Gene cheats aim to conquer Olympics

Gene cheats aim to conquer Olympics(2001, May 13) The Guardian, by R. McKie and D. MacKay [link]

One of the questions raised by this article is whether gene doping will undermine other aspects of the sporting 'struggle'. More must be said about this struggle to be clear why tihis question is important and whether it is a valid concern. Few experts would argue that doping of any kind provides a sure way to gold medals or world records. At most, it provides an edge to competition, though frequently by allowing an athlete to work harder. If this is the case and if we can imagine gene doping in a similar way, then it would not detract from the struggle an athlete encounters. Rather, it would provide the means to achieve a greater level of excellence in their performance.

The way in which drug cheats have been demonised in the press requires much more careful scrutiny. there is good reason to believe that the concern about such alterations is tied up with a cultural discourse surrounding the unknown, monstrous or other rather than a genuine concern for what is ethical in sport.