Russians not entirely banned from Olympics as some athletes will get arbitration

I am glad to see this. I guess I am confused. This idea that enhancements are banned. What this basically means that an individual with high levels of certain hormones have advantages when combined with nations who have training facilities which can maximize the same. A kid in Kenya may be the best long distance runner in the world, but economics do not make it a level playing field. Yet, the world gets their panties in a bind if some take enhancements. Fortunately sanity has stopped a blanket ban of innocent kids wanting to compete, but the whole premise is that a natural freak is better than an unnatural freak......a distinction I simply do not understand.

I mean in fifth grade this kid in my school became a man. Facial hair, pubic hair, muscles, much faster than most of us, yet he was not taller than me but he weighed about a 130 pounds in fifth grade, and I was hairless, skinny, and when I tried to tackle him in fifth grade tackle football he simply ran me over. He was shaving by seventh grade, and was the star running back all the way through high school, and the girls loved him. I really did not start getting facial hair until my Junior year in high school and then I just kept getting bigger, stronger and did not stop growing until my sophomore year in College.

I ran into Ralph at a White Sox game about five years ago and he barely came up to my chest, and he was still in pretty good shape and had not put on weight, and still had that heavy beard, but was clean shaven. I would now crush him in football, and although I was just about as fast as him in Junior high, I would have blown by him in college. Yet, because of early hormone influence he dominated Junior high school sports, and did nothing post high school because other kids got big in due time. How is someone like Ralph much different than a Russian who takes a supplement when he was the stud in junior high?

2seaoat wrote:I am glad to see this.   I guess I am confused.  This idea that enhancements are banned.   What this basically means that an individual with high levels of certain hormones have advantages when combined with nations who have training facilities which can maximize the same.  A kid in Kenya may be the best long distance runner in the world, but economics do not make it a level playing field.  Yet, the world gets their panties in a bind if some take enhancements.   Fortunately sanity has stopped a blanket ban of innocent kids wanting to compete, but the whole premise is that a natural freak is better than an unnatural freak......a distinction I simply do not understand.

I mean in fifth grade this kid in my school became a man.   Facial hair, pubic hair, muscles, much faster than most of us, yet he was not taller than me but he weighed about a 130 pounds in fifth grade, and I was hairless, skinny, and when I tried to tackle him in fifth grade tackle football he simply ran me over.  He was shaving by seventh grade, and was the star running back all the way through high school, and the girls loved him.  I really did not start getting facial hair until my Junior year in high school and then I just kept getting bigger, stronger and did not stop growing until my sophomore year in College.

I ran into Ralph at a White Sox game about five years ago and he barely came up to my chest, and he was still in pretty good shape and had not put on weight, and still had that heavy beard, but was clean shaven.   I would now crush him in football, and although I was just about as fast as him in Junior high, I would have blown by him in college.  Yet, because of early hormone influence he dominated Junior high school sports, and did nothing post high school because other kids got big in due time.   How is someone like Ralph much different than a Russian who takes a supplement when he was the stud in junior high?

Part of it is genetics and the rest is probably diet and lifestyle. You know kids mature at different ages, and if it's not readily apparent in males, it certainly is in females. I remember being one of the tallest people in my 6th grade class...not so the next year. The boys had a growth spurt that summer.

But I am opposed to the use of steroids and growth hormones by athletes. They do long term harm...and I think the practice would soon spiral out of control in competitive games...and I emphasize the word 'games'.

They said country strong. I made the semis of the football arm wrestling contest every year in hs. I would beat bigger guys until I gave up more that fifty or so pounds. They all thght I had a secret or something cause I never lifted weights... but it was just good genes... and a ton of hard work.

Strong bones and connective tissue. I have a very good friend who played Guard on Wisconsin's football team. He is one of the strongest men I have known. About forty his tendons just began to fail.....first his knees, and then his biceps where while playing adult softball his biceps just rolled up because of failure in ligaments and tendons. His kids played with my kids. His oldest daughter and son blew out both knees and had ACL surgery, but both had full rides. His youngest daughter played with my daughter and their team looked like they were state bound......ACL and they were out in the regional final
. The whole family has the curse of Dad, and have suffered more issues as they get older. Huge athletic family which has one weakness which limits their performance.