Shelby Houlihan back training at Nike “Restrictions end Thursday”

The article seemed factual to me and included some quotes from Houlihan that are interesting. Is only a hatchet job acceptable to you?

"factual" only in the sense that Butler didn't directly lie. But, she left out literally all damning facts such as the cascade of increasing improbabilities with Houlihan's story and that the CIR was inconsistent with her boar story and the numerous unanimous votes from CAS, and implied among other things that Lawson's contamination story is comparable to Houlihan's.

With Butler's history, it wasn't surprising that she also left out the fact that runnersworld's very own independent expert confirmed that the drug wasn't in the burrito - despite publishing this story in runnersworld (as did letsrun's independent expert as well as long time USADA CEO Tygart).

So clearly extremely one-sided. Djfnbc is correct imho: it will be very hard to find another banned doper who gets such a nice treatment from the press, American or otherwise. Can you find a comparable one?

"hatchet job"? Hahahaha

Definitions of hatchet job. noun. a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions. synonyms: calumniation, calumny, defamation, obloquy, traducement.

But seriously, some balance would have been nice.

I don't see why people have a problem with it. She did her time. Keira D'Amato used steroids and yet everyone praises her. Shelby was just dumb enough to get caught

Alex Rodriguez got busted for steroids and is now a MLB commentator

Lance Armstrong got busted for steroids and is now a Tour De France commentator

Mike Tyson was convicted of rape and was allowed to fight again.

get off your moral high ground. She's done her time. She's square with the house. Let it go and move on.

Nice that you are able to tell what is in someone's heart. Nobody else can do that.

Keira D'Amato used steroids?? Please enlighten us. Was is just a one time medical use for an illness, etc., or are you insinuating/stating something else? Never heard of this before.

they're only sorry they got caught.

that's the obnoxious thing about Shelby. She keeps not only claiming she's innocent but a victim of a broken system.

Over on bluesky Nikki Hiltz had some interesting comments about their...comments in the RW article.

Nikki noted that shame=/= accountability, and that the running community fully expected accountability upon her return. I thought Nikki very politely put Shelby on notice there. Even the most forgiving in the running world aren't going to let your lies slide Shelby. Time to start getting a little more honest with everyone.

What Nikki said was a total cop-out. There's not going to be any "accountability" for Shelby next year - she is free to compete like every clean athlete. The only accountability is fans expressing their disapproval, and yes booing or "shame" is a perfectly valid way to express disproval for cheaters.

No, they are not sorry, they only publicly apologized. All were insincere. At least she didn't bother.

If it's not VPN'd, the IP address of this comment is probably from Nike HQ.

Extremely one-sided? The article says she lost her case, served her ban, lost her appeal, denied it, and the running community didn't believe her, while Lawson won his appeal. That seems a fairly balanced and accurate description of the background, without bogging down the article about her return to racing with unnecessary details.

Many of your damning facts aren't so much facts as opinions based on an incomplete set of facts. Neither the CAS, nor the "independent experts" confirmed what the source of the nandrolone was, or wasn't.

Recall my earlier question -- although she served a 4-year ban for being deemed an intentional doper, no one has made the case that she actually intentionally ingested a banned substance to any standard stronger than presumption. Not WA, not the AIU, not the WADA Lab, not the expert witnesses, not the CAS, not the Swiss courts, not an array of outside "independent experts", not any journalists, and not any "fans" of the sport. If the source is not pigs, this requires making arguments that are not about pigs to a standard stronger than possibility.

I can see how that would make any "innocent until proven guilty" athlete anxious.

Yeah. "do the math" is a Nike shill.

"fairly balanced and accurate description of the background" - if an extreme propagandist like you says that, it must be super extremely one-sided.

"without ... unnecessary details" - yes I know, you love ignoring the damning facts.

"Many of your damning facts aren't so much facts as opinions" - yes I know, you love calling facts - confirmed by all independent experts consulted so far - "opinions" or even myths.

And your following sentence has no connection to the previous, it's just your typical deflection attempt. FYI no one "confirmed" where Kiprop, Jeptoo or Kipserem got their EPO from either.

And another typical rekrunner, writing independent experts (and later fans) in quotation marks. Classic!

Lebron used HGH and EPO but is protected as his "legacy" is a cash cow for nba. Usain Bolt also used PEDs and was wisely protected by IAAF and WADA as he was able to revive track.

Look you are rather supposed to react that the world is so corrupt to the core that ex offenders can return to commentate publicly on the sport they defamed with drugs and sex!!

Check your logic Mr Lustful!

You are out of your mind dude. I’m against drugs but you have pushed it too far. How could Bolt ever be dirty.