The Smell of Smoke
by Casey Barrett
Katinka Hosszu is the best all-around swimmer on earth right now… What everyone is talking about, but no one wants to say…
There is no proof. There never is, not when it matters, not when it’s needed most. So, this is what happens: the coaches grumble; the experts roll their eyes; the athletes offer lukewarm congrats at the end of each eye-popping race. Everyone talks, but no one speaks up. Because only amateurs fail drug tests, and without that proof positive test it’s all just jealous hearsay.
Except the chatter is often true, and the visual evidence – on the body and the scoreboard – generally doesn’t lie.
Our latest Exhibit A: Hungary’s “Iron Lady” Katinka Hosszu. FINA’s reigning World Swimmer of the Year; three-time world champion; holder of five short course meter world records; and the woman who, last fall, became the first swimmer ever to surpass $1 million earned solely in prize money in the pool. She did this, of course, by globe-trotting the World Cup circuit and swimming a superhuman number of races at almost every stop.
This has resulted in a considerable amount of fawning press from the world’s swimming media. “Iron Lady” has a certain brand-name ring to it, and Hosszu keeps the headlines pumping. No one competes, consistently, at a higher level than she does. Repeat – no one, ever. Not Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky and certainly not Ryan Lochte, who’s always tended to look like a beaten slow sack of chiseled flesh when he races while immersed in heavy training. But not Hosszu. Her consistency, her ability to recover, and her never-flagging form continues without breakdown, regardless of when or where the race is going down.
Consider last weekend at the Charlotte Arena Pro Swim Series. Hosszu raced in seven individual events. She won six: the 200 free and the 400 IM on day one; the 200 fly and 100 back on day two (along with a why-not 9th in the 400 free); and the 200 IM and 200 back on day three. It was that last double on the third day that caught many eyes. Within a sixteen minute span, Hosszu posted the top time in the world this year in the 200 IM (2:08.66) and returned after a gasp of a warm-down later with a 200 back in 2:07.79, the third fastest time on earth this year. Not bad for an in-season meet that witnessed most of the superstars in attendance plodding through some very tired, in-training swims.
Since London, this has been a pretty standard meet’s showing for Hosszu. She’s always entered in a bounty of events and she always tends to deliver incredible performances every time she touches water. I understand the whole Ultra-Short Race-Pace Training (USRPT) philosophy now in vogue, being popularized and questioned through the exploits of young Michael Andrew, yet Hosszu’s travel-the-world-collect-the-cash training program stretches the limits of even that dubious science.
No one wants to come out and point fingers. I hope I’m wrong, and to be clear – to any litigious minded folks out there – I realize I’m trafficking in currently unprovable conjecture. But I’m not alone, and past signposts point down some dark roads.
For the last year or so, I’ve been immersed in writing a documentary called “The Last Gold.” It’s a film about the tragedy of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, when the last of the innocent days of Olympic sport were lost. A doped East German team of women appeared on the Olympic landscape and they forever corrupted the sport. Lives were altered and shattered, on both sides, and we’ve never viewed athletic performance in quite the same way again.
One driving narrative of our film is the failure of the press to speak up in the face of such obvious corruption. In retrospect, and even in the present tense, it was beyond obvious what was going on. We were witnessing female bodies be distorted to unnatural strength and power, and they were delivering performances that could not be explained by any rational observer. Those in the know knew what was going on, but there was no proof. So no one said much of anything. Instead, the press labeled the few brave souls who spoke out, like Shirley Babashoff, sore losers. When in fact, these were the truth tellers, the ones outraged by the ugly facts hiding in plain sight.
Nothing has changed. Forty years later, it continues to happen, in every sport, every time there’s a champion who stretches plausible achievement in ways that don’t quite pass the bullshit test for anyone paying attention. For years I reveled as the blasphemous bastard who loved to incense my Lance-loving friends (especially those who liked to ride bikes) by calling Lance Armstrong a liar and a cheat and the worst kind of athlete scum ever to compete in any sport. That’s what he was, and is, and sometimes it’s a damn shame to be right.
Secretly, every cynic hopes to be wrong.
I hope I’m wrong now. It’s just that there’s a distinct smokey aroma around Katinka Hosszu’s performances these last two years. And where there’s smoke… Hell, finish the cliché yourself. Instead, I’ll share this indelicate comment made by a close friend when I first told him I was thinking of addressing this. Said he: “Being surprised that Hosszu might be doping is like going to a strip club and being surprised that the strippers have fake tits!” Apologies if that offends anyone’s delicate sensibilities. Sometimes the best similes are the crude ones.
