sports

Tokyo pledges 'model' drug-free Games

30 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

30 Comments
Login to comment

If Japan has "one of the world's highest standards of medical care", why are there so many crap doctors here?!

Because as usual it must be "one of the world's highest standards" in the.... country.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Care to mention any names?

I am scared of mentioning names, but (for the reasons outlined below) sumo wrestlers in general, and a certain swimmer in particular.

I think that drugs in Japanese sport are as rare as drugs are in Japanese society so that means there are likely to be more rare than in other countries. But at the same time, afaik, I have heard that drug checking and regulation in Sumo is not as strict as in other sports (perhaps because Sumo is not entirely a sport, more a way of life). Any Japanese sports person that trains with sumo wrestlers, or in the same gym, may, may, thus be open to scrutiny.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Drug free? Impossible, are you going to pre-screen everyone before the games?

I Japan means "we will catch all people using drugs"... to say otherwise is just wrong and sets you up for failure

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Meaningless - most of the drugs used to build up an athlete will be taken long before they arrive in Japan, and in all probability excreted out of the body and thus be undetectable and unmeasurable. To detect the previous use of some of them you need to have historical data, measuring not the presence of drug, but different proportions of natural body components, not a single point in time test.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The Japanese are very keen on Skin care products. I don't have recent statistics but the market for skin care products was twice as large (in money) in Japan than in the USA even though the population was half of the USA at the end of the 1970's.

@ timtak - OK then - they are big fans of skin care products. Maybe it is just bad luck some have bad skin - including the athletes you suspect. Sorry, but I am not buying into a theory that Japanese athletes are using testosterone simply on the basis of bad skin. I'm sure they are generally as clean as anywhere.

Care to mention any names?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

one of the world’s highest standards of medical care

According to WHO, Japan is 10, Spain is 7 and Turkey 71.

The main concern with Tokyo is the high cost of hotels, the highest of the 3 cities. The Olympics may be Tokyo to loose and it may be their politicians with their frequent gaffes. There is still the issue of Fukushima which is only a wind direction away. Japan may be more politically stable than Turkey, more financially set than Spain with debt 84% of GDP and Japan with debt approaching 250% of GDP, there is always the spectator of natural and man made disasters. With a 70% chance of M7 in the next 4 years, the Tokyo 2016 Olympics may rival the 1989 World Series.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Not so sure. I reckon Japanese simply don't have/use the skin-care products the west has done for a few decades.

The Japanese are very keen on Skin care products. I don't have recent statistics but the market for skin care products was twice as large (in money) in Japan than in the USA even though the population was half of the USA at the end of the 1970's.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Just love all the Japan bashers who comment regularly here. No Japanese athlete in the Olympics or any world competitions has ever been disqualified for using performance enhancing drugs. That is not true for most other countries; in recent years quite a few American, Chinese and Australian athletes have. Use of illegal drugs is not nearly as big a problem in Japan as it is in many other countries; maybe because the laws are more strict.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Timtak:

It seems to me - I have no proof at all - that certain successful sportspersons in Japan may be using testosterone, especially in certain Japanese national sport(s). I base this, baseless, claim on the naive fact that some of them have bouts of acne (zits), either all the time, or, in more regulate sports, a few months before competing. Watch out for grown men with acne - they are not adolescents.

Not so sure. I reckon Japanese simply don't have/use the skin-care products the west has done for a few decades. Similar to the dental situation in Japan. Many of my uni students have shockingly bad skin. I wouldn't say performance enhancing drugs were to blame - they just have not caught up to other rich nations yet.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I made a comment about Japan's derogatory tone towards other countries' drug control measures and about the recent hazings and bullying within the pro-am sporting ranks within Japan and it was removed. Pardon me for pointing out Japan is in no position to tout drug free games. They don't use drugs! They use intimidation and bullying to enhance performance! The only difference is, it happens behind closed doors in Japan and is rarely reported. So, taking caffeine is a no no, but beating your sportspeople with a kendo stick is OK. Sounds fair to me, NOT!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The Japanese government is completely deluded with regards to anything drug-related. This article is propaganda personified..

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I was shocked, because especially for athletes, I would think coffee would have terrible effects on their digestive system and what not.

Well you'd be a little behind on the data then. The coffee research done many moons ago didn't take into count that many coffee drinkers were male and smokers at the time. Coffee actually has does have health benefits (increased metabolism and antioxidants ) and athletes are well know to drink coffee - or take caffeine supplements. Supplements cost a lot so coffee is often used because it is cheaper.

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/coffee_health.htm Also included references.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Exacting testing in top-notch laboratories combined with strong social disapproval of chemical enhancements give Japan a leading edge in the race to stamp out doping in sport, advocates say.

Is that why I get 7 different pills to take when I get a cold??

we are proud to have one of the world’s highest standards of medical care

hahaha

(well, he was smart to use the words "one of," and "world," which means compared to places that are a mess like Sudan, or Afghanistan, then yes they do).

Translation; "we are shikkari shiteiru, responsible and clean and pure, unlike all those dirty unreliable foreign places. so of course we will do a better job because we are inately better."

