Capitalism Distorts Everything

The old notion as depicted in most dictionaries is that sport is a "pleasurable activity", but capitalism has changed all that. 'As many as 99% of Russian athletes are guilty of doping, a German TV documentary has alleged. The programme claims that Russian officials systematically accepted payment from athletes to supply banned substances and cover up tests. The documentary, shown by Das Erste, also implicates the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in covering up the abuse.' (BBC News, 4 December) The BBC has not independently verified any of the allegations in the documentary, but in the programme, broadcast on Wednesday, former Russia discus thrower Evgenia Pecherina claimed that "most, the majority, 99%" of Russian athletes use banned substances. Liliya Shobukhova, who won the London Marathon in 2010, is also interviewed in the programme and admits paying the Russian Athletics Federation 450,000 euros (£350,000) to cover up a positive doping test. RD