The article was initially entiteld, "Zane Robertston!!!!" but we changed it to make it more descriptive. Here is our article on his bust and fake excuses (he said he went to a hospital for a COvid-19 vaccine but they gave him EPO instead) which points out that in 2016 he expressed frutation at the amount of doping in the sport:
What Zane Robertson tells us is that British, Australian, New Zealanders have to go and live in Kenya - the home of doping - to cheat.
I also wouldn't dismiss the 'Covid treatment' explanation. He was getting death threats from Kenyans a few years ago for talking about doping. Perhaps this was payback? It's at least as likely as Kiprop being the victim of a stitch up.
And another sorry tale of New Zealand sport. Why do you continue to overlook confessed New Zealand marathoner doper Lisa Hunter-Galvan for the 5th or 6th time in this thread? Amazing.
I said Robertson was the first Kiwi distance runner busted for doping that I was aware of. So you found one other that I had never heard of, that, like Robertson, went to another country to dope. You have identified two New Zealand distance runners who have doped in 70 or so years. (New Zealand was also a top nation for running in the 60's and 70's). This year at least two Kenyans are popped each week. I would include Robertson amongst their tally.
Because Kenya is actually testing their athletes while NZ is not. Zane wouldn’t have gotten busted if he lived in NZ.
What Zane Robertson tells us is that British, Australian, New Zealanders have to go and live in Kenya - the home of doping - to cheat.
I also wouldn't dismiss the 'Covid treatment' explanation. He was getting death threats from Kenyans a few years ago for talking about doping. Perhaps this was payback? It's at least as likely as Kiprop being the victim of a stitch up.
How many times have the best Europeans been tested in their own country?
Kiwi interloper gets busted doping and it’s Kenya’s and Kenyans faults.
Yeah bit strange. I don’t recall people making the Jama Aden drug bust about Spain. The excuse by Zane is insane and honestly kind of crazy that was his option as opposed to coming clean for 3 years and even maybe trying to help expose other dopers/middlemen in exchange for some leniency. Wonder if they asked him if he would. Obviously now nobody in Kenya will go near him/his brother.
+1
I wonder if a deal were offered by the authorities for a reduced ban (2 or 3 years) if he offered up names of those he knew to be doping, would he have taken it rather than come up with the Covid vaccine excuse?
What Zane represents is that if you are an elite runner in Kenya - whatever your nationality - you are probably a doper. He shows that 'if you can't beat 'em you join 'em' - the underlying rationale of the doper.
What Zane represents is the willingness of a New Zealander to dope, dumbo.
You also represent your country, and you make it look bad.
The difference is that there hadn't already been countless cases of New Zealanders caught doping. If Saurani had been the first Kenyan to be busted nobody would be saying it was further evidence of Kenyan doping, and if anything it would be evidence of a doping culture in the USA.
Another difference is that nobody here beats their bishop proclaiming the Robertson twins as proof of New Zealand genetic supremacy like they do with Saurani, Amos, Hassan Mead, Peter Bol Bernard Lagat, Mo Farah etc etc etc
The Robertson’s both being doped to the gills is one of the most common knowledge secrets in NZ running. There are very few people who knew them before they left for Kenya who don’t think they have been juicing for the last decade…
I think both Zane and Jake have guest houses in ITEN so I'm not sure what the future holds for Zane. I think Zane should come clean and admit his infraction and move on from there so that he can get on with his life without speculation from others which would go on ad infinitum.
Why do athletes get vilified to such an extent compared with professional cyclists? I'm not excusing what he (Zane) did but I can't get my head around the fact that cyclists who dope can get on with their lives (Virenque, Rasmussen, Contador, et Al) in a much more comfortable way compared with runners who have doped who receive so much negativity to such a great extent. No need to even mention American professional sports like basketball, baseball and American football where players who have doped hardly even get mentioned.
It's because we runners of Letsrun are often in the same races as dopers and we don't like getting beaten by cheats. It's personal. We're also sympathetic to the clean pro runners who are cheated out of medals and prize money by dopers.
The reason for positive test is so good, that's a hall of fame doping excuse. I appreciate he went to Africa to 'learn from the best', but their excuses are lame compared to that one.
The bad mama El K taking this as a win for him and Kenya. That's so weird, the guy literally based himself in Kenya and Ethiopia so he could dope to the gills. That's clearly not something he should be bragging about.
Why is anyone talking about the Kenyan 'anti-doping' striking again? He tested positive in-competition in a race in the UK. More like the world class UKADA doing the job right, am I right Kenny?
Cathal Lombard, busted for EPO in 2004, pretty much admitted it immediately.
I think Christian Hesch and Martin Fagan pretty much did too.
