The issue of drugs in sport makes you ask yourself some pretty tough questions.
One of them being – if your country took the decision to boycott a major event, how would you feel about it?
It’s happened plenty of times over the years for different reasons, and the latest example was the threat by the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association to stay away from their world championship next year.
They were due to be held in Sochi and there is understandable anger at the latest round of revelations about state-sponsored doping in Russia.
From what I can gather the threat by Lizzy Yarnold and the rest of the team was a serious one.
I’m glad for their sake – and for their sport – that the decision has been taken out of their hands and the competition has been moved from Sochi.
They wouldn’t have been alone.
The Latvians had already made their stance clear with a statement saying they wouldn’t go back to a place “where the Olympic spirit was stolen in 2014.”
I’d like to think that if our Worlds were due to be held in Russia then I’d be strong enough to see the bigger picture as well and get my head round a boycott.
Thankfully, I don’t have to look at any of my competitors and think ‘have they cheated?’
In sports like skeleton and bobsleigh drug-taking could have a huge influence on performance. Explosive power is a big part of what they do.
With curling being very much a skill-based sport, there’s nothing you could really take that would make you a better curler.
The Russian curling team are a very successful team – they’ve won bronze at the last three Worlds and won the Europeans the last two years.
But they aren’t under any suspicion.
Looking back at the Winter Olympics at Sochi it does feel strange to think about all the behind-the-scenes doping that was going on. It has definitely tainted a lot of events.
I would be very, very surprised if the Russian team got ruled out of the next Games in 2018 but it’s always a possibility and if that was what had to be done to try and make sport equal and fair, then so be it.
* We’re in Japan just now for the last tournament of the year.
So far, so good. We’ve played two matches and won two.
Thankfully, it’s a place I love coming to and competing in.
The people are so friendly, the arenas are great and I even love the food.
I’m really looking forward to getting home though, and spending Christmas with family and friends.
But, if mum’s reading this, I don’t want any rice or fish on the menu for Christmas dinner!
* I tried to do most of my Christmas shopping before I left for Canada a couple of weeks ago so hopefully it’s not too hectic when I get back.
For myself, I think I’m getting old because I wouldn’t mind people buying me some pictures for my new house. It’s not very exciting but I’ve got a lot of bare walls to fill!
