Standards take a hit

I read with interest that the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), USswimming and the IOC are all taking a decidedly soft approach to theMichael Phelps bong-smoking episode.

I read with interest that the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), US swimming and the IOC are all taking a decidedly soft approach to the Michael Phelps bong-smoking episode.

Here are three international sporting organisations which constantly beat their chests in the endless fight to rid world sport of its evil ways, sweeping the Phelps issue under the carpet.

WADA President, Australia's John Fahey was quoted as saying, "Look I can only express similar sentiments to those that were expressed by the United States swimming association, and that is disappointment for the fact that the star of the Beijing Olympics, without doubt, has found himself in this position," he said. "But that's as far as I'll take it."

I get the impression its WADA's way of admitting the multiple Olympic champion has done nothing wrong.

And he hasn't according to it's prohibited list. WADA bans Cannabis as an in-competition agent but not for out-of-competition consumption.

You can also add the IOC to the list. They too have accepted Phelps' apology at face value, saying, "We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model."

For mine, it's the double-standards by all the authorities involved that really annoys.

Remember when the home of Tom Boonen was raided by police weeks before last year's Tour de France?

A stash of cocaine was discovered and we later learned the Belgian sprinter was guilty of using the similarly banned substance for his own recreational use.

Boonen was the hot favourite to win the TdF green jersey but paid the ultimate price for his poor judgement despite not breaching any doping rules.

He was denied participation in not only the Tour of Switzerland but also the sports greatest stage, the Tour de France.

Now, I might be missing something here, and please correct if I'm wrong, but had the athlete caught been a high profile professional cyclist, would we not have been reminded of our sport's failed battles of eradicating the problems linked with drug users?

In fact WADA's John Fahey has put cycling on notice as an Olympic sport, saying, 'that there is a huge risk if the cheating is continued and continued to be exposed.'

Boonen received no official sporting sanction and the issue is being handled as a social and criminal matter, but he is being punished for his indiscretion.

Like Boonen, Phelps is a pin-up boy and a role model for many millions of supporters, so I feel for Phelps for being caught by a camera lens and for perhaps being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But why shouldn't he and his sport suffer the consequences and pay a penalty, just as a cyclist would have if he/she was placed in a similar situation.

It seems convenient that the anti-doping and sporting authorities want nothing to do with an issue that [if it were cycling] would otherwise have generated into a world-wide scandal.