Olymics - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz Catholic News New Zealand Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:26:01 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-cathnewsfavicon-32x32.jpg Olymics - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz 32 32 70145804 Olympic Gold - Is cheating here to stay? https://cathnews.co.nz/2012/08/17/olympic-gold-is-cheating-here-to-stay/ Thu, 16 Aug 2012 19:29:11 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=31627

New Zealanders are so happy the Valerie Adams has got her Gold. Some of them are angry about the cheating. One high profile commentator has even got himself into trouble for an "expletive-laden tweet calling for Olympics drug cheat Nadzeya Ostapchuk to hand over her shot put gold medal." Was Ostapchuk just unlucky? The former Read more

Olympic Gold - Is cheating here to stay?... Read more]]> New Zealanders are so happy the Valerie Adams has got her Gold. Some of them are angry about the cheating. One high profile commentator has even got himself into trouble for an "expletive-laden tweet calling for Olympics drug cheat Nadzeya Ostapchuk to hand over her shot put gold medal."

Was Ostapchuk just unlucky? The former chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency has said that based on his own anecdotal evidence "maybe 10 per cent of athletes use drugs and we're catching one or two of them ... People who have prepared in advance and used drugs coming here (to London) won't get caught."

So is cheating here to stay? Even the Scrabble contestants are at it. Is it only cheating because the laws say it is? There is already the beginnings of a media campaign aimed at legalising performance enhancing drugs.

The argument goes like this: drugs are against the rules, but we make the rules. Just change the rules so that drug takers won't be cheats any more.

"If we made drugs legal and freely available, there would be no cheating", according to Oxford University philosopher Professor Julian Savulescu and his colleagues Their paper has gained 57 "likes" and 28 "dislikes".

The World Anti-Doping Agency code declares a drug illegal if it is performance enhancing, if it is a health risk, or if it violates the "spirit of sport".

The "spirit of sport", the agency says is the celebration of the human spirit, body, and mind, and is characterised by the following values:

  • ethics
  • fair play and honesty
  • health
  • excellence in performance
  • character and education
  • fun and joy
  • teamwork
  • dedication and commitment
  • respect for rules and laws
  • respect for self and other participants
  • courage
  • community and solidarity

Would "legal and freely available drugs violate this spirit? Would such a permissive rule be good for sport?" Savulescu and his colleagues ask.

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Olympic Gold - Is cheating here to stay?]]> 31627 Churches training for London Olympic games https://cathnews.co.nz/2011/03/31/churches-training-london-olympic-games/ Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:02:38 +0000 http://cathnews.co.nz/?p=1624

Churches are to be trained in running community festivals as part of their outreach during the 2012 London Olympic Games. Many training events are planned to show churches how they can put on simple events that build community spirit and demonstrate the Gospel. Australian organisation Fusion Youth and Community festivals director, Marty Woods, has moved Read more

Churches training for London Olympic games... Read more]]> Churches are to be trained in running community festivals as part of their outreach during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Many training events are planned to show churches how they can put on simple events that build community spirit and demonstrate the Gospel.

Australian organisation Fusion Youth and Community festivals director, Marty Woods, has moved to the UK to share his expertise with churches looking to do something similar.

"Community festivals can position a church at the heart of community life in a highly strategic way", Woods said.

Organisers are hoping churches will work together to run a festival in their community in the run-up to or during the Games.

The training events are being coordinated by More than Gold, the charity overseeing church outreach during the 2012 Olympic Games.

"Athletes around the world are in training, the UK public are thinking about which events to attend, and it is time for churches to be making their own plans," David Wilson, chief executive of More than Gold said.

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