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It seems to me - I have no proof at all - that certain successful sportspersons in Japan may be using testosterone, especially in certain Japanese national sport(s). I base this, baseless, claim on the naive fact that some of them have bouts of acne (zits), either all the time, or, in more regulate sports, a few months before competing. Watch out for grown men with acne - they are not adolescents.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

If Japan has "one of the world's highest standards of medical care", why are there so many crap doctors here?!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

“Japan is a world leader in anti-doping, and we are proud to have one of the world’s highest standards of medical care,”

Geez, nothing like a shameless plug for the medical system, which has ZERO to do with doping. Medical technology in testing for drugs perhaps?

“Athletes here convey a positive image with values such as health, effort, sportsmanship, which elevates them to the level of heroes for many people,”

Yeah, until they are intentionally forgotten by everyone who jumped on the bandwagon to cheer those athletes on once said athletes don't live up to they pedestal the media put them on. How is Ishikawa Ryu these days, by the way?

“And the statistics show that there is a very low incidence of doping in Japan. I suspect that is related to the social structure and the character of Japanese sport,”

This is just sad... does he mean the same social structure and character of Japanese sport that allow you to murder young wrestlers in the same stable with pipes and bottles? the same that allows sexual and physical abuse of its Judokai? that allows the leaders of sports committees to decide to illegally use different balls than are mandated?

I have zero doubt Japan is in the lead in terms of doping tests and the technology to prevent it as much as it can be, but some of the claims made here are outrageous and unjustified. Combine that with the constant claims it would help people in Tohoku and be a symbol of reconstruction, that it would not be subject to terrorism like the Boston Marathon (and I used Euphemism), anti-Korean protests in the heart of Tokyo, etc., and I don't think Tokyo deserves the games any more than the other two cities, and still hope Istanbul gets it. The riots you can deal with -- "the character of Japanese sport and social structure" is something that will never change, and never be truly accepting.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Canadian Dick Pound - Hahaha

Shouldn't that be "Canadian Dick 453.5 Grams"?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I had a lesson the other day with three higher level students, all Japanese men in their 50's or 60's. The lesson mentioned coffee, so we were talking about that. One of the students said that straight, black coffee is really good for you. I looked kind of shocked, because in America, coffee may have some health benefits, but it wouldn't be considered "really good for you". He said that Olympic coaches in Japan tell their athletes to drink straight black coffee every day. I was shocked, because especially for athletes, I would think coffee would have terrible effects on their digestive system and what not. I told him about how there's a host of health risks with coffee consumption, and he said they were told to only drink a "small amount" a day. The small amount was 5 cups a day. I told him that no matter the health benefits, that is way too much caffeine to be considered healthy, and he said that Japanese doctors recommended it, too.

Now, reading this article and also factoring in the scandal earlier this year where the Japanese Olympic bid chief said Japan was safer than any other country and wouldn't be bombed like the Boston Marathon, I have a feeling everyone involved in the Olympics in Japan has never set foot outside the country nor has a shred of common sense when it comes to how things actually work. As others commented, in this land of corruption, I wouldn't be even close to surprised if the majority of doping cases here were covered up. Just like a 98% conviction rate doesn't mean that you've always caught the right guy, having only 40 REPORTED doping cases doesn't mean there's not more.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I think Istanbul had it in the bag until all the issues that have cropped up. :(

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

I would have thought it was upto to the olympic organisers to deal with the drugs in the games not the host country, shouldnt drug free games be the olympic organisers/committee's responsibility?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Not so easy when you invite the world. Japan has very different attitude to drugs on the whole contrasted to some other countries. How are you going to change their attitudes? Enforcement is not the only way.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

We can’t say that any country is absolutely doping free, but we obviously do know that some have more risk of having doping because of their historical culture of athletes and coaches who were doping than in other countries, said Budgett.

Wow, I really expected that comment to come from one of these Japanese committee members...

Just because they have a "very active large laboratory" doesn't mean that they are any better for processing it than the other countries "because the athletes are not tested all the time". Maybe if they made it mandatory that all athletes be tested I could see this as an advantage, but it really looks like they are struggling to find anything and everything that they can boast about to increase their chances of getting the Olympics.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Wow, scrapping the bottom with this one, no? I guess they can''t promote food safety so drugs is the next best thing?

Come on Istanbul!!

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Yes, yes and yes!

“Athletes here convey a positive image with values such as health, effort, sportsmanship, which elevates them to the level of heroes for many people,” she said.

Has Atsuko not been to other countries. How does this make Japan any different?

I suspect that is related to the social structure and the character of Japanese sport,” he said.

Of course. This is a more honest and pure country.

Might it be instead, that in Japan, it's the lid on as soon as a "money maker" does anything out of the expected. Sometimes they get caught but otherwise it's all a big game of who can benefit from what. I bet doping is no less common here than any other country. I also bet it is more hush-hush here and not even close to openly reported.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

...strong social disapproval of chemical enhancements...

I was tempted to stop reading there on the grounds that what the Japanese people think of drugs (=they are all bad, except for the 6 types docs dish out for a cold) is of absolutely no consequence to the athletes who are vying to be the best in the world. Japan may have Draconian rules in place for possession of marijuana and amphetamines, but I fail to see the relevance... .

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Unfortunately it will be in Madrid.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

You are a child...LOL

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Canadian Dick Pound

Hahaha

7 ( +12 / -5 )

I hope we win the 2020 Olympic bid, but good luck trying to police a drug free Olympics.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites