长久以来，兴奋剂问题一直是国际体坛关注的焦点之一；反兴奋剂的斗争更是一场长期的、持续的战斗。

Topic: Doping in Sports

体坛大敌——兴奋剂

■丁零 编注

Today, the fight against doping is a continuous battle that is possible to win only with international cooperation.

Q: What is doping?

A: Doping is defined as the use of an artifice (技巧), whether substance or method, potentially dangerous to athletes' health and/or capable of enhancing their performances, or the presence in the athlete's body of a substance, or the ascertainment (探查、发现) of the use of a method on the list annexed (附、附属) to the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code.

Q: Why is doping prohibited (禁止)?

A: Doping is fundamentally against the ethos (精神、主旨) of the spirit of Olympic Games: the fair game. Many of the prohibited substances and methods are harmful to athletes' health and can cause short and long-term damage.

Q: Where do we draw the line between doping and normal medication (常规药物)?

A: Many common medicines, such as painkillers and asthma (哮喘) medicines, can contain prohibited substances. That is why athletes must be very cautious of any medication they are taking.
If a competitor wants to use a prohibited substance for therapeutic (治疗) use, he/she must obtain the prior（预先） written approval of the Medical Advisory Committee of the IOC Medical Commission. Any application for approval must be made before the games.

Q: Are all athletes tested during the Olympics?

A: In every competition in the Olympic Games, the first three place getters and a random (随意的、随机的) competitor are tested. In Atlanta, 2,000 tests were conducted for 11,000 athletes.

Q: Is it possible to cheat in a doping test?

A: To prevent cheating, athletes are accompanied by a chaperone (陪护) — who is always the same gender (性别) as the athlete — who must stay with the athlete during the whole testing process. Because of this surveillance (监视、监督), and the very carefully selected handling procedure of the samples, fraudulently (欺骗性地) manipulating (伪造) a test is very unlikely.

Q: What are the sanctions (制裁), if an athlete tests positive in the Olympics?

A: The minimum required sanction for major doping substances or prohibited methods is a suspension （中止） of the athlete from all competition for a period of two years, for a first offence.

In specific, exceptional circumstances there may be a provision for a possible modification (更改) of the two-year sanction.

Any records or medals achieved by the athlete at the time of, or after the sample was taken, are removed. The suspension will start from the time the positive sample was discovered.

In addition, other organizations (such as the International Federation) may choose to impose additional sanctions on the competitor.