Geir Helgemo is sometimes called “the bad boy of bridge”. And, to be fair to the smiley 49-year-old Norwegian, he does live up to his billing, seeming personally invested in bringing drama to a sport where the average age of players (at least in the US, where they have checked) is 71. Now Helgemo, the world’s top-ranked player, is involved in fresh controversy: this past week he was found guilty of doping and been banned for a year.
The natural response to this news is: “Whaaa … drugs … bridge?” But the facts are these: Helgemo was found with synthetic testosterone and clomifene in his system when he was playing at the World Bridge Series in Orlando in September 2018. He has admitted the violation, though otherwise has remained tight‑lipped (perhaps he is waiting for the call from Oprah). The suggestion is the drugs were recreational, not performance-enhancing, though testosterone has been shown to improve cognitive function in some studies. Clomifene, more commonly used in fertility treatments, is known to accelerate testosterone secretion.
Written by Tim Lewis
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/03/geir-helgemo-bridge-doping-no-sport-free-cheating under the title “Doping in bridge is a reminder that no sport will ever be free of cheating | Tim Lewis”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
