Zane Robertson had death threats over speaking out over doping in Kenya

Well actually young man, the law works in funny ways. If you don't have proof, then could it possibly be considered slander (even if ultimately true)? Or is slander based of off an individual making a knowingly false statement damaging to character? A statement may be true, but if there is no concrete eveidence available, then it's not going to be considered proven. It's difficult for someone to come forth, given he inevitable backlash they'll face when they know it probably can't be "proven" due to "lack of evidence." It's a sad reality that this holds and that's how dopers get away with it. Its unfortunate that drugs can be untraceable, thus allowing disgusting cheaters to get away with it. People are going to cheat if there's an easy chance on not being caught. There's a lot of crooked people in this world.

A Kenyan disappointed by them wrote:

This needs to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

The Robertsons hate Kenya and Kenyan people more than you can imagine. Spend any amount of time with them and that becomes clear very quickly. They are extremely angry young men. They especially hate the kids (maybe a decade of 'how are you?' Does that to you) but they can't really claim the kids are threatening them!

Watch the preview for the new Viceland film about them and is demonstrates their irrational anger in just a few seconds. Jake started swearing and shouting abuse at some random guy for accidentally walking between him and the camera.

I'm not saying that Zane hasn't been threatened but threat claims should be put into context of just how frequently and aggressively these two talk negatively about Kenya and its people.

They didn't seem to hate Kenya when they moved there. I recall an interview with one of them where he said he had no plans to live anywhere else and I haven't seen anything recently where they've criticized Kenya aside from comments about drug use there. If they do hate Kenya maybe it's because of things that have happened to them there. Do you have any actual quotes or links that might show a hatred for Kenya?

Is Zane still managed by Gianni De Madonna. How many positives now for that management company? Zane does not seem to have raced on the track recently. If he comes up with a great performance at Rio that will put him under suspicion. Maybe he decided offense was the best form of defense.

marco pantani wrote:

Is Zane still managed by Gianni De Madonna. How many positives now for that management company? Zane does not seem to have raced on the track recently. If he comes up with a great performance at Rio that will put him under suspicion. Maybe he decided offense was the best form of defense.

Could be. I don't know him. But if you hang out on this board from time to time you'll see threads about drugs where people ask why elite athletes who have seen what goes on don't go public with what they've seen or heard. Generally these folks seem to have that "see something, say something" attitude that an earlier poster mentioned and I think those people have no idea of how simplistic and naive that viewpoint is or of the risks that someone who's seen something and wants to say something might be exposing him/herself to, Stepanova currently being the best example.

I've known that this thing with Zane Robertson was in the works for weeks now and I know that he's wanted to say something for a while, I have no idea how long a while, but has held back because he doesn't trust anyone, and that includes WADA, to do anything but bury the information and because he isn't shrugging off the death threats. It's a far uglier sport than most here understand or want to believe.

What a crock... wrote:

Death threats about PED use in athletics? Seriously? We heard this with Aden and heard Lance said sh*t to threaten others. It's PED use. You see something, you know something, you call WADA and give it to them. You clean up your sport because you A) can and B) want to. The Robertson's went to Kenya years ago and trained as mazungos for years. Suddenly over 5 years later he's spouting this tripe. Shameful.

0/10. Wada has no authority to do anything. They forward it to the relevant federation and guess what happens? Nothing.

Another athlete being punished for doing the right thing.

But is he still managed by Gianni De Madonna? How many athletes managed by that company have produced positive drug tests in the last 4 years? If he is still with a management company that has had a lot of athletes test positive in the recent years then his credibility concerning statements he has made is very much reduced.

Man you love you some Kenya!

You don't think there's a doping issue in Kenya?? Are you insane??

marco pantani wrote:

But is he still managed by Gianni De Madonna? How many athletes managed by that company have produced positive drug tests in the last 4 years? If he is still with a management company that has had a lot of athletes test positive in the recent years then his credibility concerning statements he has made is very much reduced.

None, as far as I can tell. Paul Kosgei missed out on some prize money at an event because they required 2 OOC tests in the year before, and IAAF had only tested him once. That's the biggest blemish.

My French is still emerging but SPE15.fr has some info over several articles: interviews, quotes, etc. He recently called arrested agent Rosa arrogant, but otherwise defended him and Claudio. He cast doubt on the word of Jeptoo, saying she's flip flopped on her testimony.

There's the link if someone with more fluency can find anything interesting. He's been in the management game since before 2000.

