The use of drugs in an attempt to enhance sporting performance is known as doping. Leading up to the Sydney Olympic Games, a number of athletes were banned for testing positive to a variety of performance enhancing drugs such as Nandrolone and Steroids. But does the use of illicit performance drugs by athletes in the Olympic Games constitute corruption? In order to determine this, it is necessary to consider what corruption is.
Corruption involves wrongdoing motivated by individual or group gain in order to obtain some benefit such as money, property or some other privilege to which there is no entitlement. Breaking this down, corruption can be said to have the following key features:.
• providing oneself with a benefit;.
• the benefit in question is one to which there is no entitlement; and.
• the means by which the benefit is secured involves wrongdoing motivated by self gain.
Corruption is largely seen as an abuse of power, office and trust for private gain and exists in both the public and private sectors. It includes the conduct of any person that adversely affects the honest and impartial exercise of the functions of public officials and the misuse of information gained while performing public office. It also includes the dishonest or biased use of power or position resulting in one individual being advantaged over another.
In applying the above to the use of illicit performance drugs in the Olympic Games, it can be said that the benefits arising from the use of these drugs include an advantage over fellow competitors, greater chances of winning resulting in medals, greater financial rewards and better sponsorship contracts, as well as being glorified in their chosen sport. However, these benefits are ill-gotten.
The use of performance enhancing drugs creates an uneven playing field and provides an unfair advantage to athletes who have chosen to take these drugs.