Anti-doping policies prior to the mid-1980s existed largely to _.
Multiple choice question.
promote competition among athletes of different socioeconomic classes
discourage athletes from dropping dead of overdoses
enhance performance in high-performance sports
discourage athletes from seriously competing against fellow athletes
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is: discourage athletes from dropping dead of overdoses.
Explanation:
Anti-doping policies before the mid-1980s primarily focused on the health and safety of athletes rather than the regulation of fair competition. During the early to mid-20th century, there was limited oversight regarding performance-enhancing substances in sports. Many athletes, especially in high-intensity sports, began using various substances to improve their physical performance. These substances included stimulants, anabolic steroids, and other drugs that were not well-understood in terms of their long-term health effects.
In the absence of strict regulations, some athletes turned to dangerous, unregulated substances with little knowledge of their risks. The result was a series of high-profile cases where athletes experienced severe health complications, including overdose-related deaths. For example, the tragic deaths of athletes like Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen in the 1960s—who died during the 1960 Rome Olympics under mysterious circumstances, possibly due to a stimulant overdose—brought attention to the issue of substance abuse in sports.
Because of these health concerns, anti-doping measures were introduced in an attempt to safeguard athletes’ well-being. The primary goal was not to level the playing field for competitive fairness (as is often the case in modern anti-doping efforts) but to prevent the dangerous consequences of uncontrolled drug use. The focus was on ensuring athletes did not face fatal consequences from the misuse of drugs, which were often used in pursuit of performance gains.
It was only later, particularly from the mid-1980s onwards, that anti-doping efforts became more formalized, shifting focus towards fairness in competition and the preservation of the integrity of sport. The establishment of organizations like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999 further reflected this shift, focusing on creating a standardized framework for testing and preventing doping worldwide.