Christopher Clarey

In the following viewpoint, Christopher Clarey contends that drug use by elite athletes is prevalent. He asserts that athletes use performance-enhancing substances because they believe their competitors are also likely to be using drugs. Besides altering the competitions, Clarey suggests that the pervasiveness of athletic drug use also limits the spectators’ sense of wonder because remarkable performances become immediately suspect. Clarey is a contributing editor for Tennis magazine and a writer for the International Herald Tribune, an international newspaper based in Paris.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to a survey of 198 athletes, as cited by the author, how many would take a banned performance-enhancing drug if they could be guaranteed victory without being caught?
2. In Clarey’s view, why are sports organizations unable to end the drug problem?
3. Why...