World University Games goal medallist Thomas Barr is not convinced that athletics will ever be entirely clean, but the Irish 400m hurdles champion believes that recent alleged suspicious test revelations can eventually bring about some change in the sport.
The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR reported during the week that data relating to 12,000 blood tests conducted on more than 5,000 athletes showed that a third of medallists had suspicious tests, and have yet to have their medals stripped.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Barr admitted that he has been trying to ignore such reports and focus on his own performances, but does feel that if doping is brought to light, it will one day lead to a cleaner sport.
The four-time Irish champion said: “I haven’t read into it too much to be honest. At the end of the day, athletics is always going to be clouded a little bit when you get stories like this. And as much as you want, I don’t know if it will ever be entirely clean.
“There is no point in me trying to dwell on what everyone else is doing. All I can do is my best. I know I’m clean, I’m tested however many times a year in competition and out of competition so all I can do is focus on my own training, what I’m doing and try to beat whoever is out there whether they are clean or not. Hopefully anti-doping programmes will stay ahead of doping.
“It may have all been blown completely out of proportion. As well, in a way, a lot of athletes are aware what is going on but I can be a little bit naive so I was a bit shocked by the story itself.
“I am hoping that it has just been something that has been blown way out of proportion. I know it’s shocking for the public as it is for any athlete to be thinking ‘any athlete that is going to be out there at the top of the game could be on drugs’ and a lot of the medals they are saying that there are tainted histories. There is no point dwelling on it at the moment, all we can do it hope the anti-doping is going to improve and keep catching anyone that is cheating.
“In one way, it is possibly a good thing that this has come out because now, obviously, the IAAF are going to be looking more into it. Individual countries and agencies are going to be looking more into anti-doping, so in a way it is good thing that has been highlighted.”
Barr was thrilled with his gold medal in the 400-metres hurdles from the Games in South Korea. It was the first time an Irish athlete had claimed gold at the competition since 1991.
Barr said: “It’s a massive boost for my confidence because this year I’ve actually had really good training, uninterrupted by injury or anything. Getting my first few Diamond Leagues meetings under my belt and getting experience on the world circuit and then to go out with expectations on my shoulders to the World Universities and compete, get through as fastest qualifier and pull it off and get the win, it was a massive boost for my confidence and also put a lot of demons to bed after Zurich where I went in ranked but crashed and burned at the semi-finals.
“As well as it being a massive source of happiness and delight, it was a huge relief to just pull it off.
“I don’t think the World University Games get as much credit as it should. It’s the second biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics with over 10,000 athletes competing. I know it didn’t have some of the big contenders there that I would be up against in other competitions but still to come away with any goal medal from any Championships is nothing to be sniffed at.”
Barr will compete at the National Track and Field Championships this weekend at Morton Stadium ahead of World Track and Field Championships later this month.
And the Waterford man also admitted that he is excited to be returning home: “I love competing at home and I love competing at Santry because to be honest I think it is one of the fastest tracks around and on a good day anything can happen on it. I’ve come away with some of my fastest times on this track and competing in front of a home crowd, there is nothing better.
“I was disappointed not to compete in the Morton games, which I was really looking forward to, it was where I made a bit of history last year beating Jehue Gordon. I’m looking forward to coming out and hopefully being able to put on some of sort of the good performance.
“With the way I’ve been going all year, my goal really is I’d love to make it to a final [at the Worlds] and to get myself into that position. That is where I think I can be and where I want to be, up there with the best. Really that would be my main aim. It is whether or not I can manage training and manage my body and try to stay injury free. It has been a long season and I have had a lot of travelling so I’m really trying to get the best out of myself over the next couple of weeks and hopefully all going well I’ll be getting through the rounds.
There will be highlights on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player at 8pm on Sunday.
