The sad reality of the upcoming Olympic games in Beijing is that nobody in any sport is free from doubts that they are doping. As performance enhancers and the rougue scientists that provide them continue to get increasingly more sophisticated and covert, the technology of testing for those drugs have lagged behind to the point where it is literally guaranteed that some, if not a majority of dopers will not be caught. Doping has become so sophisticated that some cheaters will never be caught, unless they confess, such as the case of Marion Jones.
Consider the impact that the Marion Jones doping scandal has had on sports. The Olympics were forever marred by its former American hero, who all along the way before being testified against sweetly declared her innocence. Her case proves that a sophisticated doping regimen is undetectable with the current quality and quantity of testing. Additionally, the reputation of American athletes as a whole suffered in the international community, with suspicions rising that wealthier American athletes are only dominant because of access to better drugs.
Then there is the case of Dara Torres, who at the age of 41, following two surgeries within the past year and six years out of retirement has been dominant in the Olympic qualifiers. While she has attracted many fans, many doubters have emerged as well, wondering how a woman who is supposed to be well past her physical prime is dominating competitors that are half her age in a sport driven by power and speed. While she has commited to an "open book" drug testing policy, many remain skeptical and refer to Marion Jones' years of passing drug tests before finally being caught.
While doping is nothing new, its begun to register with Olympic viewers that the extent of the crime is no longer limited to just a few bad apples. The pressure to remain competitive in a culture that is increasingly open to performance enhancing drugs have no doubt swayed many to cheat. And while I will still be riveted to my television for those 16 days, my doubts about the legitimacy of the games will have never been higher.