Group items tagged

10,231,217

10,009,231*

9,925,891

Seoul, South Korea: 10,231,217

Largest cities in the world

Largest metropolitan areas Tokyo, Japan: 33,900,000

Rank City Country Population 1 SEOUL South Korea 10,231,000

1 Tokyo Japan 32,450,000 8,014 4,049 2 Seoul South Korea 20,550,000 5,076 4,048 3 Mexico City[2] Mexico 20,450,000 7,346 2,784 4 New York City[3] United States 19,750,000 17,884 1,104 5 Mumbai India 19,200,000 2,350 8,170 6 Jakarta Indonesia 18,900,000 5,100 3,706 7 Sao Paulo Brazil 18,850,000 8,479 2,223 8 Delhi India 18,600,000 3,182 5,845 9 Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Japan 17,375,000 6,930 2,507 10 Shanghai China 16,650,000 5,177 3,216

Every two years as the Olympic Games begin, we hear about athletes using or at least being tested for performance-enhancing drugs. Every time the Tour de France rolls around, there's talk of possible doping. Sometimes, competitors raise the question when one athlete does particularly well. Other times, tests catch athletes with drugs in their systems. The practice of using artificial substances or methods to enhance athletic performance is called doping. Doping has become such a great concern that the United States formed an Anti-Doping Agency.

Why Some Athletes Use DrugsAthletes face enormous pressure to excel in competition. They also know that winning can reap them more than a gold medal. A star athlete can earn a lot of money and a lot of fame, and athletes only have a short time to do their best work. Athletes know that training is the best path to victory, but they also get the message that some drugs and other practices can boost their efforts and give them a shortcut, even as they risk their health and their athletic careers.

As far back as ancient Greece, athletes have often been willing to take any preparation that would improve their performance. But it appears that drug use increased in the 1960s. One well-publicized incident happened at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 when sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and was stripped of his gold medal. Athletes may also misuse drugs to relax, cope with stress or boost their own confidence. Athletes may have several reasons for using performance-enhancing drugs. An athlete may want to: Build mass and strength of muscles and/or bones Increase delivery of oxygen to exercising tissues Mask pain Stimulate the body Relax Reduce weight Hide use of other drugs