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Judgement Statement

• The consequences for athletes who test positive to performance enhancing drugs are highly significant. They extend well beyond sporting penalties to affect an athlete’s income, reputation and wellbeing, as well as their teammates and sport.
• However, the severity varies depending on the circumstances of the violation.

Sporting Sanctions

• Athletes who test positive are disqualified from the event, and their results, medals and records are removed.
• They also face bans from competition that can last several years, with lifetime bans for the most serious or repeated violations.
• For example, Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from professional cycling for life.
• These sanctions are highly significant because a ban can cover a large part of an athlete’s short competitive career.

Financial Consequences

• A positive test usually leads sponsors to end their contracts, because they do not want their brand linked to cheating.
• Athletes may have to return prize money and lose their income for the length of their ban.
• Armstrong lost his major sponsors, including Nike, after the doping evidence against him was released.
• These consequences are substantial and can last long after the ban ends, as sponsors are reluctant to return.

Reputation and Wellbeing

• Athletes who test positive lose the trust of fans, teammates and the public. This stigma often remains even after they return to competition.
• Intense media scrutiny and public criticism also place strain on the athlete’s mental health and personal relationships.
• This consequence is highly significant because an athlete’s reputation is difficult to rebuild once it has been damaged.

Consequences for Teammates and the Sport

• A positive test can also punish others. When a relay runner tests positive, the whole team loses its medal.
• For instance, Usain Bolt lost one of his Olympic gold medals in 2008 when his teammate tested positive.
• At club level, 34 Essendon players were banned for the 2016 AFL season following the club’s supplements program, damaging the club’s results and reputation.
• This shows the consequences extend beyond the individual to the integrity of the whole sport.

Variation in Consequences

• However, the consequences are not equally severe in every case. Athletes who prove they did not intend to cheat, such as by showing a supplement was contaminated, may receive a reduced ban.
• Some athletes also return after a ban and rebuild their careers, so a positive test is not always career-ending.

Overall Assessment

• When all factors are considered, the consequences of testing positive are highly significant, affecting an athlete’s career, income, reputation and wellbeing, as well as their team and sport.
• Although the severity varies with intent, the lasting damage to reputation means even a reduced sanction has a major impact.