Dara Torres, Anabolic Steroids and the Culture of American Swimming

I read again and again that U.S. swimmers do not use anabolic steroids because the “culture of American swimming” is inherently more ethical than other sports like track and field. Alan Abrahamson of NBC Sports writes that USA Swimming would never associate with anyone like Trevor Graham, the convicted perjurer and coach of many elite track stars like Marion Jones. After all, USA Swimming learned their lesson from the steroid-popping East German female swimmers in the 1970s (“Is Dara Torres clean? I’m a believer,” July 8).

One, USA Swimming would never issue a meet credential to the likes of Trevor Graham, the coach – of Marion and other track stars – recently convicted himself in federal court of lying to federal agents.

Two, swimming was rocked in the 1970s by its own doping scandals, in particular involving East German swimmers. USA Swimming officials are acutely aware of the history. So, too, is Dara, who first swam in the Olympics in 1984.

Yet in the very next paragraph, Abrahamson includes a quote by Dara Torres that seemingly contradicts his celebration of steroid-free swimming when Torres admits she has been swimming against doped swimmers her entire career (which began in the 1980s).

“I’m clean,” she said at a news conference last Tuesday in Omaha. “And I want clean sport. I swam against swimmers who were dirty my whole life. And that’s just something I wouldn’t do.”

If Abrahamson is to reconcile Torres’ admission with his argument that the culture of American swimming learned its lesson from steroid use by East German swimmers, then it must be swimmers in other countries who are still doping. In other words, does the unique quality of being an American makes U.S. swimmers ethically superior to swimmers in the rest of the world? Only other countries’ swimmers use steroids?!

It is silly to defend Dara Torres’ steroid-free performances based on the sanctimonious purity of the “culture of American swimming.” Yet, it seems to be a trend.

It think her participation in Project Believe is much more significant. Unfortunately, there is a real risk that Project Believe could even unfairly incriminate innocent athletes. Project Believe can suspend an athlete even if no anabolic steroids or performance enhancing drugs are discovered! Athletes could be banned for non-analytical positives.

Project Believe: Any change in physiology could constitute a failed test.

I personally believe only non-doped athletes (Dana Torres) are volunteering for Project Believe. This makes a false positive even more likely. Thus, innocent athletes should be the last people to voluntarily participate.

About the author

Millard

MESO-Rx | Website

Millard writes about anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs and their use and impact in sport and society. He discusses the medical and non-medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids while advocating a harm reduction approach to steroid education.