For all of Hosszu’s incredible achievements there is one rather glaring omission from her resumé. She has never won an Olympic medal. Not gold, which is the prerequisite for American greatness in swimming, I mean any color medal. Curious for an athlete so utterly dominant in her sport for years on end. It also may go a long way in explaining her current status as not only the best, but the most speculated about swimmer in the world.
Last month, NBC Sports.com published a story about how Hosszu emerged from depression after the 2012 London Olympics, when she placed 4th in her signature event, the 400 IM. She expected gold. In her own words, she “gave up” with two laps to go and despite having more events on her program, she admitted that “my Olympics was pretty much done. I wanted to go home.”
Her spirit, she says, was shattered by the swimmer who won that 400 IM in London. 16-year-old Ye Shiwen of China, who blistered through the final 100 meters in a split so fast (58.68) that it seemed impossible for a woman – that is, without the help of performance enhancement. There was outraged talk that Ye had to be doped, some of it bordering on the xenophobic. True or not, most believed it. Did Hosszu? That’s only for her to say.
Yet, here’s one thing that we’ve learned in producing a documentary that centers around doping and the dark clouds that circle it. There is one prerequisite for athletes who dope: They must convince themselves that their competition is doing it. That is the only thing that can validate crossing this line.
In 2012, Katinka Hosszu’s spirit was crushed by a performance achieved through dubious means. Ever since, she has been the one standing atop every podium.
Cap & Goggles 
Ryan Lochte, who’s always tended to look like a beaten slow sack of chiseled flesh when he races while immersed in heavy training. ” that’s a keeper – thanks “
I wonder what Hosszu’s camp has to say (and how they say it)?
Great article…..! I am guessing you are spot on…. Let’s not allow this to go on again…. 1st the East Germans… Then the Chinese…. Don’t let this infect the great sport of swimming again….. Thanks for writing a well thought, direct and honest article! Time will tell…. They always get caught….
Although I don’t really follow swimming all that closely anymore, the content of this article has probably been discussed to death in the shadows and back halls of many meets….Mr. Barrett has the guts to publish these thoughts and whispers. Back when Casey and I swam these same thoughts came up about a few swimmers and many many years later some of them were caught…. There appears to be plenty of smoke here. I hope all is well Casey!
I hold out some hope that she is some type of superhero mutant– like Phelps with his body seemingly perfectly engineered for swimming, or Torres, with hers designated the “perfect sprinter’s body”. Neither has ever tested positive and Torres has frozen her blood tests to ensure her legacy survives future advances in testing. Maybe Hosszu is the endurance freak superhero?? But I’ve been burned, so I temper my hopes: I still have a copy of Lance Armstrong’s book “It’s Not About The Bike” staring back at me ironically mocking me from my book shelf. Indeed.
I sure hope it’s “All about the Training” for Hosszu. If not, she’ll just get added to the list of reminders we have to show restraint in our enjoyment of the sport during a swimmer’s active career. Sure wish doping science could keep up with the dopers so we wouldn’t have to wonder. 😛
I absolutely defend your right to write this sort of piece – the fact is two former Olympic Gold medalist swimmers have been caught out recently and everyone is under suspicion. But I wonder if it’s a little premature in is this case? I don’t see a tipping point of suspicion here. She hasn’t broken any long course world records (short course not so relevant, everyone is breaking them across the board) and she doesn’t drop a huge amount of time at the big meets, like at Barcelona. I also find it counter-intuitive that she would place herself on such a pedestal so frequently and presumably at the behest of testers (yes, they can be evaded and circumvented as Lance proved, but that required people to look the other way, so unless the World Cup Circuit is in on it…?). Are there any testing figures for the World Cup out of interest?
Which all leads me to the conclusion that you know something not mentioned here?
Good luck with the documentary in any case.
I thought the timing of the essay was just about right. As a casual fan who usually gives the benefit of the doubt, the 2:08.6 2IM toward the end of a heavy schedule in a long in-season meet, close to a textile world record, then followed very closely by a 2:07 2back, was very startling and a tipping point for me. The more I read about this “microdoping” recently, that got me thinking too.And, The fact that she hasn’t won Olympic medal or set an LCM makes her more likely, rather than less likely, to be doping, in my eyes in terms of her motivation. I read that her partner or husband was acting oddly and inappropriately on deck at this meet and it’s not the first meet where that’s been reported of him. It’s of course totally subjective but it has been seen in the past as a pattern in the coaches, partners, or other handlers/entourage of dopers. So I guess I went from thinking I’m less than 50% suspicious that she’s doping, to now 50% or more. So I am obviously still far from certain and would be very happy to be wrong, but it does feel, as Casey said, like a tipping point.
