Submission + - Ping-pong detectives: How RAE Systems find Olympics 'paddle doping' cheats (zdnet.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Ping pong might not be the first sport to spring to mind when the subject of 'doping' comes up, but the sport's authorities are taking no chances for the Olympics — they've called in RAE systems to ensure that everything that takes place on the table tennis table is above board.
In the early 1970s wily table tennis players realised that they could increase the spin when striking the ball by applying the same glue that's used to repair bike tyres under the rubber on their paddles. More sophisticated techniques and use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, octane and N-hexane in combination with the 'speed glue' are now employed, but the idea remains the same — to increase speed and spin on shots.
"While most of us associate cheating scandals with mainstream professional sports, the practice of paddle doping goes to show that even the relatively tame world of table tennis is not immune to this culture where athletes are willing to take extreme measures — and yes, even cheat — to gain the upper hand over the competition," a spokeswoman for RAE Systems told ZDNet.
Unsurprisingly, the practice of 'paddle doping' — which can give up to 30 percent more speed and spin — is now strictly banned and participants are required to submit their equipment to an ITTF paddle controller for inspection to ensure the rubber is the correct thickness and no solvents are present.
For the London 2012 Olympics, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITFF) asked RAE Systems to ensure that no cheating took place by using its MiniRAE Lite photo ionization detector (PID).
The MiniRAE Lite PID (pictured below) works by breaking down chemicals into ions under an ultraviolet light. These ions can then...
In the early 1970s wily table tennis players realised that they could increase the spin when striking the ball by applying the same glue that's used to repair bike tyres under the rubber on their paddles. More sophisticated techniques and use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, octane and N-hexane in combination with the 'speed glue' are now employed, but the idea remains the same — to increase speed and spin on shots.
"While most of us associate cheating scandals with mainstream professional sports, the practice of paddle doping goes to show that even the relatively tame world of table tennis is not immune to this culture where athletes are willing to take extreme measures — and yes, even cheat — to gain the upper hand over the competition," a spokeswoman for RAE Systems told ZDNet.
Unsurprisingly, the practice of 'paddle doping' — which can give up to 30 percent more speed and spin — is now strictly banned and participants are required to submit their equipment to an ITTF paddle controller for inspection to ensure the rubber is the correct thickness and no solvents are present.
For the London 2012 Olympics, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITFF) asked RAE Systems to ensure that no cheating took place by using its MiniRAE Lite photo ionization detector (PID).
The MiniRAE Lite PID (pictured below) works by breaking down chemicals into ions under an ultraviolet light. These ions can then...
