Amateurism, Scientific Control and Crime: Historical Fluctuations in Anti-Doping Discourses in Sport

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the institutional mechanisms for combating doping in high-level sport, including the trend toward using legalistic frameworks, and how they contribute to notions of deviance. Design/methodology/approach: A historical approach informed by recent criminological adaptations of genealogy was utilized, using primary and secondary sources. Findings: Three time periods involving distinct frameworks for combating doping were identified, each with their own advantages and limitations: pre-1967, post-1967 up until the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 1999, and post-1999. Originality/value: This study contextualizes the recent legalistic turn toward combating doping in sport, bringing greater understanding to the limitations of present anti-doping practices.