Nailed it Casey!
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Thank you, Dan! Can’t wait for you to see ‘The Last Gold’…
So disappointing what’s happening to swimming. Looking forward to seeing your documentary!
Good, courageous article Casey.
The comment about media, both currently mythologizing the ‘Iron Lady’ and the East German women, reminds me of the Home Run race between McGwire and Sosa. Everybody that was so excited that baseball was relevant and interesting after the strike that the media did a poor job of being critical of the performances that they were seeing and it has tarnished not only the legacy of those athletes, but also players who played in the same era and performed without PED’s.
Bill Simmons on Grantland wrote ‘Daring to Ask the PED Question’. His is obviously focused on professional sports but I think the question is more and more important in individual and Olympic sports.
Ultimately, you state that for an athlete to validate this decision, they must believe that other athletes are doing it. Perhaps, but I think that the decision is more personal than that. My belief is that athletes who chose to use PED’s weigh the risk of being caught against the gains that they get with increased performance. I believe that there is a correlation between the increases in prize money and media coverage and the use of PED’s in athletes. That may seem like common sense, but I truly believe that has the greatest impact on an individual.
For the East Germans and the Chinese, there was systematic doping done by the countries for highly politicized reasons to show the dominance of their country when the world is watching sport. This seems to be the case with the Russians currently as well as evidenced by the recent documentary done on Russian sport organizations. The gains, financially and politically, far out weigh the risk when it comes to systematic use of PED’s for these countries.
As you stated, Hosszu is the first swimmer ever to win a million dollars in prize money alone (not including her sponsorships that likely at least match that prize money in bonuses). Up to this point, I have never known an athlete to be forced to give back their Prize Money for a positive drug test. Medals perhaps, rarely the prize money. It is easy to see the incentive for someone to use PED’s in order to dominate the World Cup circuit because the financial incentive is huge, the risk of losing the financial gains is low (even if their image is tarnished for future earnings) and the swimmer would likely get MORE money doing that than winning a medal at the Olympics.
Whether Hosszu is doing this clean or not, it is fair to ask this question because unfortunately we have now been trained to be cynical of the performances that we see. As an athlete, unless they’re caught you have to deal with performing against all athletes, but that doesn’t prevent the media or others who follow sport closely to be critical and investigate these performances deeper. Thanks again for the article.
Interesting point. Though obviously no one can condone doping, it makes me far more capable of sympathy for a doper…not an excuse, just sad.
Another great and ballsy article Casey…well done! Unfortunately, it seems all on point; you gotta wonder. Her meet schedules and event loads therein seem impossible, yet she is able to compete at the highest level in nearly any event she enters from 50s to the 800; distances or strokes matter not. If nothing else, her recovery between events and sustainability between meets and across time zones is otherworldly. Even if she was only making B heats it would seem suspect, but the fact that she’s doing it at such a high level certainly makes it all the more visible and probably even more suspect.
You should by ashamed – writing such an undocumented article! What about Michael Phelps´ load in Beijing; was he then not doped, of course not, he is from North America, and Hosszu from the former Soviet Block. I hope she will take you to court!!!!!
To Bryan: Casey’s first sentence in the essay was “There is no proof.” Then, “I hope I’m wrong, and to be clear – to any litigious minded folks out there – I realize I’m trafficking in currently unprovable conjecture.” Next, after explaining the premise of his upcoming documentary, and his passion for truth and justice for those wronged by doping, he stated: “One driving narrative of our film is the failure of the press to speak up in the face of such obvious corruption.”
Casey knew exactly the risks of doing this, outlined his rationale and decided to go ahead with it anyway. You can look at that as reckless, on one hand, or principled and courageous, depending on whether you fully share his experience, values, priorities, and mindset.
yes, she started “No Proof” (that’s the point) and “I hope…” but can feel in every word of this amateur article, that She does not hope that at all and try to stigmatize her with absolutely unfounded, causeless slanders, bringing up that kind of stupid reasons that Katinka cannot be so good, because she did not even win an Olympic medal…This is a very shameful trial to get 15 minutes fame from an unsuccessful former swimmer. Unfortunately it seems she got that fame she wanted
where s an american polieceman when u need one…
What is exactly the point of this post? I’m presuming it’s not slander, but then I am at a loss trying to come up with something you want to achieve by making these claims. Katinka Hosszú has been doing the tests just like everyone else, thus I do believe she deserves the benefit of doubt – just like everyone else, regardless of their achievements.
