Drugs In Weightlifting

At one time, popular opinion allocated all positive doping tests to weight lifters. Ben Johnson changed the situation in 1988. After then, the Sports Council allocated more money for drug testing and introduced out of competition testing. BAWLA has conducted dope testing in competitions since 1980 or before, and out of competition testing since 1990.

Weightlifting historically has had problems, but in recent years we have seen positive tests in many sports including field events, cycling, rugby, middle distance running and swimming. BAWLA works with the Sports Council to ensure that its’ lifters are tested at random in competition and out of competition, without notice.

Drugs are not just a weight lifting problem, they are a problem in all sports. Unfortunately, drug use is now prevalent at a recreational level where people are using drugs to gain a good physique. In Britain, most sports work with the Sports Council to test for drug abuse, but the body building organisations do not. There is no connection of any sort between weightlifting and the body building organisations

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