Letter from the editor: Sunny Rio is leaving me cold

Unfortunately, the Rio Olympics just aren’t doing it for me.

I don’t know whether it is after all the hype and excitement around London four years ago but more likely it’s the latest doping scandal which is leaving me a bit cool to the whole thing.

The days when those competing in the Olympics were amateurs are long gone. The majority of today’s competitors are full-time athletes who spend almost every waking moment involved in their discipline.

Which all makes me think that the governing bodies should be even more rigorous in ensuring that those taking part have had no artificial help.

The scandal surrounding the Russian team is nothing short of a fiasco.

Sadly the International Olympic Committee did not see fit to put a blanket ban on the entire squad of athletes despite the widescale doping which has been uncovered.

Instead it left it up to the individual governing bodies to make the decision on who can compete if they are able to prove they have not taken banned substances.

Yes, a total ban would have been tough on the clean athletes, but I think it would have sent out a very strong message that drugs in sport will not be tolerated at any level, even amongst the elite.

I want to watch people become the fastest, highest and strongest, but I want to know they achieved it through their own efforts.