Drugs In Uk Speedway?

[Pinny]

Coke can be out your system 24 hours after taking it, as can ecstacy .

 

Cannabis can stay in your system up to 12 weeks after smoking but depends on how much you have smoked.

 

Id hazard a guess that quite a lot of the riders who are known party animals quite often dabble in all sorts of drugs, just like most sports.

[Odds On]

any rider or fan who thinks the testing just takes place at the track are in for a shock, the testers have the right to test you anywhere at anytime, I know of a sportsman who they visited at his home.

[George Dodds]

I wouldn't be surprised if drug use was widespread througought speedway.

 

In all the years I attended Smallmead I can only remember seeing officials arrive once to carry out doping tests. They caught one rider with recreational drugs in their system that night, and another mysteriously hurt his back unloading his van and pulled out of the meeting so wasn't tested.

 

I understand that nitrous oxide (or was it ozide?) was a favourite of a particular group of riders just a few years ago.

.. but as a "legal high" it isn't a banned drug. However, cough mixture, hayfever remedies, health supplements, certain painkillers, ginseng tea and the like - all available over the counter - contain the sort of thing that can get you in trouble with drugs testers.

I'm sure a couple of riders might fall foul but can't subscribe to the "I know they're all at it" conspiracy theory - but where would the BSF be without conspiracy theorists!

[Tsunami]

any rider or fan who thinks the testing just takes place at the track are in for a shock, the testers have the right to test you anywhere at anytime, I know of a sportsman who they visited at his home.

Yes, they have the right but how do you know where they are, especially riders who ride abroad and guest a lot.

[waiheke1]

Yes, they have the right but how do you know where they are, especially riders who ride abroad and guest a lot.

Don't most sports have a time/day each week where participant just state where they will be to allow for random resting?

Tbh don't see any benefit for speedway in doing that, extensive testing in on race night should be sufficient.

[HenryW]

Yes, they have the right but how do you know where they are, especially riders who ride abroad and guest a lot.

Amazingly, locating athletes for out of competition testing is something that other sports have to deal with as well.

 

Luckily WADA have a system in place to assist with this and other problems related to having a proper drug testing process: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/adams

 

However, just testing riders regularly at meetings in the UK would be a good start...maybe even riders who withdraw from the meeting at the last minute

[BWitcher]

maybe even riders who withdraw from the meeting at the last minute

 

That seems the most logical place to start!

[Tsunami]

Amazingly, locating athletes for out of competition testing is something that other sports have to deal with as well.

 

Luckily WADA have a system in place to assist with this and other problems related to having a proper drug testing process: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/adams

 

However, just testing riders regularly at meetings in the UK would be a good start...maybe even riders who withdraw from the meeting at the last minute

Yes, and look at the many problems they have with that system. Riders don't at the moment always know where they will be, especially if they ride abroad and take guest bookings at short notice which is what happens, Riders being riders would not want to, or put up with, the updating that that system needs to be workable. Even Olympic athletes with their pretty predictable timetables, don't always complete the necessary so how are speedway riders going to handle that. As I originally said, and there are others agreeing with, at least with starting at the track unannounced is a major step forward and could cause grief to some riders. Once the tests become normal, we should then look at ways to make that arrangement more bullet proof and target suspected individuals.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Amazingly, locating athletes for out of competition testing is something that other sports have to deal with as well.

The problem is that's expensive. In some sports, there are clear performance advantages to be gained by sustained drug use in training, but I'd struggle to see the benefits in most motor sports. This is quite aside from the fact that speedway riders probably don't do too much training, but are often racing several times per week.

 

I'd say the biggest concern in speedway would be whether riders are under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs before a meeting. Anything beyond this could probably be picked up if there was regular testing at meetings alone, as riders' patterns of competition are very different to (say) athletics or cycling.

 

As a matter of interest, I've held an MSA race licence for 13 years and never been tested for anything in or out of competition.

[Vincent Blachshadow]

Yes, and look at the many problems they have with that system. Riders don't at the moment always know where they will be, especially if they ride abroad and take guest bookings at short notice which is what happens, Riders being riders would not want to, or put up with, the updating that that system needs to be workable. Even Olympic athletes with their pretty predictable timetables, don't always complete the necessary so how are speedway riders going to handle that. As I originally said, and there are others agreeing with, at least with starting at the track unannounced is a major step forward and could cause grief to some riders. Once the tests become normal, we should then look at ways to make that arrangement more bullet proof and target suspected individuals.

