottle while she was in the loo sounds totally legit.

Nazi frogmen: very underrated.

Your scepticism plays right into their hands!