15 Doping

It's obvious that doping is against the rules of sport. Nowadays many doping stories has finally become public. It's scandalous what has happened in Russia. Finally, an extensive report has shed light on the mecanism of sport management in many countries. The emergence of a doping culture is not a new phenomenon, but recently we have more evidence that entire countries are involved in providing doping to athletes.

1. Swimming
Have you ever heard of teenagers taking performance-enhancing drugs? My brother was a really good swimmer. When he was 14 he won Polish National Championship. He was one of the greatest, promising swimmers. A prestigious school offered him a place at the roll of students. My brother's trainer sent him a list of "supplementary vitamins" (strangely affecting the health of kids, especially the heart). My dad rejected the proposal.

2. Tennis
Maria Sharapova was banned from tennis for 15 months. She had been taking meldonium. It's a kind of medication that increases exercise capacity. Before the press conference, everybody suspected that she was pregnant. It was a real shock, totally unexpected news. Sugarpova, the sweetest tennis player could have done something so... unethical? After being suspended, she could be given a wild-card invitation to get into Roland Garros. She didn't get the card. Journalists said that Sharapova's fans could be disappointed. Seriously? She had been taking prohibited substances so she can't be treated as a tennis player who is returning to tennis after having an injury.