We ’ve pick up of the doping scandal in baseball game , track and orbit , and other sports . But now in a scandalous new developing , wienerwurst sledding now has join in on drugging its performers .
The Iditarod is a 1,000 miledog sledrace across the block Alaskan landscape , and is exceedingly competitive . A host of unpaid worker help racing dogs and their humans ( called “ musher ” ) along the fashion .
The alleged doping happen in March of this year , but has been heatedly debated ever since . The recent revelation of the identity of the accused musher has stirred things up severely this retiring month , for the most part due to the musher maintaining innocence .
Photo: Mark Thiessen/AP
Dallas Seaveyis a four - time Iditarod champ . Upon completion of the race , the first 20 team across the logical argument are drug tested . Seavey and his dogs come in 2nd place this year .
Upon examination , four of his dogs test convinced for the drug Tramadol , a ban content , just after they finished second in the raceway . Seavey has made several public assertion begging the populace to believe he had no knowledge of the dogs receiving the drug , and trust someone else did this to his dogs “ out of venom . ”
The incident is bizarre to be sure , and leave plenty of room for questions .
Seavey racing his dogs.Photo: Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News
A Growing Number of Issues
Tramadol is an opioid pain killer whale which one would not assume would be given to frank to enhance their carrying out . The drug has a strong tranquilizing force .
The tests also indicated that the dog had receive the drug sometime between 15 hours prior to finish the race until the time they got tested in Nome .
PETA ( multitude for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ) tell this is just extra validation that this race should no longer take place . accord to PETA , five dogs die this year in connection with the race , and 150 entire domestic dog have died since the Iditarod began 44 years ago .
Seavey and his dogs recover after the 2015 race.Photo: Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News
The backwash has come under flaming in late years due to the frankfurter deaths . This has led to increase pressure to end the practice from animal right chemical group ; PETA says that in addition to the fatalities , the dogs are subject to painful condition such as blooming paws and major infection .
Seavey think that someone – perhaps a challenger or animal right activist – was undertake to sabotage him .
He claims the Iditarod exhibited loose security at dog nutrient drop - off points , andhas harshly questionedthe elbow room in which the organisation manage the drug testing overall .
Revised Rules and Backlash
Race officials will not punish Seavey because they can not prove that the drugs were parcel out by him with intention .
However , they have changed the drug - testing racerulesfor next twelvemonth ; until 2017 the rule prevented the disqualification of a competitors if a musher ’s intent could not be proven . If it was n’t well-defined that the musher hold the drugs to his own frump , he was dependable from liability .
But under the revised 2018 rules , mushers will be “ strictly unresistant ” for overconfident drug mental testing involve their dogs .
The Iditarod observe Seavey ’s identity element hidden until October 23rd , after he had put out public statements under the name “ Musher X ” and rumors began flee on societal media and news forum .
The release of the name was also prompted by a demand for the identity issued by the Iditarod Official Finishers Club , which was signed by more than 80 mushers .
Just after his name was released , Seavey put out an 18 - second long video on YouTube hold his innocence along with announce that he was drop out of the 2018 slipstream .
Just before Seavey ’s name was released this month , the International Federation of Sleddog sports issued an clear letter to the Iditarod Trail Committee criticizing the organization ’s management of the drug testing , its enforcement of the protocol , and the way it is risking the reputation of a potentially innocent musher .
They indicated that they would be outstrip themselves from the Iditarod Trail Committee after this .
The Iditarod Official Finishers Club also criticized the handling of the drug tests and deficiency of transparence on the part of the Iditarod .
They also demanded a reworking of the new 2018 rule on drug examination , and demanded an extension on the deadline by which mushers can swallow from the wash and still get their $ 4,000 entry fee back .
The 2018 Iditarod is slated to take place from February 28 – March 6 .
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