Also, what you fail to mention is that for every “brave soul who spoke out”, there are about a hundred who are just that: sour losers. In fact, some of the “brave souls” in question may have also been motivated by (understandable) envy just like the others, only they happened to be right, mostly by chance. I don’t find such an attitude admirable or something that should be encouraged.
I get the point of the post and is that guys like Casey Barrett – people who are not casual observers of the sport – have an obligation to speak up, especially in this sport.
Swimming, especially on the women’s side, has a sordid history as it relates to PED’s. State Plan 1425 and the DDR, the Chinese in 1994, Michelle Smith, Angel Martino, Amy Van Dyken, etc. And, FYI, of the names I mentioned, the only one that ever tested positive in a sanctioned test was Martino. (I think it was the ’88 US Trials.)
Too many women – way, way too many – put in way, way too much work and lost their place in history to athletes that cheated. And, for the most part, didn’t get caught. FYI, I know some of those women and, make no mistake, to lose to someone you know is cheating leaves a scar. The wound heals but the mark stays.
As an unfortunate consequence, those of us who are kinda insiders to the sport, have – I really do believe – a moral imperative to call out things that don’t look or smell right to our informed eyes.
FYI, I’ve been around the sport for a very long time – 40+ years – as fairly high level athlete, a coach, an official, an administrator and a parent. When I look at Katinka Honszu’s appearance, her performances and her schedule, I, too, have to wonder.
And before anybody gets on me for being biased against non-American swimmers, first, I’m not American and second, I was never onboard with the Dana Torres fairy-tale.
I would completely understand her obligation to speak up if there was any kind of (even circumstantial) evidence supporting her suspicions, but as far as I can tell, the only evidence at hand is “she wins a whole lot”.
And speaking of scars, don’t you think it’s equally damaging for (potentially innocent) women to be accused of cheating, just because they are successful? Since when has an outstanding result in itself become a cause for suspicion? Cheating causes great damage, but so do baseless accusations.
totally agreed
I mean with pip25
Katinka’s next million will be coming from this asshole and from that trashpage called swimmingworld. Be prepared to go to court and pay…
Hey Casey,
Why don’t you not question Michael Phelps’ ability to recover at a meet?
And do you think his performance/load in Beijing was build purely on talent?
And would you have questioned Katinka Hosszu, if she was an American? She is married to one you know!
Why don’t you not drop your Cold War rhetoric?
Putting aside from the rather ridiculous tautology of defending one person by accusing another, here’s why – on balance – I think there’s a great probability that Honszu is doping as compared to Phelps:
– Phelps has a very well documented history of heavy training from an early age, with an established coach following an established protocol.
– Honszu is being coached by her husband – who trains no other athletes, nor ever has – who is following, by his own description “a new and radical coaching approach”.
– Aside from the normal changes in appearance with aging from 15 to 30, Phelps’ appearance has not changed radically in the past 15 years.
– Honszu’s appearance is radically different than it was when she graduated from USC. She’s way leaner and way more heavily muscled.
– Phelps’ performance at Beijing (And at Melbourne the year before.) was for the ages but it didn’t come out of the blue. He’s pursued a multi-event programme since 2003. And his performance in those multiple events at those meets has been pretty consistent.
– Honszu’s event schedule seems to get broader, both in distance and stroke, every year!
Now, neither athlete has tested positive therefore the presumption of innocence prevails. That said, nobody tests positive unless they make a mistake, therefore – given our sport’s history – everyone is suspect. So when I – drawing on 40+ years experience in the sport – observe and compare Phelps to Honszu as per the above, I conclude that there’s a greater probability that Honszu is doping compared to Phelps.
They both might be and they both might not be; I don’t know… But if I had to make a bet…
“They both might be and they both might not be; I don’t know… But if I had to make a bet…” M Palota, that’s exactly what I think! If you take away all emotion except greed/desire to win a bet, Hosszu has now tipped over into the “>50% likely” while Phelps and Torres remain somewhere <50% likely, in my opinion. That's where my bets would go if I had to make one.
In addition to your good summary about Phelps and Torres, other compelling info was some info I read/watched about physicists and physiologists analyzing Phelps' freaky physique and lactate physiology, and Torres' physique, which also didn't change dramatically from youth, like Hosszu's did. (another one that comes to mind is Nancy Hogshead who was in her words "freakishly muscular" since her tween years and already setting world records at age 14). Also in Torres favor is that she asked for extra tests and had them all frozen for future analysis when doping science catches up to current doping practice, especially "microdoping" that can go undetected. As I said previously, Hosszu might have some kind of crazy mutant mitochondria or something; if she would do the same as Torres in that regard that would definitely move her back into the <50% in my mind!! Phelps should have done so too, if he didn't already.
