• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Copyright by Daniel Lukas Rosenke 2020 The Dissertation Committee for Daniel Lukas Rosenke Certifies that this is the approved version of the following Dissertation: Supply and Enhance: Tracing the Doping Supply Chain in the 1980s Committee: Janice S. Todd, Supervisor Thomas M. Hunt Tolga Ozyurtcu John Hoberman Ian Ritchie Supply and Enhance: Tracing the Doping Supply Chain in the 1980s by Daniel Lukas Rosenke Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August 2020 Dedication To my mother, the strongest woman I know To Adam: my brother, best friend, and forever my partner in crime Acknowledgements This project may never have come to fruition without the influence of father, Scott Rosenke. In my young and more impressionable years, he molded me into a man of confidence and conviction, and inspired in me the unwavering self-belief to pursue my dreams, no matter how far-fetched. Perhaps most significantly, I credit him with first introducing me to the subject matter I discuss in this volume, and piquing my interest in the surreptitious drug culture in Olympic and professional sports. Sometime in our mid-teens, I recall my brother Adam – my handsome identical twin – and I seated on the couch with Dad watching Lance Armstrong’s second Tour de France victory. At the time many believed the brash cycling maverick from Plano, Texas, a folk hero among cancer survivors worldwide, was a manna from heaven, sent to restore faith in the sport after a widely-reported scandal at the Tour two years earlier. Dad knew better. “You’d have to be out of your mind to believe Armstrong isn’t dirty like the rest of them,” he declared that day, “the average person has absolutely no clue what goes on behind the scenes.” This is a rough approximation of course, as two decades have passed since the 2000 Tour. My reply went something like this: “But they test these guys right? If he won last year and is back to defend his title, how could that be possible?” This I remember vividly: he flashed a knowing smile, paused, and replied, “because some things never change.” Here’s to you, Dad. Without my mother, Connie, it’s highly unlikely I’d be in the position I’m in; defending a doctoral dissertation at a premier institution like UT. To express my love and respect for you in a short paragraph merely scratches the surface, but here goes: Mom, you’ve been a positive presence in my life for thirty-six years, and are a paragon of loyalty and selflessness. Even when I’ve made mistakes or am objectively wrong about something, you stand beside me with v indomitable loyalty, willing and ready to join me in the trenches. Your rare combination of strength, intelligence, courage, and class is something to behold, and if I’ve inherited one-tenth of it I would count myself a lucky man. It’s always been comforting to know that if I fall you’ll always be there to catch me. Words cannot describe what an amazing person you are, or my gratitude for the sacrifices you’ve made over the years. You’re the best. Love you, Mom. I owe an equal debt of gratitude to my brother, Adam, who has had a positive impact on my life in countless ways. He has been a training partner, rival, a constant source of motivation, and a best friend as far back as I can remember. Not long after I first started training seriously as a track and field athlete, Adam casually dropped a pearl of wisdom that changed my life forever. During our preparations for the 2007-2008 indoor season, I joined several friends for post- workout beers at a nearby pub, not far from our training facilities on the University of Alberta campus. I arrived home at a reasonable hour, mindful of the fact that I had an early class the next morning and a hard training session later in the day. No more than a minute after I walked in the door, Adam started in on me: “Man, you’re not doing yourself any favors by going out for weeknight beers. If you think that’ll help you run faster, you’re seriously deluded.” He then said something so simple, yet so profound: If it’s not helping, it’s hurting. It’s been my mantra ever since. Adam, you’ve made me a better man in countless ways. Few are lucky enough to have a lifelong best friend, much less someone as great as you. You’re the best guy I know. Over the past several years I have had the privilege of studying under the tutelage of Dr. Jan Todd, to whom I credit my growth as a scholar, and metamorphosis from social science researcher to sport historian. From the afternoon we first chatted at the Stark Center to our most recent phone conversation, Jan has been an excellent motivator and communicator, never hesitating to impart her views in a frank and straightforward manner, a rare quality these days, vi and one of the many reasons I have the utmost respect for her. As my supervisor and mentor, Jan challenged me to become a better writer and researcher, taught me the true meaning of scholarly rigor, and gave me the freedom to pursue ambitious projects. After our first meeting in the summer of 2014, I had no doubt that my time at the University of Texas would be well spent. She welcomed me with a warm smile, was affable and magnetic, and by the end of our forty- five-minute meeting we were laughing and talking like old friends. I learned a great deal from our many long discussions at the Stark Center over the years, several of which laid the foundations for lines of research I’d otherwise never have considered. You’re such a great lady Jan. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you. I would also like to thank the rest of my committee members, Tommy Hunt, Tolga Ozyurtcu, John Hoberman, and Ian Ritchie. Your patience, support, and feedback made this journey a lot easier, and fostered an environment that enabled me to put together a project that I’m very proud of. My aim at the outset was to assemble the absolute best group of scholars to evaluate my work, and I was fortunate enough to sign the Dream Team. Each of you made a special contribution to my work, for which I will be forever grateful. Tommy, for you a special thank you is in order. Your laid-back manner and keen insights have been a source of serenity for me in my academic journey. I’m proud to call you a mentor and friend, and would jump at the chance to collaborate with you in the future. Finally, I owe a special debt of gratitude to the Vaughan family, Susan, Ray, Carolyn, and Phil, my surrogate family in Austin, and the kindest most selfless people I know. Over the past five years you’ve been my support system, in good times and bad, and it truly warms me to know I have such an amazing family in the great state of Texas. I can only imagine the sums of vii money you’re saving on groceries while I’ve been away. This project would not have been possible without you. Love you guys. viii Supply and Enhance: Tracing the Doping Supply Chain in the 1980s Daniel Lukas Rosenke, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2020 Supervisor: Janice S. Todd Like Michael Jackson’s iconic album Thriller, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, performance-enhancing drugs are part of the zeitgeist of the 1980s, a decade of turbulence in the sporting world and one of enlightenment for fans and journalists worldwide. Sport’s dirty little secret was first revealed at the 1983 Pan-American Games, where a throng of positive tests and the mass exodus of (ostensibly) guilty American athletes brought doping to mainstream audiences, and alerted policy makers to a societal ill that could no longer be ignored. Popular anabolic drugs like Dianabol and Testosterone Depot had been in wide use for decades, and in the absence of rigorous controls – both anti-doping and statutory – spread like wildfire in elite sport, bodybuilding, and gym culture. By the mid-1980s gaining access to them was all but a formality, as simple as paying a visit to one’s family physician, the resident dealer at Gold’s Gym, or the local discus champion peddling Mexican steroids to make ends meet. While chemical enhancement in this era is well-represented in the extant literature, relatively little has been said about how these drugs fell in the hands of users. Each of the three articles in this volume survey a different supply source for performance-enhancing drugs in the 1980s. In the first study, I profile the enigmatic doping physician Robert Kerr, an open advocate for the safe ix use of anabolic steroids under medical supervision. After prescribing the drugs for more than seventeen years, Kerr embraced the role of anti-doping advocate, appearing as an expert witness in several government-led hearings in the late 1980s. In the second study, I investigate a drug- smuggling incident at Montreal’s Mirabel Airport. On 31 October 1983, four of Canada’s premier weightlifters were arrested after border agents discovered a cache of anabolic steroids in each of their bags.

Load more

  306

Copy Link