I don't like the way Zane races. I never cared for him before I heard about this. But he's earned my respect. This thread, threads about Torrence, Goucher, Magness, Stepenovas, Kipsirio (not doper Kisorio, but the Ugandan sex-abuse whistleblower) all show why nothing changes in the sport. Catch-22 situations of denial, criticism and "still hiding something" accusations when outspoken. Ross Tucker's recent blog post demonstrates that as well.

I can't stop the internet from being what it is, but unfortunately, the internet does stop athletes' integrity from being what it should be. Even worse is that the negative climate of the internet is bland, compared to the actual living situation among death threats. Capriotti's assault on Mackey is small fish to the threats on Kipsirio and presumably Robertson. Go to the police? They'll ask take a bribe, then turn around and just give that guy a tractor tire. Maybe even hold you down while he sets it on fire.

Hope something comes of the information; doing the right thing needs a stronger pattern of effectiveness if we want more to make the right choice.

GetonthatkenyaDHRE wrote:

Man you love you some Kenya!

You don't think there's a doping issue in Kenya?? Are you insane??

Where ever did you get the idea I don't think there's a doping issue in Kenya? Are you insane?

I know you guys are just being sarcastic, but I have a friend who went and lived in Iten for 3 months and saw some sketchy stuff. He said Asbel Kiprop would just leave and be gone all day and no one would know where he went. Also, my friend mentioned that when a drug tester would come to Asbel's he would just tell them now wasn't a good time and to come back another day.

I know my info isn't 100% factual, but no matter what it does make you scratch your head a little bit.

Hearsay wrote:

I know you guys are just being sarcastic, but I have a friend who went and lived in Iten for 3 months and saw some sketchy stuff. He said Asbel Kiprop would just leave and be gone all day and no one would know where he went. Also, my friend mentioned that when a drug tester would come to Asbel's he would just tell them now wasn't a good time and to come back another day.

I know my info isn't 100% factual, but no matter what it does make you scratch your head a little bit.

Asbel just went out and didn't tell a tourist who he barely knew where he was, for a whole day?

Wow that's incredibly damning!

One thing I've learned from following the PED issue since the 1970s: If those who own and/or run a sport are not totally committed to enforcing a strict anti-drug policy, then PED use will be rampant in that sport regardless of what individual whistle blowers try to do, and regardless of how hard USADA, WADA, or any other prosecuting entities try to come down on individual athletes, coaches, doctors, agents, or even entire countries.

Even if some are banned from the Olympics, or banned from the sport for life, there will always be others willing to step in and take the legal, career and health risks involved so long as there is real money to be made.

Yeah, or on the flip side, anyone wanting a bit of fame and with an axe to grind for whatever reason can make any type of claim they want and get some instant column inches.

Ride the crest of the Stepanova wave and get on that public sympathy train and cast some doubt on anyone you feel like in the process.

Hide behind the loose 'I've been threatened' and 'I don't trust the authorities to do anything' curtain and you can get away with making any claim you feel like making

Too interesting. What better way to get your name out there with an unverifiable made up story.

necklacing?

Thanks Winnie Mandela

Hearsay wrote:

I know you guys are just being sarcastic, but I have a friend who went and lived in Iten for 3 months and saw some sketchy stuff. He said Asbel Kiprop would just leave and be gone all day and no one would know where he went. Also, my friend mentioned that when a drug tester would come to Asbel's he would just tell them now wasn't a good time and to come back another day.

I know my info isn't 100% factual, but no matter what it does make you scratch your head a little bit.

Lol you could have easily just made this entire story up. I legitimately don't believe anything you just said, this is probably a lie just to create more suspicion. Also I doubt your friend was hanging out with Kiprop...leave where? I'm calling BS on this.

Wow f the kenyan hypocrites. They are talking about necklacing!!?! Barbaric Isis brutes! To he l l fire with them ! Some east

Africans deserve our respect but this goes to show that they get too much blanket love from western runners. Barbaric Scoundrels with no class! This is the evil to avoid in running. Runners should be civilized and righteous. Otherwise the gift is sacrificed.

Just likewise wrote:

Well actually young man, the law works in funny ways. If you don't have proof....

Except anti-doping is not judicial/law enforcement anything. It's arbitration run by the sports federation. Glue some implausible facts together and call it proof.

Nobody in arbitration cares. Armstrong egregiously perjured himself. Not a peep from anyone about perjury charges.

+1

Being a troll on a keyboard -- what more cowardly thing is there.