Cheers to Bernard Lagat

Bernard Lagat is a fraud and a cheat. Retire and go away, Bernie.

Zat0pek wrote:

Yep, the same Bernie that suddenly needed braces on his previously perfect teeth a few years back. Huh; I wonder why that would be?

The same Bernie whose tested positive for EPO, then exercised his right to be present for the "B" sample testing but hid out long enough for his "B" sample to degrade before it could be tested.

The same Bernie who hid his U.S. citizenship so he could compete for Kenyan in the 2004 Olympics.

The same Bernie who continues to run great into his late 30s, just like Regina Jacobs did.

Oh, yeah, the guy's a real peach. How anybody can root for him just because he smiles pretty and says nice things in front of the camera is utterly beyond me.

This is a great post that sums up how much of a joke the whole situation is. I cannot believe ANYONE actually believes he is clean. 38 years old and running sub 13:00? Hahahahahaha. It's Lance Armstrong levels of obvious.

Zat0pek wrote:

Yep, the same Bernie that suddenly needed braces on his previously perfect teeth a few years back.

Yeah, it was stupid to close that perfect gap he had had in his lower jaw ever since he was a child.

Moron.

Captain America wrote:

Wow, 12:58 at age 38 is age-graded 12:26, age-performance 103,72%.

.

Yes, he's messing up the age-graded tables! However, I do believe he's one of the most gifted runners of all timeeeeee!

If Lagat is dirty so is everyone else that he is competing against and he is still better than 99% of them. No more suspcious than Mo running world top 10 times in an event he doesn't focus on at age 30 past mid-d prime. Lagat is the classiest runner we got and is a great spokesman for the sport. You just got to love Lagat.

neutralista wrote:

Yeah, it was stupid to close that perfect gap he had had in his lower jaw ever since he was a child.

Moron.

So, how do you feel about his other points?

Yes, cheers to Bernard Lagat. What a phenomenal athlete and competitor! More than his physical ability, I love that he still has that fire to be the best.

Wasted wrote:

Lagat is the classiest runner we got and is a great spokesman for the sport. You just got to love Lagat.

Lagat is probably the worst spokesman for the sport. Obvious doper, lied about citizenship to compete at the Olympics, etc. Any other American distance runner would be a better spokesperson for the sport.

Lagat is Regina Jacobs 2.0

TLW wrote:

This is a great post that sums up how much of a joke the whole situation is. I cannot believe ANYONE actually believes he is clean. 38 years old and running sub 13:00? Hahahahahaha. It's Lance Armstrong levels of obvious.

How is this so unbelievable? Plenty of athletes perform well into their late thirties. Miruts Yifter and Carlos Lopes come to mind in distance running.

I think Bernard Lagat had a chance to break the 5k world record in his athletic prime. If he would have focused on the 5000 instead of the 1500, he could have challenged Bekele and Gebrselassie, I have no doubts. Personal opinion, hate if you want, but I honestly think he could have ran 12:37 and change in his late 20's, had he seriously tried. His speed/endurance combo is literally insane.

Lagat is my favorite track athlete of all time. So yea, cheers man!!

He didn't possess the B sample, obviously, and had he not concealed his US citizenship in 2004, he would have missed the Olympics at his peak. As it was he had to miss World's in 2005 with the sponsorship. He tested negative for artificial epo, and the A sample was wrongly stored and read. Unlike Regina, he is not close to his best. He closed in 56.6 or so in a 12:58 race losing. At his peak in the 5000m, he closed in 51 in a 12:59 race, crushing Bekele at his peak. At his peak in the 1500m, he ran 3:26.34. Recently, he ran 3:37 and he hasn't come close to 3:30 in many years. Regina, by contrast, never deviated much from 4 flat in the 1500m over a period of 15 years or so. When she was caught, she was at her best. Lagat is far from it. You know that when he ran 12:59 (51), he could have run low 12:40s or better.

Sam W. wrote:

How is this so unbelievable? Plenty of athletes perform well into their late thirties. Miruts Yifter and Carlos Lopes come to mind in distance running.

Because there is quite a bit of evidence that points to PED use and questionable behavior (the whole nationality thing at the Games).

Look at the facts. The braces later in life, the positive test, the lie about nationality, etc.

Think critically.

What did you think of Lance Armstrong?

What did you think about Regina Jacobs?

You may be a fan, but please mentally operate in the realm of reality when looking at athletics.

He's the fastest clean athlete of all time, and a great American. All of the points the haters have brought up have been explained with legitimate responses, but that won't ever stop haters.

Long live Bernie!

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

At his peak in the 1500m, he ran 3:26.34.

Lagat ran 3:26 in the EPO era of the sport - meaning that the most powerful drug in endurance sports ever was undetectable and widely used.

Do you really think this time is natural? Please tell me you are not that naive.

Please connect the braces part of the equation for me. What does that have to do with anything?

Vano wrote:

Please connect the braces part of the equation for me. What does that have to do with anything?

One of the main undesirable effect of human growth hormone is lengthening of the jawbone (with resulting loosening of the teeth).

Now, can you understand why red flags are raised when someone in their 30s who is an Olympic caliber athlete gets braces?

TLW wrote:

Sam W. wrote:

How is this so unbelievable? Plenty of athletes perform well into their late thirties. Miruts Yifter and Carlos Lopes come to mind in distance running.

Because there is quite a bit of evidence that points to PED use and questionable behavior (the whole nationality thing at the Games).

Look at the facts. The braces later in life, the positive test, the lie about nationality, etc.

Think critically.

What did you think of Lance Armstrong?

What did you think about Regina Jacobs?

You may be a fan, but please mentally operate in the realm of reality when looking at athletics.

Lots of people get braces later in life, he never tested positive for anything, and violating a technicality regarding dual citizenship (I'm not aware of any other arguably questionable behavior).

I never cared about cycling.

I was too young to follow Regina Jacobs's career.

TLW wrote:

Lagat ran 3:26 in the EPO era of the sport - meaning that the most powerful drug in endurance sports ever was undetectable and widely used.

Do you really think this time is natural? Please tell me you are not that naive.

El Guerouj ran 3:26:00 in 1998, which would be the EPO era. But Hicham and Bernard both ran 3:26-low in 2001, after there was a test. And CERA was not available then.

But this needs a pic. This is Bernard and Hicham both running 3:26 in Brussels, 2001. One of the greatest ever distance races:

Sam W. wrote:

Lots of people get braces later in life, he never tested positive for anything, and violating a technicality regarding dual citizenship (I'm not aware of any other arguably questionable behavior).

I never cared about cycling.

I was too young to follow Regina Jacobs's career.

Lots of people get braces later in life, true.

But when high level athletes get them in their 30s it is a telltale sign of HGH use.

You are young, naive and ignorant on PED use. Please educate yourself on doping before contributing to these discussions.