Who is Honszu?
How should Hosszu and her husband – just a grad from USC too – be involved in systematic doping on there own, where should they have gotten the knowledge from? Come one, M Palota!
Are you implying that the Hungarian Swimming Federation is behind – there is your proof?
And with regard to late development – what about Femke Heemskerk (27) – how do you explain her results in recent years?
And just for the record, Hosszu was a double World Champion aged 20, in 09!
This is a simple case of jealousy!
It is embarrassing to read your comment, M Palota, taking your obvious lack of knowledge of the Hungarian training system into account!
If there is one thing it is known for it is its heavy load; kids at a very early age swimming 15 + km per day.
And a second thing; yes Hosszu failed in London, but it is no secret, that foreign swimmers who train in the US in an Olympic year gets neglected.
Thirdly, Hosszu has been part of the elite since 09, there she won to golds in Rome, six years ago, and she is still improving, like many other swimmers (Ledecky, Heemskerk and Peaty). She did’t come from nowhere in 2013.
Finally lets get things into perspective, Hosszu is only world class in medley and backstroke, very good in freestyle and butterfly and average in breaststroke. It is not like she is going to win 8 gold medals in Rio 🙂
To those who take offense to this article, is it not equally audacious in the current environment to assume Katinka is entirely clean? Is it not a fair question to ask in light of the prevalence of positive tests and suspensions of late? To Morten’s point regarding Phelps’ haul in Beijing; absolutely valid, however you answer the posed question with “of course not”, is that truly your belief? I’ve always answered that question with “he’s probably the most tested athlete in Olympic sports, and he hasn’t tested positive yet, but who knows?” Bear in mind, Lance Armstrong never tested positive for any PEDs in competition or out; as far as we know anyway…I understand that is of some debate; nothing published nonetheless. There is no question Hosszu is a gifted athlete, but her level of performance in so many races and so many meets with so little recovery in between gives cynics ample cause for raised eyebrows. And with regard to the disparity in media treatment of US national teamers versus other swimmers around the world, you have to consider where the bulk of positive tests have arisen over the years. Outside of Rick DeMont, I cannot think of any US national team members who have tested positive for banned substances or received suspensions from competition, and that of course was a prescribed medication, and a USOC snafu, not an underhanded plight to exceed natural abilities. It is also my understanding that the US national team is subjected to more frequent and stringent out of competition testing than some of the other national teams around the world. Nonetheless, the US team has certainly had their share of doubters and criticism over the years; i.e. Dara Torres. In my mind, that whole thing is still of some debate; not just based on the performances in her late 30s and early 40s, but more so on the readily apparent and drastic changes in her physique. It may be argued that it is unfair to question those who have not tested positive yet, but the criticism is born of disappointment in those that have and a natural tendency to doubt unprecedented performances as a result.
Jessica Hardy – positvive test in 08!
Efimova and Melloui – I know they are not American Citizens – testing positive too, all three having ties to the same club in California, a coincidence?
Duly noted…the “tainted nutritional supplement”. And as M Palota points out, Angel Martino and Amy VanDyken either tested positive or were highly suspect. I guess my point is very much what M Palota seems to pointing at; Casey’s article doesn’t seem politically motivated in any way, just merely points out some circumstantial evidence that may point to suspect activities of an individual, not a federation or program. And in light of all the positive tests and suspensions, its a natural reaction to the kind of performances she has produced to wonder if she is clean.
As per my previous post and adding to Morten’s list would be Angel Martino (A positive at the ’88 Trails.) and Amy Van Dyken acknowledged to a US Grand Jury that she was a client at Balco Labs in San Francisco.
“Outside of Rick DeMont, I cannot think of any US national team members who have tested positive for banned substances”
laughably, comically ignorant.
pardon the repetition
liquidassets, thank you for your reply to my post but I must clarify one thing: I did not mention Dana Torres once in my post and I most certainly did not defend her against allegations of PED use.
I’ll draw to your attention another post made by me in this chain were I noted that I have never believed the Dana Torres fairy-tale.
Right, sorry about that M Palota. I remember now what you said about Torres; I will take a look at your other post After Torres subsequently had her specimens frozen for future testing, did that sway you at all? To me, that was very impressive and made me wonder why wouldn’t all the top elites do the same?
