Make dopers stand out, says Murphy

Irish Olympic swimmer Barry Murphy says dopers who return after a ban should be made wear different coloured bibs or hats.

The Ireland swimming team heads to the world championships in Barcelona next Tuesday and nothing irks Murphy more than competing against guys who have been cheating and getting away with it.

“I think until the right measures come in, the right testing protocol and people say it’s a one or done deal, the guys aren’t going to stop it,” the 50m breaststroke specialist said.

“We’re talking about guys getting caught, serving the ban and coming back. There’s no shame with these fellas. They step up on the blocks and Joe Soaps in the crowd don’t know these guys have actually served bans. What they should do is make them wear a different colour bib or a different colour hat so people know this guy has taken some stuff, he could still be feeling the effect and benefits of it a while on. And, if he wins, we all know why.”

The issue of doping is back in the spotlight after high-profile sprinters Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Murphy is convinced that it also happens in the pool.

“It’s frustrating, but I still believe those guys are beatable,” Murphy says. “They can take whatever they want, but they are beatable. It’s up to those doing it clean to put in that extra work and have that extra motivation.”