Having just been named Australia’s greatest ever sportswoman, Dawn Fraser was entitled to just a little grandstanding yesterday.
While few expected her to call for a life ban on the Stillnox Six, a poll claiming tens of thousands of respondents showed strong support for the suggestion.
It seems the public is fed up not merely with cheating sportsmen, but those who cheat themselves and their nation out of an expected gold medal via drug experimentation.
If the offenders hoped their excuse of ”bonding gone wrong” might have assuaged critics, it seems to have backfired.
Public sympathy for them seems zero.
That is, if the swimmers can be believed after their recent admission of lying in a previous cover-up of the incident.
Of course, Dawn is right when she says the relay members’ behaviour is a disgraceful example to younger swimmers.
And now we are left with an amusing irony that the Stillnox issue shows as much resistance to bedding down as the brand’s abusers.
Let’s hope once Dawn’s spray of tough-love is dealt with and we’ve all got the moral outrage out of our systems, there’ll be one collective (natural) yawn while those in charge of dispensing justice get on with it.
Not everyone polled was in total support of the three-time gold medal winner.
Some indignantly cited Dawn’s own larrikin days which culminated in her banning for allegedly taking a flag from the 1964 Olympic village in Tokyo.
In response to this, Dawn feistily replied that flag snaffling was a far less serious offence than drug experimentation.
Now everyone seems to have their opinion on this issue. But for me, I am tired of it.
Is there anyone else who is tired of this story?
peter
Guest
Stillnox is a class C drug in the UK. If a person has a prescription for it then that is OK. From reports only 2 members of the squad had a prescription those 2 members supplied the drug to 3 others (who did not have a prescription). It is the supply of the drug by those with a prescription and the possesion of it by the three others that is an offence.
Brad Cooper
Roar Guru
Thanks Peter. The more detials unearthed from London/Manchester, the more reckless and rudderless our team seems to have been. It would be interesting to find if the Brit law applies to drugs prescribed and dispensed in Australia. Jameswm has a good point too. Australia is now one of the lesser of the several swim powers. It only takes a few key swimmers to be off their game for an expected second place in the medal count to slip to fifth or sixth. Many other nations have funding now and heated pools are popping up all over the planet. Our glory days might be numbered.
peter
Guest
It is interesting to note that the all but one of the swimmers committed a serious offence (one of them did not partake). In the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 the possession (and supply) of Prescription Only medicines without a prescription is a crime. Stillnox (Zolpidem) is a class C drug under the United Kingdom (UK) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The possession of which may result in a 3month sentence and/or 500 pound fine, and the supply of which may result in a 3 month sentence and/or a 2000pound fine. Dawn Fraser may have "played up" however 5 of the members of the relay team committed criminal offences.They have gotten off lightly as not one journalist mentioned the illegality of their actions under UK (and Australian) law.
Jay
Guest
These guys acted like tools (I'm all for having fun, but not if it adversely affects others), but Dawn is way off target here calling for life bans. She even referred to Stilnox as an upper...which makes me wonder if she's just shot from the hip rather than actually given it some thought.
jameswm
Roar Guru
So this is Dawn Fraser, famed for playing up, who wants a life ban for young swimmers for, well, playing up? I can't believe the frothing up over what these kids did. Prior teams had done the same. Yes it was silly, but life bans? What a joke. The stillnox thing was at a pre-Games training camp and most likely had no impact at all on how the relay team went. What had an impact were: 1. Magnussen was a bit off his game; and 2. Roberts had a shocker.
dasilva
Guest
Sorry but the stilnox ban by AOC was bad policy in the first place and them being overly paternalistic over the squad. THis is a legal prescription drug and it is a drug that is legal by the WADA code. So why ban it? Oh yeah because some people can abused it and be addicted to it. Then again athletes can be addicted to cigarettes adn aclohol as well should the employer banned athletes for that as well? If the athletes get addicted then that's their own problem and no the problem with the employers This is the case of the employer interfering with the private lives
Reccymech
Roar Rookie
Storm meet teacup.