From today there is a new record to add to the sports history books. But unfortunately this is negative, of those that should not exist. This is the case of a young Italian cyclist, only 14 years old, who has been surprised at a control anti-doping with an illegal substance in your body: mesterolone. A steroid that is marketed under the name of Proviron and that appears on the list of drugs prohibited by the AMA . The minor has been immediately suspended by the Anti-doping court of the CONI , he Italian National Olympic Committee , at the proposal of the Prosecutor’s office .
But the doubts remain: To what purpose does a runner so young, who does not even pursue professional goals and, in theory, run to have fun dope? To what extent are you aware of this or should the blame fall on those responsible, be they the parents or the team? Until more is known about the case, we will not know. But Carlo Tranquilli , renowned sports doctor and expert in the fight against doping, is very clear in his statements to Corriere dello Sport : “We are facing a crime against humanity,” he says. “Mesterolone is a steroid which produces collateral problems that can be fatal in the long run. It can cause hormonal drops, cardiovascular problems and can even be a major factor in the development of tumors. And if we are already talking about a 14-year-old boy, all this accelerates much more “.
Calm down denounces a problem: the radicalization of doping, which is increasingly reaching younger athletes, while giving one of the reasons, the easy accessibility to doping substances posed by the internet. At the moment the issue has little visibility, at least in our country. And it should continue like this, but due to the absence of cases.