EuroDisc comments on the recent announcement of the introduction of Drugs Testing at Worlds in Finland
--- Wayne Retter [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Minsu Rauramo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 21:29 Subject: RE: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >Hi everybody, > >I'm really surprised that some ultimate players consider enforcing >anti-doping rules somehow "un-ultimate" and un-spirited. As if anti-doping >regulations were a step towards money-driven, un-spirited sports. To me, >it's vice versa: I think that adhering to anti-doping rules is in accordance >with the spirit of the game. And also helps to keep people attemtping to win >no matter what. To me, anti-doping regulations are essentially in harmony >with an amateur sport. In my opinion, anti-doping has nothing to do with >"the money-virus" or "business sport", as Tarek and Flo claimed. Doping >does. Blaming the regulations for the flagrant violations we see in many >professional sports is barking at the wrong tree. > >Pasi's comment on funding being affected if we're not adhering to the >anti-doping regulations is just a pragmatic side-effect, even if an >important one. The core of the matter for me is to play spirited, with >people who respect the spirit of the game. Doping is not what I call spirit. >This is not to say I would suspect many ultimate players knowingly enhance >their performance. However, enforcing the anti-doping rules puts everybody >on the same line and promotes transparency. > >I strongly disagree with Buddha that the athlete should not be made >responsible for the substances entering his/her body. From personal >experience, I know that it is perfectly manageable. Just ask your doctor or >your pharmacist, but in the end of the day read the labels yourself and >check. Many doctors are shockingly ignorant about the prohibited substances, >so it's really up to each individual to do it. It's a tiny effort, anybody >who can read can tackle the list. To my experience, ultimate players are an >intelligent lot, we can surely manage reading a list and thinking what drugs >we're taking. > >True, there are some parts of the anti-doping regulations that seem out of >place for ultimate. > >First of all, I agree with Buddha that the testing pool obligation is a >rather strong tool for an amateur sport. I hope WFDF uses their common sense >and refrains from using it. > >Secondly, I wasn't very pleased to find out that cannabinoids are now >included in the WADA prohibited list, their use being as wide-spread as it >is. I don't see much use of them enhancing your performance in ultimate. The >way cannabinoids used to be regulated made more sense. That is, it was up to >each sports federation to decide whether it's prohibited or not, and I think >cannabis could could probably enhance your performance in a sport such as >shooting by being calmer and more focused. I suppose that many in the >ultimate community are most stirred up by this particular substance being >prohibited; however, cannabinoids are only prohibited in-competition; >consequently, using cannabis during pratice period is no problem according >to the anti-doping regulations. This also means that the possesion article >Buddha was worried about does not apply to cannabinoids. If any of you >think that we should be free to possess steroids, peptide hormones and the >lot, please go play NHL ice hockey where they don't give a shit about doping >(or spirit either). > >All in all, I'm proud that ultimate is a sport that is clean. And I want to >keep it that way. That's why I welcome the adoption of anti-doping >regulations in WFDF competition. > >Best regards, > >Minsu > >************************* >Minsu Rauramo >Fredrikinkatu 51-53 A 2 >00100 Helsinki, Finland >GSM +358 400 429949 >email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >************************* -----Original Message----- From: Edmund England <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: eurodisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 20:00 Subject: [ED] Doping Hi, I wonder if you Christian S are against doping or if you are against doping tests in a amateur sport as for ultimate frisbee? My stand point is that doping should never be accepted in any sport. Don�t forget that it is the citizens responsibility to have knowledge of the laws of the country you live in and those you visit. I can say that the Swedish law book is thick. So keeping up with the ten page long prohibited list from Wada shouldn�t be an impossible task. Even if we are not professionals, I think it could be acquired of us to know what substances we use. Even if some athletes when tested positive have tried to claim different causes. - Someone has hidden it in my toothpaste. - I drank some cups of coffee the day before competing. - I was recommended by a sports shop to drink this substance and I have full confidence in them. As long as we don�t use medicine, drugs or other alien substances we are 99,9999% sure clean. If you use medicine or take some alien substances you should consult an expert on the field or read the Wada list. Concerning if alcohol should be added to the Wada list is a topic for the Wada organization and not a problem for the frisbee community. I believe that e.g. Marijuana have a painkilling effect which can be great to have day five and six in the Worlds. Those who have booked their ticket for Turku and planned to use drugs at the Worlds should bare in mind that according to the Finnish law possession and usage of drugs is prohibited. Yours Edmund Enskede -----Original Message----- From: Peter Korsten <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 19:03 Subject: Re: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >At the risk of getting my head pulled off, I don't see what the fuss is >all about. If this would indeed mean prohibitive costs for players, then >that would be a bad thing indeed, but is there perhaps any documented >evidence of this happening in other sports that "went pro"? Otherwise, >it's hearsay for the moment. > >As for drugs and sports, I'm of the opinion that the two don't mix. >Given who easy it is to inadvertently cause serious injuries when fully >sober/clean, how will this be when your perception is affected by >alcohol or other mind-altering substances? Replace "playing ultimate" by >"driving a car"; is testing for these substances still so outrageous? > >In regards to performance enhancing drugs, no player who cares a fig >about the Spirit of the Game would ever do that, so nobody has anything >to worry about. > >And the comparison with referees doesn't make sense: I can't see if you >took performance enhancing drugs, but I can bloody well see if you made >a foul or a bad call. I don't need a referee for that, but for the drugs >test I do