Nowadays, it is frequent to see in the news more cases of doping in professional sports. High-performance sports reached a certain level where little improvements could make the difference between defeat and success. This essay will first discuss the influence of media, millionaire contracts and company sponsorship as causes of this problem and the most suitable solutions to this situation, such as new sponsorship policies, use of more accurate drug tests, and increasing penalties after a positive result.
To begin with, in the last decades, professional sports have become a powerful industry in terms of economic profits. Teams and athletes across the world are under constant pressure to obtain the best results possible and keep increasing their welfare. Firstly, an important actor in this phenomenon is the media, specifically sports media. Radio, TV, and the internet rely on the good results of athletes in order to have the best product to sell to their audience. Secondly, top athletes, as a primary source of income, have millionaire contracts with their clubs. In fact, a successful player will have the best contract. Moreover, diverse companies base their marketing strategies on creating a relationship between a top player and a specific product. For instance, Lance Armstrong was one of the most remarkable cyclists of all time, and the multi-modal pressure of the previously mentioned factors forced him to consume illegal substances to maintain his status.
In addition, to control and try to solve this issue, it is necessary to take strong actions in order to discourage this phenomenon. Indeed, as a possible solution, new sponsorship policies must be created with specific contract clauses in relation to drug consumption. Furthermore, every sports association must use the most accurate and newer drug tests available on the market. Finally, as a final link in the chain of this situation, an increase in the penalties for those athletes that testing certifies as positive doping seems to be the most effective and dissuasive method for all sports communities.
To conclude, the increasing number of athletes that use banned substances has its main origin in economic factors related to profits and earnings, and as suitable solutions appear, those factors limit potential incomes. According to this, I would strongly suggest that a multi-modal strategy be created to radically control this situation.