Nope, doesn’t sway me a bit.
Dana Torres is a contemporary of mine. I was ending my career around the ’84 Games as she was beginning hers. I saw what she looked like then and what she looked like in 2008. Huge difference. Much, much leaner and way more boyish. FYI, she was a model in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition back in the day.
Based on her performances, her age, the gaps in her career, the change in her appearance and the fact that she is (was?) married to an endocrinologist, if I was betting, I’d say there’s a greater than 50% chance she doped.
The frozen sample thing doesn’t – to mind – prove anything. There’s no comparison to a baseline from earlier in career. And, not to go all proletarian here, Dana Torres comes from some very considerable wealth. She had the personal assets to avail herself of the very best anything she wanted or needed.
Back when she made her first comeback, she trained with Jenny Thompson, one of those women who were robbed of their rightful place on the podium by cheats, and there was fierce, fierce bad blood between the two. It got to the point where they couldn’t be in the pool at the same time. There was a lot of talk that Thompson knew she was doping and that was behind the animus.
For those who don’t remember, Jenny Thompson was Amazon. She was awesome, the best US sprinter of her era. Killed it and lost her rightful Gold Medal in ’92 to a Chinese athlete who was almost certainly using PED’s. She was the 100 ‘free World Record Holder, having beaten Kristen Otto’s – who doped – time only to have it beaten at the ’94 World’s by a another Chinese athlete who was doping.
Yeah I remember the bad blood between Thompson and Torres–there were rumors that both were doping back then ,though didn’t believe it. I didn’t realize that was part of their conflict. I do see that she’s leaner and more cut than when she was young, though I thought she always looked very boyish. She has always been a woman of extremes with extreme resistance stretching (which nobody else has done to that extreme before or since) extreme supplements (all of which she’s been transparent about) that she had tested, extreme wealth/entourage, and that extreme competitiveness which turns many off. I can see why folks don’t like her, going by her public persona.
But as an M.D. myself, I can assure you that being reproductive endocrinologist alone wouldn’t make one an expert at doping. In many ways, it’s apples and oranges. She never actually married Dr. Hoffman, the father of her child. I believe they were together from about 2005 to sometime after the 2008 Olympics. She was pregnant and then reportedly breastfeeding in 2005-06 so I supposed he could have helped her with doping from ‘-07-’08. It wouldn’t totally surprise me, but I still don’t get why you’re not at least considering as a factor her volunteering in the pilot testing program and then going beyond that to freeze her samples. A reproductive endocrinologist or even doping experts can’t stop the progress of doping science, and it has nothing to do with comparisons of samples from her youth–they’re looking for substances, metabolites, and masking agents and their derivatives. No baselines are needed. Reps from the pilot program said that anybody who was doping would be crazy to volunteer like she did, and that unlike many athletes, she never even asked them anything about what their protocols were, or what they were testing for. I never met/knew Torres, and was never a huge fan of hers, so I don’t have as much at stake emotionally as I do with somebody like, say Natalie Coughlin or Phelps. So if there is a doping science expert who can discount all of that I said about the testing, then I could be persuaded into putting her more into the >50%. I do know that they say “micro-doping” can’t be detected routinely, but that they would be able to do that in the not-too-distant future. The one I’m the most worried about is gene-doping, which is happening now in China, among other places. They may never have the science to be able to catch those who do that, at least in my lifetime. So if Torres was doing that, then she would likely never get caught, at least during her lifetime.
I’m still glad Casey wrote this even after reading the deluge of condemnation over at SwimmingWorld.com. See my above comments for my reasoning on that. I’ve been reading his column long enough to know that while sometimes he has axes to grind, he is nonetheless very thoughtful and ethical and cares deeply about the sport of swimming, and hasn’t hesitated to criticize Americans and American institutions if he thought it was required. The charges of nationalism and xenophobia are especially ridiculous.
As a fan and former swimmer who has lived through the East German debacle, the Chinese in swimming and Track and Field, Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and countless others, McGwire/Sosa, (the list goes on and on… don’t even get me started on the Pandora’s box of NFL) I appreciate that someone with a soap box spoke up for many of us suspicious but anonymous fans who don’t have much of a voice.