I don't think Fagan had much choice. I was following the updates and when he dropped out late on complaining of heat related issues on a relatively cool day my first thought was EPO induced blood thickening/dehydration.
Other comments, without having read through the whole thread yet.
rojo - your posts, both from seeming to give Zane a free pass, but also from a grammatical perspective, make for hard reading. I expect more in both respects from somebody in your line of work.
I was in Kenya for a while a long time ago, and happened to be sat in Kerio View when both of the Robertsons rocked up. From the brief opportunity I had to observe them they came across as brash, obnoxious, and disrespectful. From comments passed by some respected members of the Iten community whose company I was in, after they left, they weren't well liked.
Given the latter, you could speculate that if they were doping at the time somebody would have outed them, though you could equally speculate that doing so might have opened up other potential dopers to capture (in a letting the cat out of the bag/providing proof that it was possible to dope in that environment, manner).
Irrespective, he doped, and like all dopers deserves everything he gets. I'm also of the 'remove all their records' brigade. The only way that there is any chance to make a difference longer term is to make all dopers pariahs imo.
I want to make it clear that I don't blame anyone for any & all feelings against me, it's my bed that i've made and I will sleep in it. On the bright side, I'm pretty sure I've pulled my head out of my @$$ and it's going...
The point we are emphasizing to the usual suspects on this forum is to stop giving Zane Robertson Pro bono advocacy and a free pass.Every doper must be held individually responsible for their actions.Its not Kenya's or New Zealand's fault.He is a fully grown man who must take personal responsibility for his actions. While at it he should spill the beans,if he knows any other athletes or cartels involved in doping he should name them.Bring it all out in the open and let the chips fall wherever they may fall.
The point we are emphasizing to the usual suspects on this forum is to stop giving Zane Robertson Pro bono advocacy and a free pass.Every doper must be held individually responsible for their actions.Its not Kenya's or New Zealand's fault.He is a fully grown man who must take personal responsibility for his actions. While at it he should spill the beans,if he knows any other athletes or cartels involved in doping he should name them.Bring it all out in the open and let the chips fall wherever they may fall.
Agreed. However, I fear the severity of the ban possibly reflects his unwillingness to cooperate.
I said Robertson was the first Kiwi distance runner busted for doping that I was aware of. So you found one other that I had never heard of, that, like Robertson, went to another country to dope. You have identified two New Zealand distance runners who have doped in 70 or so years. (New Zealand was also a top nation for running in the 60's and 70's). This year at least two Kenyans are popped each week. I would include Robertson amongst their tally.
Because Kenya is actually testing their athletes while NZ is not. Zane wouldn’t have gotten busted if he lived in NZ.
Wrong of course. New Zealand has been testing its athletes but not as much as World Athletics would have wished. That was in 2022 - the year when the country was dealing with a significant increase in Covid. It has been pointed out here that New Zealand has had one distance runner before Robertson busted for doping - a runner who, like Robertson, went to dope in another country. That is all the critics can come up with in decades of New Zealand's participation in the sport. Kenya busts at least one of their distance runners every week. It isn't simply because they test more - it is because doping is the practice in Kenya. Which is why Robertson went there and didn't stay in New Zealand.
What Zane Robertson tells us is that British, Australian, New Zealanders have to go and live in Kenya - the home of doping - to cheat.
I also wouldn't dismiss the 'Covid treatment' explanation. He was getting death threats from Kenyans a few years ago for talking about doping. Perhaps this was payback? It's at least as likely as Kiprop being the victim of a stitch up.
How many times have the best Europeans been tested in their own country?
Are you asking a question you don't know the answer to?
What Zane Robertson tells us is that British, Australian, New Zealanders have to go and live in Kenya - the home of doping - to cheat.
I also wouldn't dismiss the 'Covid treatment' explanation. He was getting death threats from Kenyans a few years ago for talking about doping. Perhaps this was payback? It's at least as likely as Kiprop being the victim of a stitch up.
This is correct. He just got the Covid-Epo shot because he needed medical attention. It is presumptious to assume that he intentionally doped, for he got railroaded by the mean WADA code. But "fans" here always assume the worst.
The reason for positive test is so good, that's a hall of fame doping excuse. I appreciate he went to Africa to 'learn from the best', but their excuses are lame compared to that one.
The bad mama El K taking this as a win for him and Kenya. That's so weird, the guy literally based himself in Kenya and Ethiopia so he could dope to the gills. That's clearly not something he should be bragging about.
Why is anyone talking about the Kenyan 'anti-doping' striking again? He tested positive in-competition in a race in the UK. More like the world class UKADA doing the job right, am I right Kenny?
Long time, no see, Queen Cleo. Unfortunately ADAK's mandate is limited to Kenyan athletes so it already has its hands full in that regard. But ADAK did help take him down by debunking his utterly fanciful alibi.