Key Content Or Arguments Presented - 787 Words

Key content or arguments presented: This article by Nick Atkin begins by illustrating the ‘rush’ that many reporters experienced as soon as the knowledge of Ben Johnson’s doping scandal was relayed to them. The franticness and rapid haste to compose and publish the first article on the matter just represents how influential and distinguished Ben Johnson was as an athlete. Despite the fact that drug taking is not ethical, nor admirable, a reporter by the name of Lawton recalls, â€Å"The race was stupendous, arguably the most riveting thing I’ve seen†. This suggests that although there are so many risks, dangers and negative impacts of drug use, there is a positive viewpoint on the issue that it does make watching sport more interesting and†¦show more content†¦Before 1988, there had not really been a huge incident involving drugs in sport, and it didn’t seem as much of a problem, however Ben Johnson brought attention to it as such. The way doping has been viewed from that point onwards has dramatically changed since. Mr. Lawton states that, â€Å"Doping must have become a lot more sophisticated†, as Hubbard observes that, â€Å"The chemists are always one step ahead, working on measures to mask tests.† The issue of doping and performance-enhancing drugs in sport cannot be contained or abolished, because scientists and specialists are producing new drugs and ways of hiding them faster than they are being discovered and detected by WADA and other organisations. Harp believes that the elimination of drugs in sport is â€Å"†¦impossible, there’s as much chance as stamping out prostitution†. There will always be an athlete with an unfair advantage, and athletes would rather go against their own moral conscience than risk their livelihood in admitting to using drugs to enhance their performance. Finally, Ben Johnson’s doping history has meant that viewers of future athletic achievements have become sceptical and unable to trust that an athlete has attained such a feat on only biological and natural ability. Of course, this scandal is not the only reason that audiences have reservations about the legitimacy of their