Blood on Feet

The lengths some athletes will go:

TURIN (Reuters) - They call it blood on feet.

You are an Olympic athlete. You bring a friend to the Games. The friend donates blood. You inject it, it increases your oxygen-rich red blood cells and you perform better.

A simple procedure that requires no drugs -- but which is banned under world sports rules and which can be deadly.

The discovery of needles and a blood transfusion kit in the Austrian biathlon and cross-country team bases last weekend has trained a spotlight on blood doping and the cat-and-mouse game some athletes play with Olympic authorities.

When you devote a good chunk of your life to get a shot at being the best in your sport, I guess I can see why athletes take such stupid chances with their personal safety and reputation.

Still, that is no excuse. Not only will they ruin themselves, but the reputation of the Olympics as well. What good is victory in the Games if cheating becomes the norm?

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