Flinders wrote: ... I see no reason why asthma medication is allowed at all,...
I don't know much about this at the elite level, but that's a sweeping statement and to base it on horse racing seems bizarre. Once upon a time, asthma seemed rare. I can only remember one contemporary from my school days who suffered with asthma and they had been shipped out of London to be in fresh air. My elder son has asthma and now aged 45 he's still very active in sport including playing soccer with a team mostly consisting of men in their twenties. When he was a child and before we got it under control, I've seen him in a paroxysm - real distress - when somebody began mowing the grass next to the soccer pitch.
Visit a primary school today and you may be surprised - as I certainly have been - by the number of children with inhalers, and AIUI, it's caused by air pollution.
On Saturday, my childcare duties included taking one of my grandsons to soccer. No need for his inhaler he insisted but I insist even more than he can and needless to say, after a lot of committed running in the heat with his granddad urging him on, he was brought off needing his inhaler as I had anticipated. Quickly OK again after a couple of deep puffs. In no normal meaning of the word is he a cheat.
I don't pretend this is easy but sweeping statements are no answer. If WADA adopted the line I quoted, they'd rightly face legal challenges based on human rights, which the gee gees don't enjoy. AFAIK, race horses that can't perform are converted to dog food etc.
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I've remembered that when my elder son was at primary school six mile / 10K fun runs were popular and he ran loads. I've never seen any fun in running, but I used to run too, just in case he had an asthma attack. As he grew older, he learned how to manage it himself.