Estonian sports fans are reeling from the blow delivered to the midriff by the FSI, International Skiing Federation. Kristina Shmigun, perceived by many as the country’s best chance for a medal at Salt Lake City had tested positive for an anabolic steroid after a race held in Brusson, Italy on December 12th.
The best measuring stick for the degree of reaction can be found on the Internet. Estonians are world-leaders not only in skiing but also in Internet usage, utilizing the medium to post comments and observations about news issues. Shmigun, who like many many popular atheletes has pet names - Krissu and Kiku - is not being let off easily. And while this is a conviction in the court of public opinion, one should not be surprised in the least. Shmigun tested positive for traces of an anabolic steroid, 19 norandrosterone in her first, the A test. Like any other athlete would in this situation, she is refusing comment until the B test results are announced this Thursday. The B test, carried out by FIS and other doping control bodies in the interest of the athlete, to ensure beyond doubt the presence of a banned substance, will settle the issue. A failing level here means that Shmigun will be banned from participating at the Winter Olympic Games commencing in less than two weeks time As always backseat doctors/experts are popping out of the woodwork to complement the professionals already at work. Novel explanations are sought, the most interesting being the announcement by a group of specialists in Estonia, led by professor Atko Viru. The Estonian Ski Federation summoned this group to establish that the positive result MAY have been due to a physiological anomaly; to wit Shmigun’s body actually produces this banned substance. As is well known a lot of the banned steroids are based on natural hormones that are found in the human body. The best known examples are from the old days of doping, when Eastern block female athletes were routinely supplied with testosterone, a male hormone that is naturally produced, but certainly not in women. Testosterone provided female shotputters, for example, with greater strength, and the wide shoulders, masculine appearance, low voices etc. that go with it Herein lies the rub - some natural hormones can cross gender as has been proven by medical studies. However, the sophistication of drug testing these days is such, that any artificial substance is difficult to hide. Innocence is no longer a defence. Think back to the numerous Canadian doping scandals. Ben Johnson rocked the nation after the Seoul games, and beyond a shadow of a doubt the sprinter was guilty of steroid use, proven by repeated testing and later relapses. The Silken Laumann case showed the other side of the coin, the presence of banned substances in a common, across the counter cold remedy cost the rower a medal at the world championships. The latter case though was one of ignorance, one into which anyone could fall. Indeed, in the general population at this time of the year, with colds and viruses rampant, it is a safe guess that the average individual would fail the stringent FIS and Olympic drug tests. I recall competing in the Muskoka Loppet 30 km ski race over 20 years ago with a mild head cold. The sinus clearing medication I took would have resulted in my disqualification - had that been a drug-testing event. The point here that should be remembered is that there are two sets of rules - one for the common, Sunday athlete, the other for the global elite. No athlete of any intelligence should even consider using performance enhancing products these days, at all. Ignorance is no excuse. And while it is conceivable that the Shmigun case can be physiologically explained, the test results overturned, the chances are incredibly slim. Let’s give Kiku every benefit of the doubt. But at the same time let’s not forget that rules, no matter how arbitrary and arcane exist to create a level playing field. In a sport where fractions of a second can determine the difference between winning and losing any perceived unfair advantage should rightly be banned. The timing of this, Estonia’s first significant doping scandal, can hardly be worse. It will affect the concentration levels of other elite competitors, medal contenders, such as Andrus Veerpalu preparing for the Games. The eyes of the nation are on Kristina Shmigun, who has promised to appear at a press conference after the B test results are released. Many trusting souls are hoping for the best. But trust is for dopes, as the majority of the comments posted on the internet indicate. In a cynical, pessimistic age, sports fans do need reminding that athletes are human, placing them on a pedestal may well mean that they will not reach the victory podium on purely physical merit. TÕNU NAELAPEA