Doping case of Lance Armstrong

On 24 August, 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that it had imposed on Lance Armstrong a sanction of lifetime ineligibility and disqualification of competitive results achieved since 1 August, 1998.

On 10 October, 2012, USADA sent their “Reasoned Decision” on the Lance Armstrong case to the Union Cycliste International (UCI), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), stating that the evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team “ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen”¹.

On 22 October, 2012, the UCI accepted the USADA findings and formally stripped Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles.

A BRIEF HISTORY

After competing in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Lance Armstrong became a professional cyclist. In 1996, he underwent surgery and chemotherapy to treat testicular cancer. Between 1999 and 2005, Armstrong won the Tour de France a record seven times. He retired from competitive cycling in 2005 but returned in 2009 before retiring for a second time 2 years later.

CHARGES AGAINST LANCE ARMSTRONG

Lance Armstrong claimed to have been one of the most frequently tested athletes in the world and that the results of his tests had never shown the presence of a prohibited drug. The presence of a prohibited substance is just one of the eight Anti-Doping Rule Violations, specified in the World Anti-Doping Code, for which athletes can be sanctioned.

THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR USADA’S DECISION

There were a number of strands to the evidence presented by USADA:

• Sworn statements from professional cyclists.
• Banking and accounting records.
• Email communications.
• Laboratory test results and expert analysis.

He received lifetime ban from the sport all the medals he won in Tour de France were taken away. He was also stripped off his Olympic medal.

The day he admitted his doping on the Oprah Winfrey show, he lost as much as $75million in a single day. The companies terminated the sponsorship contracts with him, including Nike.

Nike in an official statement declared that Lance Armstrong misled the company for than a decade.

He was also asked to pay the fine of 10 million pounds.

But money isn’t everything. What he lost was his respect and fame after the proving of his doping. He no longer remained the man who won the cycling competitions after winning a gruesome battle with cancer.

HOW TO DISPOSE A MEDIA CONFERENCE?

Media is Everywhere, TV, Internet, Computer and Newspaper. A press conference is a meeting organized for the purposes of distributing information to the media and answering questions from reporters. There’s often is a discrepancy between the direct experience and what we see in the media. How facile it is for all of us to quick access any conference through the aggrandize technologies of modern time but the arduous mechanics behind the gathering is as follows:

When to call media conference?

• ·        A press conference is typically set only to announce huge news. It should  be an extra ordinary event, if it is a daily event send a handout.
• ·        Identify the objective behind your press conference and determine the message that you want to share.
• ·        The person who is related to the subject should be present.
• ·        Your illuminate day should not be clashed with any other huge event.

How media should be called?

• ·        your invitation can be through E-mails, messages or phone calls.
• ·        You must determine the deadline.
• ·        Afternoon time is always best.
• ·        Arrangement of refreshment according to the time.

Invitation

• ·        Two weeks advance invitation.
• ·        Follow up the invitation
• ·        Release it in a centre place
• ·        Map should be provided for the travelling directions to the conference site.

Facilities

• ·        Electronic requirements like extension sockets for charging gadgets.
• ·        Give equal respect to all media.
• ·        It will be good if you’re presenting a PPT(power point presentation)
• ·        A proper healthy refreshment. Avoiding junk food and alcoholic drinks.

Media Kits

• ·        Proper scheduling of program should be provided
• ·        Letter of introduction
• ·        Information of the company
• ·        Information about the program and service
• ·        Audio and Video files of radio or Tv interviews , speeches, performances and other media covered events.
• ·        List of frequently asked questions.
• ·        Intresting photos of your blog
• ·        Your past collaborations

 

Speech duration And Conclusion

• ·        speech should be of short, brief and concise.
• ·        It should be of minimum length and not boring.
• ·        Allow media to ask questions.
• ·        There should be a smart conclusion.
• ·        You should not be biased to the limited medias and not to criticize unecessary.
• ·        Gratitude should be paid.
• ·         A THANK YOU should be there for those who have come and also those who have not.

