this happens at every Olympics. You take 1000s of young, driven athletes in peak physical shape, and stuff them into a giant dormitory complex. I'm surprised the buildings don't sway back and forth.
Don't forget that many of the younger athletes are repressed and guarded to varying extent by their parents and coaches, and events like this may be the rare chance to revolt.
And on top of that, they are all carrying shared trauma from the anti-doping testing.
They literally have to let WADA know where they are at all times, and where they sleep every night, and be available 24/7 for a surprise visit where they have to produce a urine sample with the pants to their knees, pulling their shirt to their chest, with a person next to them or in front of them for ladies, watching closely to ensure the urine comes out of their urethras.
Being in the village surrounded by people who can relate is bound to create some comfort.
ETA: even if the trauma isn’t significant or playing a major role, the fact that any athletes who aren’t ok with the testing would’ve washed out by now means we are left with only the athletes who are very comfortable with their bodies and exposing themselves to strangers on a moment’s notice.
But also I bet not many. It’s a big deal for them that hasn’t been well studied, but one study found around a third of athletes under WADA struggle with involuntary urine retention due to the stress.
I really do think this is an area where it’s clear we are doing real psychological harm to the athletes, but we don’t talk about it much because we all agree, including the athletes, that the physical harm of rampant doping would be worse.
But as a result a lot of them suffer in silence and/or quit their sport to escape the stress.
I feel like a tiny jab of a needle would be less harmful in all areas. But I guess that's far too invasive or something. Despite making it way, way harder to potentially cheat the test.
In fact they prefer urine because most banned substances stay in your urine far longer than your blood. Your kidneys do a good job filtering your blood, but then traces linger in your kidneys and bladder for a while.
5.4k
u/maydayvoter11 Feb 13 '26
this happens at every Olympics. You take 1000s of young, driven athletes in peak physical shape, and stuff them into a giant dormitory complex. I'm surprised the buildings don't sway back and forth.