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Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

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Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

2024-08-13 14:17 Last Updated At:18:57

The bias shown against non-Western athletes who have performed well exposes the hypocrisy of anti-doping standards, according to French experts, who cited the historical examples where competitors from the United States were not punished after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Recent reports have revealed that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has been allowing athletes who have violated doping regulations to go undercover and keep on competing in exchange for information of other violators, with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issuing a statement declaring this practice as a blatant violation of both the WADA code and the USADA's own regulations.

With the controversy coming to light while the now-concluded Paris Olympics were taking place, the debate threatened to overshadow the sporting action in the French capital.

Veteran sports doctor Jean Pierre de Mondenard, who has over half a century of experience in anti-doping efforts, said there has been a history of drugs misuse by American athletes and noted a widespread problem back in the 1980s, when U.S. athletes were heavily using stimulants. He cited the infamous example of sprinter Carl Lewis, who was allowed to keep his 100m gold at the Seoul Olympics 36 years ago despite having tested positive for a banned substance on three occasions, which came after the original winner Ben Johnson of Canada was stripped of the title for a doping violation.

"The United States invented anabolic steroids at that time. In the training center in the U.S., there was a big bowl full of colorful pills in the locker room, and the athletes took a bunch of them. That's why they dominate the world in throwing events and in track and field events: they were all taking anabolic steroids. In 1988, Carl Lewis tested positive three times before the Seoul Olympics, but he was not punished. He gave the excuse that he 'accidentally took the product.' The Americans covered it up. This is common," he said.

The issue over apparent double standards was thrust into the spotlight just prior to the start of the Paris Games, when World Aquatics, the governing body of global water sports, revealed that anti-doping organizations had tested each Chinese swimmer an average of 21 times since the start of the year, compared to an average of just six times for American swimmers and four times for Australians.

Amid the highly competitive sporting environment, Western countries see breakthroughs made by non-Western athletes as a threat against their own dominance, and therefore question these achievements, exposing a widespread and unfair bias against other successful competitors, a sports and political expert from a French think tank said.

"In Western countries, there is a tendency among politicians and public opinion to stigmatize athletes from non-Western countries who perform very well. This means that when non-Western athletes perform well, they are seen as a potential threat, and their performance is seen as so-called 'unnatural'," said Lukas Aubin, head of the Sport and Geopolitics Programme under French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS).

Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

Hypocrisy of anti-doping standards exposes bias against non-Western athletes: French experts

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Local, short-distance, cultural vibes tours lead China’s Mid-Autumn Holiday travel

2024-09-18 11:15 Last Updated At:11:37

China's Mid-Autumn Festival travel market remained stable this year, with tourists favoring local and short-distance trips blending travel with festive reunions and rich cultural experience, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture, is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back for more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.

Local getaways and short trips were particularly popular during the holiday, with Chinese-style night tours which allow tourists to enjoy the full moon with their families, emerging as a major trend.

These night excursions, featuring moonlit boat cruises, bonfire parties, performances showcasing intangible cultural heritage (ICH), and outdoor concerts, provided visitors with a rich and immersive cultural experience while also becoming a key highlight for promoting local culture and stimulating holiday consumption.

Data from online travel platforms showed a 77 percent surge in searches related to night tours of ancient towns and gardens, while searches for night boat cruises increased by 42 percent.

"ICH performances boast deep cultural significance and unique artistic appeal, while concerts create an immersive experience that emotionally resonates with visitors. The growing trend of tourists dressing in traditional costumes for scenic photoshoots has also taken off, allowing them to express their individuality in creative ways," said Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Sciences of the Beijing International Studies University.

Following the summer vacation's longer and more demanding trips, and ahead of the week-long National Day holiday from Oct 1 to Oct 7, most people used the shorter Mid-Autumn Festival break for time with family and recharge.

The three-hour high-speed rail networks, where travelers can move between cities within three hours — such as the network connecting east China's Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai, or those linking Guangzhou City and Shenzhen City in south China, Chengdu City and Chongqing Municipality in southwest China — saw particularly frequent movement.

Self-driving trips, or combining high-speed rail with car rentals, remained popular among travelers moving between cities within a province or across neighboring provinces.

"As travel expectations rise, more tourists are seeking relaxed and comfortable travel options, as seen during this Mid-Autumn Festival," Wang added.

Local, short-distance, cultural vibes tours lead China’s Mid-Autumn Holiday travel

Local, short-distance, cultural vibes tours lead China’s Mid-Autumn Holiday travel

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