IRELAND’S LEADING MALE swimmer Barry Murphy has a novel idea to combat doping in sport. Make the cheats own it.
The Dubliner was one of a host of athletes angered by positive drug test results for stars of athletics Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell.
As a sprint-distance swimmer, he is well placed to judge the current state of play and he believes the current practice of banning those who test positive is not working.
“We’re talking about guys getting caught, serving the ban and coming back. There’s no shame with these fellas,”Murphy says with a disillusioned shake of the head.
“They’re stepping up on the blocks and the ‘Joe Soaps’ in the crowd don’t know these guys have actually served bans.
“What they should do is make them wear a different colour bib or a different colour hat so people know this guy has taken some stuff, he could still be feeling the effect and benefits of it a while on. And, if he wins, we all know why.”
The 27-year-old will compete at the World Championships in Barcelona next week in freestyle (50 metres), butterfly (50 metres) and breaststroke (50 metres and 100 metres).
Although he has seen no clear evidence of doping in his own events, Murphy admits he would be shocked if it wasn’t happening, but maintains a belief in his own ability to compete at the highest level.
“It’s hard to digest, there’s nothing irks me more than guys who are cheating and getting away with it for a long time,” he adds.“It’s frustrating, but I still believe those guys are beatable They can take whatever they want, but they are beatable. It’s up to those who are doing it clean to put in that extra work and have that extra motivation.”
“When I’m on the block, I believe in my ability fully. They can take what they want, but I believe I’m a naturally faster swimmer than most people. I’ve got more twitch than most of the guys in the water and I think I’m better.
“Now, whether those guys are bigger and stronger or they have better technique or details they’re better at, that’s a different thing. I think I’m a naturally faster swimmer. if I just keep carrying that belief I’ll be grand.”
