The media coverage of athletes’ perceptions on performance enhancing drugs

Abstract

The objective of this study was to scrutinize the media coverage of elite athletes’ perceptions on performance enhancing drugs in sport and the Olympics. The interest was to gain an understanding of whom and why certain athletes have been doping, and also how the top level athletes feel about this delicate subject combined with the view of the public. The majority of the research was obtained from media coverage around the time period of the London 2012 Olympics so a major section of this study will discuss the issues around high profile athletes such as Lance Armstrong, David Millar, Dwayne Chambers and the BOA’s lifting of the lifetime ban. The aim of this study was to develop an up to date account on the progressing issue of doping in sport by using elite performers’ perceptions of drugs combined with major anti-doping organisations’ policies to prevent this expanding predicament. This review has been constructed in the optimism that it can be used as a movement contributing to the battle against doping in sport. It is the belief that combining studies that are in relation to this review could develop a fundamental case to facilitate enhancements towards the actions taken against drugs in sport. This could then lead to considerable improvements for the future and hopefully eradicate doping once and for all.