Olympics, Winter: Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are any substance used by athletes to enhance performance. This term is commonly associated with the use of anabolic steroids, but it can refer to any substance taken for ergogenic purposes. The Winter Olympics have not experienced nearly the level of PED usage as the Summer Games, being outnumbered 114 positive tests to 22. As with the Summer Olympics, the detection of PED usage in the Winter Games peaked at the turn of the 21st century, with seven positive tests being found in both the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City and 2006 Games in Turin. Cross-country skiing has experienced the highest amount of doping amongst Winter Olympic sports, with 12 positive tests occurring by athletes in this sport. Additionally, Austria, a ...