In retrospect, the only thing I would have added to Casey’s essay was a direct appeal to WADA and all the other testing agencies and whoever funds them, to prioritize modernizing the testing science; if that proves too formidable financially or otherwise, than at the very least, follow Dara Torres’ example and require that all WR holders and world/Olympic medalists have their samples frozen for when doping science catches up to current doping. In the absence of that, I’d rather have somebody speak out to what so many folks are already thinking, than pretend that there aren’t serious suspicions only to be suddenly “shocked” when somebody tests positive or admits to using again. Regardless of whether Hoszzu is innocent or guilty in this particular case, she and all other top-tier athletes need to suck it up in the current climate, because the speaking out has some chance of somehow, someday resulting in positive action for all cases and all swimmers, the silence and back room whispers and rumors will only reinforce the status quo cycle of denial, suppression, fear, and silence, and subsequent “shock” and scandal.
Five days, one continent (and ocean), and four time zones from Charlotte and she posted the second fastest 200 back in the world this year. Almost broke Hungarian national record held by some skinny girl who swam in the 90’s.
Great post as always, Casey. And you shouldn’t hang out with such crude friends. Their language!
I think you do an amazing job at keeping politics out of this athletic minefield.
Great article Casey, so true, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
On more than one occasion it has been noted that Katinka’s husband is abusive to her verbally when she doesn’t perform. That to me is a huge warning sign that things aren’t what they appear to be.
One other thing that I think could be mentioned; not quite in the same boat but some of the same similarities is Katie Ledecky. She, although young, has had incredible obsession results and smashes records by massive amounts, can swim any distance and yet no one seems to bat an eye at her results.
People talk that the USA is clean and has so much testing, but that is just a fact that isn’t true. There is more money in the USA to cover things up and have advances that others do not. In no way do I believe swimming in the USA is clean. Look at the other sports in the country track and field, baseball, football, all have systemic doping. The systems are in place to make it easy to dope, you can’t think that swimming; one of the biggest sports in the country is getting through this untouched and clean. If anything the USA is just smarter at covering up their scandals.
Verbally loud coach/husband = doping?
You are not serious, right?
Thomas & Morton,
First, my apologies regarding the spelling of Katinka’s last name. I’ve seen it spelled Honszu and Hosszu.
Second, suggesting that her coach – and her husband – would have no knowledge of doping protocols because “he’s just a grad student” is pretty thin. Cursory doping protocols, including substances, timing and doses, can be found on the internet and finding someone with far more in-depth knowledge is pretty easy. And, no, I am in no way accusing any Hungarian athletic association and/or committee of systemic doping.
Third, again a bit of tautology on your part in defending Hosszu by accusing Heemskerk. The fact is they are both suspect. Everybody at the elite level of the sport is. That’s why we have a drug testing regime. Unlike any other facet in Western jurisprudence, participation at the elite level of sport does not have a presumption of innocence, at least as it relates to PED’s. Every athlete submits to a test to prove they are not guilty. That’s backwards to most judicial process where the presumption of innocence prevails.
Fourth, while I’m explicitly familiar with Hungarian swimming, I have been around the sport for a long, long time. Heavy mileage – lots of meters – is the cornerstone of all kinds of programmes. Heck, I did 15k a day when I was a kid back 35 years ago.
Fifth, yes, Katinka was a champion back in 2009. She’s a hell of a talent, there’s no denying that. What is different from 2009 to today is the number of times per year and the variety of events – strokes and distances – that she’s racing at a very high level at.
And, sixth, I’m not jealous. I love this sport. I have been around a long, long time and I’ve seen the East Germans, the Chinese and Americans (And Dutch) take medals away from women that I consider friends. I call ’em as I see ’em. I am saying Katinka is doping. She might not be, she might be. As I said, though, if I had – I emphasize had – to make a bet…
I’ve got to make two corrections to my previous post. Both editing mistakes on my part.
First, I meant to say that “while I am not explicitly familiar with Hungarian swimming”. I am not. I’ve raced Hungarians but I’ve never trained there and I don’t know anyone who has.
Second – and this one is important – “I am NOT saying Katinka is doping.” She’s never tested positive. I stand by the rest of that paragraph, though.
[…] Now in a well-written blog post Mr. Barrett raises the suspicion that Hosszú might be using performance enhancing drugs. Obviously, Mr. Barrett has the right to raise concerns, but Ms. Hosszú was tested numerous times with negative results. At this point, there is absolutely no proof that Hosszú has ever used illegal performance enhancing substances! (Click here to read Mr. Barrett’s blogpost.) […]
as a former swimmer and follower of the world of doping in professional sports, I love this article. I share the same suspicions.