 

Unfortunately, letting the cat out of the bag and telling the Star put paid to that.

[George Dodds]

Sports that receive major government funding - either directly through Sport England/Scotland/NI etc or the lottery - have to adhere to strict testing procedures which can include having to let testers know where you will be at a given time on any given day. Failure to be there is seen as refusing a test, that's what got the cyclist Lizzie Armistead in trouble before the Olympics.

Obviously that doesn't apply to speedway so I would think that random testing would suffice - it's what happens in rugby, football and motor racing already. Anyone daft enough to be using recreational drugs has been warned so anyone caught is an idiot and deserves any ban they get.

[iris123]

The problem is that's expensive. In some sports, there are clear performance advantages to be gained by sustained drug use in training, but I'd struggle to see the benefits in most motor sports. This is quite aside from the fact that speedway riders probably don't do too much training, but are often racing several times per week.

 

I'd say the biggest concern in speedway would be whether riders are under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs before a meeting. Anything beyond this could probably be picked up if there was regular testing at meetings alone, as riders' patterns of competition are very different to (say) athletics or cycling.

 

As a matter of interest, I've held an MSA race licence for 13 years and never been tested for anything in or out of competition.

Surely you point out where drug use can be of benefit?Racing several times a week in different countries,sleeping in different hotels or on the road,waiting at airports etc.Must be a drug that helps keep you on it and as also mentioned being a bit hyper will help you go for the gaps,take chances that when in a normal condition you might not take.....

[RobMcCaffery]

'Drugs in Speedway?'

 

I find a good supply of Nurofen and Prozac are vital when reading the rule book.

[Odds On]

the testers are ruthless, they answer to no one and will get their individual eventually, sports communities are small worlds which in turn means that there is always someone somewhere who will point the finger...I guess the old saying of nothing to hide then nothing to worry about.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Surely you point out where drug use can be of benefit?Racing several times a week in different countries,sleeping in different hotels or on the road,waiting at airports etc.Must be a drug that helps keep you on it and as also mentioned being a bit hyper will help you go for the gaps,take chances that when in a normal condition you might not take.....

Surely those sort of drugs would only be beneficial if the effects were present during a meeting? Would have thought riders would be better off trying to rest as much as possible when they weren't racing?

[iris123]

Surely those sort of drugs would only be beneficial if the effects were present during a meeting? Would have thought riders would be better off trying to rest as much as possible when they weren't racing?

Of course they should and in an ideal world would.Not always possible with the itinerary they have.Meeting,lift to the airport,fly to another country,lift from the airport meeting,maybe travel in their mobile home/workshop to another meeting etc etc.I often see riders on Facebook asking if anyone can pick them up or take them to a track or airport.They rely on friends and it seems fairly often these plans go awry because of an accident or breakdown and the expected time to get some kip is gone and they turn up to a meeting cream crackered.Seems it is often small jurneys which don't really give you much time to get some decent sleep.If you travel 60 or 90 minutes to an airport and then check in and wait and then have a 60.90 minute flight etc where is the time for a deep sleep?

[Pinny]

Id say riders caught with recreational drugs in their system would of been taking it away from meetings, cant honestly see the benefit of taking speed, cocaine, ecstacy etc whilst riding a speedway bike, the riders themselves would know exactly how dangerous it is.

[The White Knight]

Id say riders caught with recreational drugs in their system would of been taking it away from meetings, cant honestly see the benefit of taking speed, cocaine, ecstacy etc whilst riding a speedway bike, the riders themselves would know exactly how dangerous it is.

It may be a generational thing but I fail to understand why anyone would want to put that filthy stuff into their systems anyway.

[Star Lady]

It may be a generational thing but I fail to understand why anyone would want to put that filthy stuff into their systems anyway.

 

If you can't have a good time without resorting to using artificial stuff to enjoy life, your life really needs sorting out IMO

[waiheke1]

It may be a generational thing but I fail to understand why anyone would want to put that filthy stuff into their systems anyway.

Yet plenty of your generation would have consumed alcohol and tobacco, both of which when you look at pretty much any study are considered far more harmful to both user and others than drugs like ecstacy.

Obviously no recreational drug is good for you , bit there is a world of difference between say ecstacy and crystal meth.