GDS has left BTC, cites Houlihan explicitly

There is an obvious explanation for what’s going on with BTC, and it’s not that Jerry is autistic (I genuinely cannot believe you proposed that). You and RunRaider forget that Shelby is still waiting to take her case before the Swiss Tribunal. Clearly she expects to win her appeal and have her ban lifted. When that fails to happen then of course Nike will pay to keep her from blowing the lid off BTC’s doping.

I hate to admit it, but I’m getting a sick sort of enjoyment out of watching BTC crumble. The hypocrisy from the coaching staff is staggering and this whole situation has proved that all their talk about clean sport was BS. The cherry on top is seeing all the anti-NOP clowns go home devastated now that the truth about their favorite training group can no longer be ignored. Two highly secretive clubs backed by the same amoral company and it never occurred to these idiots that both groups were dirty?

Just to be clear, this was not a thread, it was an article. And it wasn't deleted. It's still live at the link below. The poster was just linking to the wrong URL.

letsrun.com

Many Top US Distance Stars Haven't Raced Yet in 2021. Are They Injured? In Shape? Find Out Here

Jonathan Gault

A slew of top US Olympic hopefuls have yet to race in 2021. Where have they been? We've got the scoop on Shelby Houlihan, Lopez Lomong, Jenny Simpson, Raevyn Rogers, Shannon Rowbury, Ben Blankenship, Stanley Kebenei, Allie Os...

Open link

Yeah, not sure what happened here as I’d just copied and pasted from my browser, but didn’t mean to stir up any controversy. I’m glad the original article is available for folks to read.

Shelby has issued a statement regarding GDS' departure:

letsrun.com

Shelby Houlihan Issues Statement Regarding Gabriela DeBues-Stafford Leaving The Bowerman Track Club

LetsRun.com

The American record holder at 5000 reacts to the Canadian record holder at 5000 leaving the Bowerman Track Club.

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"I never knew of her concerns and struggles until finding out about all of this through her announcement. Having to find out about it and deal with it through such a public manner has been really hurtful and frustrating. I know her choosing not to come to me to discuss it was out of kindness and wanting to protect me and my mental health but I wish I would have been given the opportunity to have those conversations with her regarding her concerns to see if I could have cleared anything up or eased the situation for her in any way. I never wanted to have a negative impact on anyone in my decision to continue training and it hurts that I’m finding out that I did.

"Running and working out has always been a source of joy and happiness for me as well as a coping mechanism. My legal team and I have been very deliberate and intentional in contacting the AIU and other governing bodies to figure out how I can continue to run and train for my own mental health in a way that is also abiding by and respecting the rules put in place. I care about all of the athletes and staff on BTC and I was always considering them with every decision I made. I realize now that I should have been more communicative in those decisions.

"I do wish Gabriela the best with her transition and moving forward. I hope she found a training environment that’s positive and brings her happiness.

"As for my appeal, the status hasn’t changed and I am still waiting on it. I'm still running and training because it's what makes me happy but I'm also continuing to stay hopeful in clearing my name and I'm trying to trust that the truth will win in the end.

"Training and having to tackle workouts alone has at times been very difficult and challenging for me, mostly mentally and emotionally. It’s been a learning curve in establishing a new sense of normal but overall, training is going well."

it's the lack of self awareness for me. Goodness this story is never ending and it's never-ending in part because the powers that be (media, BTC, Shelby) want to keep pushing ahead like nothing major has happened. Even Lance Armstrong didn't hang around in the lobby once he was caught. He imploded but disappeared.

For the billionth time, no one has a problem with her training. But training with BTC is inappropriate given the circumstances. It's wild to me, absolutely wild, that she doesn't see that for herself. How did she think she's just some special unicorn who believes the rules simply don't apply to her and her status as a banned athlete wouldn't affect clean athletes on the team???

I'm not saying this to hurt her, and if you think I'm being harsh, then please consider the harsh words that were NOT spared for Galen, Sifan, Jemima, Elvan, Rita, Ruth, and others--and those words were not said by "trolls" but often by other pros, and sometimes even friends of Shelby's like Shalane.

If Shelby is going to continue to act like she isn't serving a ban she's going to continue to be frustrated and hurt by people continuously calling her out. Her call.

It is interesting karma that Molly's 10000 record recently survived, by a mere inches, an attack by Elise and Shelby had it in her sights a year ago.

interesting point. unless of course she ISN'T actually training with BTC (never been confirmed by GDS, other than there may have been overlap as someone arrived/departed for training and SH has said she's training alone at the bottom of her statement). and self-awareness would suggest GDS could have... I dunno... had a conversation with her former teammate and training partner that she put up a support post for last year.

the fact that she hasn't spoken to her (at all) suggests that they probably don't actually overlap/see each other. but good on you for praising one athlete for prioritising mental health for leaving, and criticising the other for trying to maintain her mental health by training (alone)

Did Rojo write Shelby’s statement (or suggest that she make it)? Yikes.

