Wow, this whole sports drugs vibe is getting out of hand. If it wasn’t enough that one of our own top cyclists was busted shortly after Lance Armstrong, we now have a problem in our schools. And apparently it’s the worst in the world.

According to the Sunday Times, a drug scandal has broken out at top Johannesburg school, King Edward VII (often referred to as “KES”). Three pupils have been suspended after admitting to taking performance enhancing drugs. They were taking steroids to enhance their performance when rowing.

A pic from The 2011 Old Mutual Schools Boatrace – which KES won

The boys are between the ages of 15 and 18 and the ‘roids were being injected by a pupil. The supplier of the drugs was apparently a pupil at another top Johannesburg school.

The kids have been banned from sport for three months – not that it makes a difference.

According to the Sunday Times, leading sports physician Dr Jon Patricios reckons it’s a waste of time – “Even if they test negative in January, it’s possible that the benefits they get from steroids will last for several months. If they were professional sportsmen caught outside of school, the bane would have been a year.”

The SA Institute for Drug Free Sport does not have the authority to test at schools. These kids were busted when the one kid’s mother found a syringe in his tog-bag. Once she exposed her findings to the school, all the boys confessed.

And if you think this might be an isolated incident, thing again – Patricios reckons SA is the “worst in the world” when it comes to doping at schools.

This, from the King Edward VII school’s website:

Into the new millenium, the club now prides itself as an established force in rowing. It boasts a fleet just short of 40 boats and excellent standard of coaching. It has excellent support of the school, parents and boys. The club reached its 50th anniversary last year – and has once again become a highly competitive force in schools rowing in South Africa.

During 2010 KES VII won the first “Boat Race” held on the 5th December 2010. In 2011 the Club competed at the South African Schools Championships on the weekend of the 4th-6th March at Roodeplaat Dam and King Edward VII finished 4th overall in the competition. Five of our under 16 boys were selected for the South African Schools Rowing Union squad that toured to Holland at the end of the 2011 season.

[more here]

It is not known whether or not the school will be investigating previous regatta victories against other schools.

[source: Sunday Times]