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SVE ŽIVOTINJE SU JEDNAKE,ALI NEKE ŽIVOTINJE SU JEDNAKIJE OD DRUGIH – proglas svinja koje kontrolišu vladu u romanu Životinjska farma, Džordža Orvela

Sled događaja nije kao u Orvelovom romanu, ali ima naučnofantastične elemente. Glavna ličnost  Kris Frum je astmatičar i koristi pumpicu za salbutamol, kao i veliki broj drugih biciklista (sportista). To je objavila i hakerska grupa Fancy Bear i tada su mnogi (i moja malenkost) branili Frumovo pravo da leči. Međutim u skladu sa pravilima Svetske antidoping agencije (WADA), salbutamol je legalan samo do određenog praga, koji se meri u urinu. Frum je testiran nakon Vuelte 2017 (biciklistička trka u Španiji), a test je pokazao da je imao dvostruko veću koncentraciju od praga. Mnogi misli da će  završiti kao mnogi biciklisti pre njega, izricanjem neke kazne:

Međutim branitelji Fruma su tvrdili da nivo salbutamola u jednom uzorku urina nije pouzdan indikator koncentracije salbutamola zbog drugih fizioloških faktora. WADA se po prvi put složila da ovi drugi fiziološki faktori otežavaju izradu farmakokinetičke studije koja bi trebalo da dokaže da su nivoi salbutamola u urinu u korelaciji sa inhalacijom ispod granice za salbutamol, kako se zahteva u S3 delu Liste zabranjene supstanci.

Dr. Olivier Rabin, naučni direktor WADA, juče je izjavio da je WADA zna za varijabilnost nalaza salbutamola u urinu, zbog čega nepovoljan nalaz iznad praga ne smatra doping pozitivnim rezultatom. Rekao je još  farmakokinetička studija u Frumovom slučaju nije bila moguća. A onda dodao verovatno da bi nas sve uverio i nešto što je nemoguće:

“To nije jedinstven slučaj, ali zato što je Frum, sportska ličnost, i stavljena u centar pažnje, izgleda da je jedinstven“, rekao je dr Rabin. “Mi se bavimo svim slučajevima na individualnoj osnovi i ja sam se lično bavio sa nekoliko u prošlosti. Da, postoje elementi ovog slučaja koji su prilično neobični, ali mogu vas uveriti da to nije jedinstveno.”

Međutim, ako pođemo od toga da je dr Rabin u pravu, onda je Frum pokazao da test ne funkcioniše u slučaju salbutamola. I  tu se više ne radi o Frumu, niti o salbutamolu ili biciklizmu, već da li pravila važe za sve i da li su svi sportisti ravnopravni.

Slušajući danas radio u Austriji čuo sam komentar voditelja da je dan za sećanje u 2018. kada je Kris Frum, nakon tri nedelje nakon povrede, neizvesne forme, spektakularno pobedio sa 80 km razlike na 19. delu trke Giro d’Italia i nadoknadio deficit od tri minuta.  Pomislio sam se da li je moguće da se voditelj ne pita šta bi bilo da je to bio austrijski biciklista, srpski ili ne daj bože ruski. A onda sam shvatio da slušam radio na engleskom i voditelj verovatno veruje u mantru “da, postoje elementi ovog slučaja koji su prilično neobični, ali nas želi uveriti da to nije jedinstveno.”

Nažalost, ponovo naučio da su svi sportisti jednaki, ali da su neki jednakiji od drugih.

♥

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS – a proclamation by the pigs who control the government in the novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell.

The sequence of events is not the same as in Orwell’s novel but has science-fiction elements. The main character Chris Froome is an asthmatic and uses a salbutamol pump, as well as a large number of other cyclists (athletes). It was also announced by the hacking group Fancy Bear, and then many (and me) defended Froome’s right to be treated. However, in accordance with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), salbutamol is legal only up to a certain threshold, which is measured in urine. The Froome was tested after Vuelta 2017 (a cycling race in Spain) and the test showed that it had a twice higher concentration than the threshold.  Many think that the case will end up like many cyclists before, with certain penalty:

However, defenders of Froome argued that the level of salbutamol in a single urine sample was not a reliable indicator of salbutamol concentrations due to other physiological factors. WADA agreed for the first time that these other physiological factors make it difficult to produce a pharmacokinetic study that should prove that salbutamol levels in urine correlate with inhalation above the salbutamol limit, as required in the S3 section of the Prohibited Substance List.

Dr. Olivier Rabin, the scientific director of WADA, said yesterday that WADA is aware of the variability of salbutamol findings in urine, which makes the adverse analytical result above the threshold not considered a doping positive result. He said another pharmacokinetic study in Froome’s case was not possible. And then he added probably to convince us all and something that is impossible: “It’s not a unique case but because it was Froome, a sporting celebrity, and it was put in the limelight, it appears to be unique”, said Dr. Rabin. “We deal with all cases on an individual basis and I have personally dealt with several in the past. Yes, there are elements of this case that are fairly unusual but I can assure you it is not unique.”

Nevertheless, if we proceed from the fact that Dr Rabin is right, then Froome has shown that the antidoping test does not work in the case of salbutamol. And this is no longer about Froome, salbutamol or cycling, but, are the rules valid for everyone and are all athletes equal?

Listening to today’s radio in Austria, I heard a comment from the speaker that that day to remember in 2018 is when Chris Froome, after three weeks after the injuries, and uncertain forms, spectacularly staged a spectacular 80km solo break on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia to overturn a three-minute deficit.  I wondered if it was possible for the speaker not to wonder what would have been an Austrian cyclist, Serbian, or not to mention Russian. And then I realized that I was listening to the radio in English and the speaker probably believed in mantra “ Yes, there are elements of this case that are fairly unusual but I can assure you it is not unique.”

I sadly learn again,  that all athletes are equal, but some athletes are more equal than others.