Comparative Analysis of Drugs Used By Different Countries In Olympics Games from 1968 to 2012 - a Critical Study

The interest in different substances that might possibly enhance performance dates back to ancient times. Even in the first Olympic Games, held in Greece in 300 BC, doping methods were used in competitions sought to improve their performance eating certain mushrooms. In the late nineteen century, as sports was becoming fashionable, the doping problem also reappeared. In the 1920s and 1930s, doping was already serious problem in sports such as horse-racing and dog-racing, but in human sports the doping problem has only become an important issue in the last few decades. In the 1960 Olympic game, a Danish cyclist died during a team cycling event after having taken a vasodilator. There has been considerable debate about whether the cause of death was actually as a direct result of having taken the drug or whether it was due to combination of dehydration and overheating. Even before the 1968 Olympic game in Austria and Mexico, doping regulations had already begun to be brought into force, and these have been extend with each successive Olympic game. The regulation drawn by the IOC medical commission are applicable only to the Olympic games, although the regulation have created a precedent for sports association throughout the world, including national sports federation and there subdivisions. There are arguments in favor of each international and national sports federation being individually responsible for determining its own doping regulations. Naturally, views differ about whether particular substance or preparation actually possesses doping effect and whether they warned inclusion in the doping register. The term doping refers to the artificial improvement of a competitor’s performance through the use of drugs or other methods. It has been difficult to find a definition of doping appropriate to all situations. The IOC has there for attempt to simplify the problem by drawing up a list of forbidden substance and methods, the use of which is defined as doping. This list is constantly reviewed to reflect latest research. In International Amateur Athletic Federation was the first international body of sports to take the situation seriously. In 1985 the international Olympics Committee added blood doping to the list of banned substance and processor.

In order to find out how many athletes had used drug that were banned by IOC in different Olympics games, the data was collected from Wikipedia website for 1968 to 2012 Olympic games. The data was collected for each Olympics games separately. In total 120 athletes have been banned by IOC who were found to be users of banned drugs in Olympic games from 1968 to 2012 for improving performance. The data collected was arranged in order of sequence for each Olympics games on the basis of the country/ Nation these players were representing for Olympics games. For analyzing the data collected from the above sources, percentile and frequency method was used.

The comparative analysis of the Countries involved in doping cases from 1968 Mexico Olympics to 2012 London Olympics is given in table no. 01

The above table clearly reveals that the highest doping cases in Olympics from 1968 Mexico Olympics to 2012 have used banned drugs substances of different categories for 09 times each i.e. 7.5% out of the total doping cases being detected in Olympics. It is also evident from the table that Second highest doping cases in the Olympics games for the period above were reported to be from Bulgaria that is 8 times or 6.66% of the total cases detected. The 3rd highest doping cases of drugs abused country were found to be Hungary for 07 times or 5.83% out of the total case reported. It is further clear from the analysis that fourth highest doping cases country was reported to be Russia which was found to have used drugs six times i.e. 5% of the total cases. It is also evident from the table that fifth highest users of abused drugs in Olympics for the above period were Sweden, Germany and Spain which had used drugs four times each i.e. 3.33%. It is also evident from the table that sixth highest users of abused drugs in Olympics for the above period were Poland, Morocco, Italy, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Norway which had used drugs three times each i.e. 2.5%. It is further evident from the table that seventh highest users of abused drugs in Olympics for the above period were Magnolia, Puerto Rico Australia, Romania, Canada, Japan, India, Moldova, Belarus and Ireland which had used drugs two times each i.e. 1.66%. It is further very clear from the table that eight lowest users of abused drugs in Olympics for the above period were Iran, Netherland, Czechoslovakia, Iceland, Austria, Algeria, Lebanon, Finland, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Unified Team, Lithuania, China, Latvia, Myanmar, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, North Korea, Vietnam, Bahrain, Croatia, Syria, Colombia, Albania, France, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Armenia which had used drugs only one time each i.e. 0.83%. Another important finding is that maximum use of doping was found to be in 2004 Olympics games in which 27 doping cases i.e. 22.5% were reported, followed by 18 cases i.e. 15% in 2008 Beijing Olympics and third highest were in London Olympics 2012 where 15 cases i.e. 12.5% were reported among the countries participated in these Olympics games. It is important to note that no case of drug abused was reported in 1980 Olympic Games held at Moscow, Soviet Union.

The present study has revealed the true picture of drugs being used in various Olympics held till 2012. There is increasing trend of use of drug by athletes in order to enhance their artificial performance for attaining glory. It has been seen that fifty three countries athletes have been found using drugs. It is right time that each nation must educate athlete to say no to drugs and develop a mental attitude of fair play.

1. In may be concluded that the first case of doping in Olympics games was found in 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. 2. It is concluded that united states of America and Greece have been reported to be highest users of drugs in sports at Olympics level. 3. It is further concluded that Second highest doping cases in the Olympics games was from the athletes of Bulgaria. 4. It is further concluded that third highest doping cases in the Olympics games was from the athletes of Hungary. 5. It is further concluded that fourth highest doping cases in the Olympics games was from the athletes of Russia. 6. It is further concluded that fifth highest doping cases in the Olympics games were from the athletes of Sweden, Germany and Spain. 7. It is further concluded that sixth highest doping cases in the Olympics games were from the athletes of Poland, Morocco, Italy, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Norway. 8. It is further concluded that seventh highest doping cases in the Olympics games were from the athletes of Magnolia, Puerto Rico Australia, Romania, Canada, Japan, India, Moldova, Belarus and Ireland. 9. It is further concluded that lowest doping cases in the Olympics games were in the case of athletes of Iran, Netherland, Czechoslovakia, Iceland, Austria, Algeria, Lebanon, Finland, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Unified Team, Lithuania, China, Latvia, Myanmar, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, North Korea, Vietnam, Bahrain, Croatia, Syria, Colombia, Albania, France, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Armenia. 10. It is further concluded that maximum use of doping cases was found to be in 2004 Olympics games followed by 2008 Beijing Olympics and third highest were in London Olympics Games 2012. 11. It is concluded that no case of drug abused was reported in 1980 Olympic Games held at Moscow, Soviet Union.

1. Barnes L, “Olympics drug testing improvement without progress”, Phy. Sports Med, 28-24-1980.p.g. 21

2005

3. Vinod, “doping and its fall-out” the Hindu September 11,1994: p.g. 20 4. Joseph s Jorge and Peter Welesh 1 “current therapy in sports medicine-2 Burlington, Ontario D.C. Decker inc 1997 p.g. 59. 5. Begley Sharon 2 “the drug charade news http;//www.newsweek.com/id/86079/output/print. Retrieved 2008-08-27 6. D.C. Decker inc 3 “ Doping and sports collection experts assessment department of life science Paris (http;/www.biologi.upmc.fr) December 1998. 7. Hance-gunner Liljenwall, http://www.123expbiographis.com Retrieved 2008-08-28 8. Berranan Christine 5 “Babashoff had mettle to speak out about steroid “United state USA today 2001-07-11 9. Longman jeer’ “just following order, doctor’s orders” New York The New York Times. 2001-04-22 10. Zingerg’s “Anti doping policies; drugs; performance enhancing; WADA “school of human movements, performance and recreation, Victoria University 1984. 11. Inge Kryger Pedersen department of sociology, university of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark June 2003 12. Mario Thevis “sports doping; mass spectrometry; prevalence; studies” center for preventive doping research, institute of bio chemistry, German Sports August 2008