                                                                                                                                      

DOPING

What is doping?

Doping means athletes taking illegal substances to improve their performances.

There are five classes of banned drugs, the most common of which are stimulants and hormones. There is health risks involved in taking them and they are banned by sports' governing bodies

According to the UK Anti-Doping Agency, substances and methods are banned when they meet at least two of the three following criteria: they enhance performance, pose a threat to athlete health, or violate the spirit of sport.

Ashwini Akkunji

Ashwini Chidananda Shetty Akkunji (born 7 October 1987) is an Indian sprint athlete from Siddapura, Udupi who specializes in 400 metres.

Ashwini has won Gold Medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games in 4x400 m relay team event with Manjeet Kaur, Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose and an individual gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles on 25 November 2010 at the 2010 Asian Games held at Guangzhou, in China.

She is also a recipient of the Rajyotsava Prashasti (2010), a civilian honour awarded by the Indian State Government of Karnataka

DOPING

In July 2011 prior to Asian athletics championships in Kobe (Japan) she tested positive for anabolic steroids. She was subsequently dropped from the athletics team for the event and was suspended from athletics. She denied the charges but on 23 December 2011 the NADA banned her for a year. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by the International Association of Athletics Federations against lighter sentences and handed Ashwini and 5 other athletes (Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose, Jauna Murmu, Tiana Mary and Priyanka Panwar) a two-year ban.

Defense counsel RK ANAND said that Ogorodnik (their coach at National Sports Academy, PATALIA) had been with the team for many years and they had no reason to question his intentions. He, on behalf of athletes, pleaded "no fault or negligence" under article 10.1.2 of the WADA code and asked for exoneration of the athletes.

In its order, the panel (Athletic Federation of INDIA) however, suspended the athletes for the violation of rule 2.1.1 of the WADA code, which makes it clear that the athlete is responsible for any prohibited substance that enters his/ her body.

The athletes were also lucky to escape with a one- year ban as the panel applied article 10.5.2 as it ruled that the athletes have established that they bear "no significant fault or negligence" and hence the period of ineligibility was reduced to half the period of ineligibility otherwise applicable.

But all her hoped ended when her ‘B’ sample tested positive for anabolic steroids. She was India’s biggest hope in many years to finally win gold at Olympics in relay and sprinting category. As a result of the she not only lost her place in the 2012 London Olympics but also she lost all her fame she had gained in the past, with her amazing performance at Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. She had become a household name but it was all lost because of the food she consumed, that had steroid. The ban lifted on 3rd July a month before the Olympics starts. However, she was unable to complete at the Olympics as the qualifying period for relay team got over on 2^nd July (just a day prior) while for the Individual events closed on 8th July. She couldn’t qualify for either of the categories. Athletics Federation of India had to come up with new names of athletes who were good enough to qualify for the Olympics

She had to wait for 4 years to complete in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Sports Kreeda October issue

www.sportskreeda.blogspot.com

WORK ETHICS

Media today has emerged as the most powerful source of communication but it often neglects the work ethics, the morals. Journalism is one of the most insecured professions because unlike other professions Journalism does not require any liscense any degree to operate.


Just like any organised institution, a newspaper organisation has 'The editor in chief' who has the authority to take decisions, to command. On the misconduct of any information, employees belonging to all positions are held liable such as the reporter, the editor. Thus a reporter has to be very observant, very responsible in his conduct and needs to provide protection to his resources, his witnesses. Similarly an editor has to be very cautious in carrying out his duty.

Education today is skill oriented. On gaining the required skill one can not only create a want but also the need at the work. Place. If an employee is only wanted at the work place, he won't be able to sustain for long but if he's needed as well as wanted he will be able to develop and grow as a professional. Along with skill, trust and commitment also play a pivotal role in the success of the employee in the long run. One should think twice before making any commitment, should question as to why and how he is taking any decision, should maintain the work ethics and only then make his choices at the work place