Almaz Ayana kicked the Rio 2016 Track & Field programme off with a sensational World Record, demolishing one of the "unbreakables". But the T&F Records tell us interesting stories about doping and performance limits, and this post explores some of those in the context of the growing mistrust of performances and doping
The Science of Sport - Scientific comment and analysis of sports and sporting performance
Should we legalise doping? Make it open to all, and avoid the controversy and scandal. A regular issue comes around for the Olympics. In this article, I address that question in a Q&A format.
The Science of Sport - Scientific comment and analysis of sports and sporting performance
In response to my recent critique of Matthew Syed's article on whistleblowers and secrecy, he sent me an email and requested it be published here on my site. Here then, is Syed's response, and my final thoughts on this before we hit the Rio Olympics.
The Science of Sport - Scientific comment and analysis of sports and sporting performance
Matthew Syed recently wrote a piece dismissing the real fears of whistleblowers over retribution when they dare to speak up about doping in sport. He ignores an overwhelming body of evidence, dozens of examples that show why whistleblowers are the exception, not the norm. In this piece, I fix his original article for integrity.
The Science of Sport - Scientific comment and analysis of sports and sporting performance
Caster Semenya won the Monaco 800m in 1:55.33, at a canter, and is the surest bet for gold in Rio 2016. She's also the surest bet for controversy, and will kick start an explosive, aggressive debate. This post introduces some of the concepts, and addresses some issues around our approach to this difficult issue.
The Science of Sport - Scientific comment and analysis of sports and sporting performance