The runner hits the finish line, hands raised in triumph. The swimmer touches the pool’s edge in record time. The pole vaulter twists, turns and clears the bar to win the gold.

It’s the thrill of victory, but that thrill isn’t the same as it once was. It’s been forever tainted by the knowledge that many – too many – athletes only achieve their moment of victory with the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Olympic Games haven’t even opened yet, and allegations and suspicions about illegal drug use already are in the news. It was reported this week that world champion swimmer Jessica Hardy had a positive drug test at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials. Through her representatives, Hardy points to the many negative drug tests throughout her career and says she has never intentionally ingested a banned substance.

In the meantime, many sports commentators are examining the rebirth of U.S. swimmer Dara Torres who, at 41, is swimming faster than she was in her 20s. Is that possible, observers ask, without some pharmaceutical assistance?

It’s not fair, but no modern athlete is above suspicion. The world has seen too many records nullified and medals returned, even years after the fact, to fully trust any athletic achievement.

And that’s sad on so many levels. It’s sad for the fans who want to celebrate and be inspired by outstanding athletic achievements. It’s sad for athletes who choose to avoid all questionable substances because that decision may mean they never reach the elite echelon and, even if they do, their accomplishments will be doubted. It’s even sad for athletes who choose to risk their bodies by taking performance-enhancing drugs because they don’t think they can compete against other world-class athletes without them.

The use of steroids and other drugs is nothing new in international sports, but it is a difficult opponent to beat. Even with vigorous testing policies, it’s hard for officials to stay ahead of the new generation of drugs designed to escape detection. Without testing, however, drug use likely would be rampant, further damaging not only athletes’ health but the reputation of their sports.

It may be too late to save the latter. Some spectators may be able to overlook the impact of drugs on sports. For many others, however, performance-enhancing drugs inject a note of cynicism and suspicion that will hang over this and all subsequent Olympic games.