With the controversy raving about Russian doping in the Olympics very much in the news at present it’s hard to put oneself in the right frame of mind for the traditional fortnight of sofa bound sporting enjoyment I have come to expect. Nothing makes me appreciate the value of physical exertion more than watching sweaty behemoths lifting twelve times their own bodyweight over their heads or cylists with odd shaped helmets chasing after what looks like a moped riding pizza delivery boy. It also goes to show how the human frame can be adapted (or selected) to suit a range of competitive activities. Place a weight lifter, a high jumper and a marathon runner side by side and you’ll see what I mean. One of the minor compensations for the murky goings on in Russian sport is having Russian competitor’s names brought to one’s attention. Some of these might have been made up by thirteen year old boys for their private amusement. Any man who doesn’t find Yuliya Efimova’s name brings even a vestigial smirk to their face has clearly lost touch with their thirteen year old self. Likewise, I was disappointed to find that the whistleblower, Yulia Stepanova, specialises in the 800 metres and not the hurdles. Panelists on a recent radio programme I was listening to debated whether the doping allegations that presently bedevil sport might endanger the sponsorship deals that fund so much of it. I say they were missing the point. Only the nature of the sponsorship remains in doubt. Adidas or Coca-Cola might indeed withdraw their backing but I do not doubt that Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline would move in to shoulder the burden.