Doping in DanceSport?
In the dancefloor-magazin.ch article on doping controls in DanceSport, editor Reinhard Egli expresses a view that is commonplace in the community.
"Due to the multi-faceted challenges – some of them diametrically opposed and in contrasting areas – doping in DanceSport, as of today, can hardly be purposeful or systematic."
The direct link between prohibited substances and the object of the sport is easily identified in cycling (EPO and endurance) and weightlifting (steroids and strength), but in DanceSport?
While physical exertion in a four-round Ten Dance competition is a notch or two below that of an athlete running in a marathon, it is significant. But is it enough so for cheats to resort to the use of drugs?
All athletes put high demands on their body; those in DanceSport are no exception. But could that lead a cheat to take human growth hormones? They even come conveniently packaged as ingredients in anti-aging cosmetic products.
We will never know the definite answers to these – or similar – questions, and that is exactly why doping controls have their place in DanceSport too. To keep the playing field level for the 99% who do not cheat!
What seems to be clear is that many (if not most) positive tests in DanceSport result from ignorance and carelessness on the part of the athletes. Nutritional supplements, diuretics, weight loss and hair growth products are frequently self-administered. After all, to look and feel good, one doesn’t necessarily have to consult a physician. That could turn out to be the wrong assumption, particularly if these products are purchased from dubious outlets.
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