The drugs-in-sport delusion

Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles are under threat should doping charges be upheld against him. Photo: AFP

Bans on performance enhancers don't make elite competition fairer.

THE 2012 Tour de France starts this weekend under yet another drugs cloud. The US Anti-Doping Agency's recent announcement of ''doping'' charges against Lance Armstrong and others is no small matter.

If the case is proven, it will nullify Armstrong's record seven Tour de France wins between 1999 and 2005, and reverberate much more widely through international cycling. This being an Olympic year, it amplifies the relevance of this case for world sport generally.

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It is a good time to reflect on our current thinking about performance enhancement in sport.

Most people are against performance enhancing drugs in elite sport based on the fairness and equity ideal of a level playing field, and a belief that ''doping'' is unnatural and poses a health risk.

But what is the truth of performance enhancement in elite competition? Let's take the level playing field idea first.

These days, elite-level sportspeople have an increasing array of performance enhancing options and technologies available - from lighter, smoother, stronger, and more aerodynamic competition clothing and equipment to scientifically advanced skills and fitness training regimes. The list goes on.

Access to these resources is far from equal. Major equity gaps exist across and within countries as a function of national wealth, development and politics. Gaps also exist between certain sports due to differences in marketability and public profile, and related funding.

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The drugs-in-sport delusion