You have been asked to write an essay about calls to ban all Russian athletes from the Olympics because of widespread doping.
Which of the following contains the best thesis statement and supporting ideas for this essay?
Thesis statement:
The Olympic motto is “Faster, Higher, Stronger” not “Fairer, Healthier, Safer” – there should be no banned substances.
The results of a competition should matter more than how an athlete trains.
The list of banned substances is too long and complicated. Athletes have had medals taken away for taking over the counter cold medicine or putting extra vitamins in a smoothie.
Most elite athletes would be willing to trade future health problems to win Olympic medals. Their bodies, their choices.
Thesis statement:
Banning Russia is a sad but necessary step needed to protect the health of the athletes and ensure the future of the Olympic Games.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an independent, international agency that compiles annual lists of prohibited substances and distributes them to sports federations and athletes.
WADA is responsible for accrediting the labs that test athletes at and between competitions. Each athlete submits two samples, one that is tested immediately and another that is stored indefinitely.
WADA has canceled the accreditation of some of the labs that test athletes at and between competitions because of evidence that some samples may have been tampered with. These include labs in Russia.
Thesis statement:
I’m against it.
We don’t know that all of the athletes have used banned substances. We should test everyone and only ban those who fail a drug test.
Athletes from other countries have doped, too.
We don’t ban countries for using high-tech gear and equipment to gain an advantage.
Thesis statement:
A total ban of Russian athletes is appropriate because the only way to discourage state sponsored doping is to punish the entire program.
Whistleblowers and investigators have provided abundant evidence that doping is supported and sponsored by the Russian government.
In the past, only individuals have been banned, and only when they were caught with drugs in their system. This is ineffective; the government simply swapped in other athletes and continued the doping program.
Since the Russian government controls financing, training facilities, sports associations, coaching programs, and Olympic team selection, athletes may have no choice over taking banned substances. The International Olympic Committee has a duty to protect them.
Thesis statement:
A total ban of Russian athletes is appropriate because the only way to discourage state sponsored doping is to punish the entire program.
Whistleblowers and investigators have provided abundant evidence that doping is supported and sponsored by the Russian government.
In the past, only individuals have been banned, and only when they were caught with drugs in their system. This is ineffective; the government simply swapped in other athletes and continued the doping program.
Since the Russian government controls financing, training facilities, sports associations, coaching programs, and Olympic team selection, athletes may have no choice over taking banned substances. The International Olympic Committee has a duty to protect them.