# Chinese Swimmer: Doping or Jealousy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [July 30, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868 "2012-07-30T16:55:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868/81 "2012-08-07T21:45:17Z")

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How long do the testing procedures take to complete? Will it drag on for weeks or is she in the clear already?

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**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868/82 "2012-08-07T21:55:45Z")

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> [@Busy\_Scissors](#):
>
> Katie Ledecky’s 800m freestyle performance does seem amazing from my position of not knowing a great deal about swimming. I would intuitively think that a long haul event like that would be more of an older athlete’s game. Is it precedented for 15 year olds to lay down the law like this in the distance events? Seems unusual that a 15 yo would have the engine for such a commanding victory - although maybe 800m is more middle distance in the pool, didn’t they used to have a 1500m in the olympics?

I’m not sure if two constitutes a trend, but Janet Evans was 16 (almost 17) when she won gold in both the 400m and 800m freestyle in Seoul, 1988.

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**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868/83 "2012-08-07T22:28:38Z")

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Serious question? Would anyone who regularly follows sports in general be surprised if any of the record-breaking athletes they follow/know about were caught doping?

Speaking strictly for myself, I’d find it “par for the course.”

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**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-swimmer-doping-or-jealousy/629868/84 "2012-08-07T23:28:24Z")

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> [@RedFury](#):
>
> Serious question? Would anyone who regularly follows sports in general be surprised if any of the record-breaking athletes they follow/know about were caught doping?
> 
> Speaking strictly for myself, I’d find it “par for the course.”

Being a cycling fan I guess the answer to that has to be no in general.  
I would, though, be pretty surprised if a UK track cyclist failed a drugs test. It’s a large, structured operation with them all training together under one roof and a clear anti-dope agenda. I think it’s harder for an athlete to stray in that environment. Of course they could all be on the PEDs like they’re going out of style, a la East Germany, but that doesn’t seem a serious proposition. I’ve not heard anyone say anything else but its a clean operation (the beaten words of the vanquished don’t count).

Road cycling is another story, as you know it’s a dirty game - having improved from previously being ‘filthy’ and ‘total free for all’. I would actually be flabbergasted if Big Wig tested positive - let’s face it he hardly shows his arse in the mountains, and has been a world class time trialer for ten years. Chris Froome is another story - don’t think a positive test would shock anyone.

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