need a professional. > >- Peter -----Original Message----- From: Pasi Tuulosniemi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'EuroDisc' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 18:50 Subject: Re: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >I beg to differ here. Some of us need to acquire the resources that you >use to play this game (fields, money, co-operation). I understand that >nobody is advocating drug-use here, but the appearance of it would be >enough to be denied many of the critical resources that you all depend >on to be able to play. At least in my federation, anti-doping rules and >tests have been a prerequisite for government aid for several years now. > >I really don't think that we would stand a chance of getting any public >spaces into our use if the sport were know as the "doping rebel". > >So the announcement is really a no-brainer. > >-Pasi Tuulosniemi -----Original Message----- From: Tarek Khouri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'EuroDisc' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 16:56 Subject: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement business rule the world, heavy driving force. but ultimate is one of these beautiful island, not too much affected by the money-virus. true feelings and REAL OLYMPIC competition can still take place. the Olympics today have nothing left to do with the former competition but its flame. We have to fight to preserve this world from the bad and sad system. anti-doping rules are useless until the sport becomes professional. as we are not professional, there is no interest in taking any substance but light drugs or alcohol. that does not really improve the game, although the former can certainly improve the mind, but one would suffer from taking too much of the latter. the one who would take real doping substances for ultimate competition is probably frustrated from many other simple life things and does it under his own risk and responsibility. this story sounds completely crazy to me! "what's going on?" respect to marvin gaye salam tarek - wizards -----Original Message----- From: Florian Spichtig <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 11 May 2004 16:20 Subject: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >dear ultimate world, > >i'm truely shocked about the fact of having anti-doping rules in our >beloved sport. my opinion is that this is another step away from individual >responsibility towards a sport dominated by a powerful worldwide >federation, which is slowely losing its goal of supporting us, the players, >but instead working towards a professional costly organisation, preparing >for the worst case: making ultimate a professional business sport. > >i did not choose ultimate to make it to the olympics. >i did not choose ultimate to earn money with. >i did not choose ultimate to win, but to play! > >i chose ultimate because of its friendly, spirited, low-budget way of living. > >let's keep it this way, and smile while playing! >flo (crazy dogs) > >ps: what does the rest of the ultimate community think of this??? > >_______________________________________ > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://seXXXpensive.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >_______________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: Sean Hackstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 10 May 2004 23:06 Subject: Re: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >Hi, >that's not ok. In my point of view, it's the first step to a none sole ><http://dict.leo.org/?p=14/p..&search=sole> responsibility ><http://dict.leo.org/?p=14/p..&search=responsibility> game. The next >step is a ref on the field or observer , or whatever you what to call >someone who's judging the game. ><http://dict.leo.org/?p=14/p..&search=responsibility> ><http://dict.leo.org/?p=14/p..&search=responsibility> >I know of one other sport that's played without ref. And that's it . >If people not playing for the game, and / or for them self, than >Ultimate Frisbee is the wrong sport for this kind of people. >Have a nice life >Sean -----Original Message----- From: Rene Westenberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 10 May 2004 09:08 Subject: Re: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >Hey everyone, > >Isn't drug testing incredibly expensive? Will this raise tournament >costs to such levels that many players cannot afford to participate >anymore? > >Rene -----Original Message----- From: Christian Schneider <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: EuroDisc <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 09 May 2004 23:59 Subject: [ED] WFDF anti-doping rules announcement >Hey folks, >I'm shocked to read that the WFDF signed the WADA agreement and want to >enforce drug testing, starting with Turku. > >My complaints after browsing through the WFDF/WADA PDF documents: >- It is the athletes responsibility to ensure that no prohibited >substances enters his body. Not knowing what is prohibited does not >protect you. This might be manageable for professionals but is not for >the typical Ultimate player. [1]: Article 2.1.1 >- Possession of a prohibited substance alone is forbidden. [1]: 2.6 >- A testing pool of athletes could be established where each athlete has >to provide information on a daily basis about where he is and what he's >doing related to the sport. Privacy anyone? Appropriate for >non-professionals? [1]: 5.5.1 >- The FAQ states that doping is defined as substance or method to >improve performance and stipulates that this violates spirit of the >game. Since cannabinoids (marijuana etc.) are on the list of prohibited >substances (where the performance improvement is arguable) one could >argue that alcohol should be prohibited too as it tends to increase >aggressiveness which is against SotG. Though experiment: What do you >think of alcohol tests before each game? [3]:1, [2]:S3 >- It is announced that the rules are in place for Turku. Now people have >already registered, planned vacation and booked flights without knowing >that they might run the risk of being excluded from the competition. > >Remember, we are amateur athletes and the WADA rules seem completely >inappriopriate in their current form. > >Concluding questions: >Why was this passed by WFDF? Is this part of the plan to become an >Olympic sport? If yes, is it really worth it? Should we start a campaign >to refuse drug testing, starting with Turku? > >- Buddha > >References: >[1] http://www.wfdf.org/WFDF%20anti-doping%20final.pdf >[2] http://www.wfdf.org/WFDF%202004%20Prohibited%20List.pdf >[3] http://www.wfdf.org/WFDF%20Anti-Doping%20FAQ.pdf __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://pootle.near.me.uk/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/informed.asp
