Steve Holcomb may not become the household name that he probably deserves to be. The gold medalist didn’t lead the four-man bobsledding team to victory until the final weekend of the Olympics, when all of America was enraptured with our gold medal run in men’s undergoing eye surgery that, as reported by NBC, was not approved by the FDA. But nobody has a problem with this. In fact, Holcomb was lauded as a national hero for piloting an American sled to its first gold medal since 1948. And that’s the way it should be.
But consider this: Holcomb received medical enhancement that significantly altered his ability to perform in his sport. Where’s the distinction between that someone who “cheats the sport” by ingesting chemicals? Is this more Tommy John than Ben Johnson? Why even draw a line at all? Just because Holcomb’s advantage doesn’t show up in his pee doesn’t mean that it doesn’t raise his game. What do you think?
ASYLUM POLL: Should Steve Holcomb’s eye surgery be considered ‘performance enhancing?’
