Dear Editor,

As another doping scandal unfolds, it reveals the rotten underbelly of competitive sports.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) cover-up of drug violations, allowing athletes to compete despite testing positive, is a stark reminder of the systemic corruption that plagues this world.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) assurances of a “good and robust” global anti-doping system ring hollow when we see the USADA’s blatant disregard for the rules. The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) condemnation of USADA’s actions is a rare moment of truth in a sea of hypocrisy.

But what’s most disturbing is the silence of the athletes who benefited from this corrupt system. Their complicity speaks volumes about the culture of fear and intimidation that pervades the world of competitive sports.

We must ask ourselves: What does it mean to win at all costs? What does it say about our global society and America in particular when people valorise victory over fairness, when this world prioritises medals over morality?

The doping scandal is not just about cheating, it’s about the very soul of competitive sports. It’s about the corruption that festers when world leaders and developed countries prioritise national pride over human dignity.

We need to question the entire edifice of the Olympics and competitive sports, built as it is on the principles of aggression, domination, and exploitation. We need to imagine a different way of engaging with physical activity, one that prioritises joy, community, and mutual respect.

Until then, the doping scandal will continue to haunt us, a reminder of the dark underbelly of our collective psyche.

Yannick Nesta Pessoa

yannickpessoa@yahoo.com