I want to add a few points. A lot of people have mentioned Dara Torres and her change in physique and her endocrinologist husband, but the most damning piece of evidence against her has to be her connection to a convicted HGH peddler named Anthony Galea. A certain Tiger Woods also visited him. Of course she claimed that she was seeing him for totally legitimate medical reasons, but why would someone of her means need to go to Canada to see a convicted HGH dealer?
In regards to submitting your samples for future testing. So did Lance. If you know what USADA is testing for, then why wouldn’t you? All you really need is a doctor who knows what they are doing. With the exception of the CIR test, which is hardly used, there is still loopholes in testosterone testing. There are still major difficulties in detecting blood doping. It’s a great PR move for any doped athlete to volunteer yourself if you know your way around the tests.
I also saw a comment on how Lance Armstrong never tested positive. This is incorrect. He tested positive in his first Tour de France win in ’99. He tested positive for EPO in the 2001 Tour of Switzerland. His retested samples from the ’99 tour also came back positive for EPO. He also had suspicious blood values from his Bio Passport numbers in his comeback tours. It’s amazing that even to this day, he can still control that narrative and the US media repeats his never tested positive claims.
I’m an American. It’s not a Chinese problem, or a Hungarian problem. It’s a professional sports problem. I don’t believe for a second that it isn’t going on in this country as well. It’s scary knowing as well the lengths that governing bodies in all countries and what they will do to cover things up. Just look at USA Track and Field. Or Jamaican Track and Field. Someone mentioned that there was know way the Hungarian federation would be involved….really?
Satchmo, I do agree with most of what you said, except I’m still skeptical that most dopers would volunteer for future testing. The scientists themselves have said they’d have to be crazy to. Your comments are about current testing loopholes and what they’re testing for now,while those working on making more precise, cheaper tests know or have a very good idea what the dopers are using now, so even if they’re always behind, they will catch up in a few decades, except for gene doping which may end up changing the landscape of sport completely because it may be virtually impossible to detect. (in that specific instance, I would agree with you).Fyi, Dara Torres asked NO questions about their protocols, what they were testing for now, or what/how they would be testing for in the future, compared to some other athletes who asked questions and then decided not to participate in the pilot program.
If you’re dead by the time they catch you, you obviously don’t have to worry and if you’re elderly I guess folks will let you off the hook a little and you’ll already have your money that they can’t take away. But I think Armstrong is an outlier; he’s way more sociopathic than most dopers, along with the masterful manipulation of the media you mentioned, his level of intimidation was criminal yet he hasn’t been prosecuted for that either. He clearly saw himself as WAY above the law, as in “if they can’t catch me, or prosecute me when they do catch me, then the law is meaningless” As you said, if he’s testing positive in the present and being let off for it, he has no motivation to worry about the future. The lack of effective immediate testing and consistent enforcement continues to reinforce the behavior of all dopers.
M Palota brings up a good point. and I don’t know the answer to this, “If you know the half-life of the metabolites you’re using, maybe you can time when you provide your blood sample.”
some things I don’t know are: are the samples still effective many years down the road? has USADA retested them and if so, how often does this process happen?
I think we definitely will disagree on how much of a risk it would be for an athlete to enter a program like this. I still see it as a PR move if the athlete is confident enough that what they have taken will not show up on a test.
I forgot about the HGH connection.
I wonder, too, if there is anything to the timing of when Torres provided her blood sample…
If you know the half-life of the metabolites you’re using, maybe you can time when you provide your blood sample.
And I agree with you whole-heartedly as to this being a global problem. I think sport is rife with PED use.
I’m always amazed when people accept as fact that sports like track & field that has a global net worth of $100’s of millions is rife with PED use but a sport like soccer – football – that’s worth $100’s of billions around the world doesn’t have a problem.
Do you have any proof man? where’s the evidence?
“The above commentary is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.”
it says, the magazine dont want to face big lawsuit..but you?
ridiculous…….
It looks like you are in deep trouble Barrett, Ms. Hosszu have handed your accusations over to “a team of lawyers”!
Step 1 after being accused: Deny, deny, deny.
Step 2: Lawyer up and threaten to sue.
I will say this about Torres: Her response to her accusers was masterful. It was, to paraphrase Taylor Swift, “haters gonna hate” and she left it at that.
I admired her for that.
Slightly off topic, but there was a BBC investigative documentary last night exposing PED use among Alberto Salazar’s Nike Project Oregon (probably old new to many in the US) as well as some historic British doping cases. The most interesting aspect arguably though was that the journalist (who is also a amateur triathlete) underwent a microdoping EPO regime, which increased his VO2 Max by around 7% and could not be detected in his ‘blood passport’ by a leading metabolic expert in Europe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32877702