Shelby wishes GDS had talked to her so she could have “cleared anything up …. for [GDS]”? Of course, GDS was looking for assurances and good faith from her own club and coaches, not from the banned athlete whose constant presence looms over BTC. Unbelievable.

So let's get this straight. GDS has been training in Victoria for at least two weeks (she's on strava now). She presumably told the coaches before she left Portland.

Did BTC actually not tell Houlihan GDS had left? Not a single athlete on BTC mentioned it to her since then? At all? Jerry didn't say "by the way Shelby, Gabriela has left." For two weeks?! Karissa, Elise, Courtney, Evan? These people who have staunchly supported her publicly didn't hear Stafford was leaving and think "I wonder how Shelby is taking the news?" and reach out?

I could believe that GDS didn't have a heart to heart with Houlihan. That would be awkward, and the call should come from the coach (given he's coaching both athletes). I can't believe that GDS, and potentially other athletes, would raise this over several months with the coaches and they wouldn't say a word to Houlihan.

GDS' requests to the coaches partly revolved around Houlihan going to Flagstaff. That means those conversations were happening in December at the very latest. So over 4 months ago. Either Houlihan is lying about not having a clue about these problems, or what the actual fudge-sundae is Jerry Schumacher doing? I know he doesn't talk to the media but does he stonewall his athletes too? Did he just say nothing all the time, hoping it everything would blow over?

Either way, this is all super strange.

Sorry SH. GDS took the problem exactly where she should have, to her coach. And he failed her, even though GDS laid at least three solutions in his lap. JS refused to accept that there was a problem with SH training with / near / around the members of the BTC. It was NOT up to GDS to try to sort this out with SH.
GDS was trying first, to understand the rules, an understanding that JS and Nike’s lawyers denied her and, failing that, to follow the rules as she understood them. Exactly the correct and the ONLY procedure.
So, SH, for you it was “really hurtful and frustrating” that GDS did not come to you to tell you about her concerns? “Protect you” by coming to you instead of going to JS? Really? Did you protect her and other BTC athletes by warning them to stay away from the Beaverton Burrito truck? If you really believed the tainted burrito excuse, shouldn’t you have warned your teammates? Instead, you and your coaches kept this secret for six months and then they almost snuck you into the Olympic Trials. And you wanted GDS to be forthright with you? Sorry, works both ways, sweetheart.
Honest questions: While she serves her suspension, is SH still a member of the BTC? Is she allowed to receive her payments from Nike? Does she have other sponsors / income? She clearly is receiving “something of value” from Nike, with coaching and BTC facilities. Is this permitted?

Expect her times to mysteriously and suddenly drop off now.All the BTC athletes use drugs.

As another poster said, it seems like much of the running media wants to forget the press conference and treat the situation like an anomaly. If you listen to the press conference again and think about the totality of it, it makes you question the sincerity of many. I say this as a fan of the sport who wants to root for the top Americans regardless of training group.

For as critical as I've been about shelby. I will give her credit for putting out a compassionate statement so quickly. She at least seems to care about gds. Maybe Shelby really didn't intentionally cheat and is just trying to do the best she can with this situation. Another poster said it's like she's pretending she isn't a banned athlete. That's not true. Many people have clearly said her lawyers have coordinated with aiu to let her train in a way that is still technically legal. That is her right. And to the poster I'm replying to. I think you need to take it easy a bit. I doubt these athletes see each other every day. Two weeks isn't that much time. Plus Shelby was saying she didn't know gds' reasons for leaving. That's plausible.

Curious if the reason for not having Shelby work out on different days than the group or even separating them by more than a few minutes is actually due to having to book the track in Sedona? Don’t follow the group closely enough to know if they’ve been in Flag recently.

Last I heard after “poopgate” was BTC still had access since they had rented/booked it the track. Has the group been training there and Shelby getting access through BTC’s booking? If I was GDS and that was the case, alarm bells would be ringing. That would be almost a definite violation for the group.

It's not just PR because it is now having an impact on his athletes. If he was remotely concerned about the welfare of the athletes in his group that aren't convicted dopers, he would find a solution that protects them as far as possible. They will always face some questions now that the group is tarnished by a doping bust - that stain won't wash off. But he can minimize the amount of negative attention that they receive by just having some common sense and telling Houlihan to train alone or find a partner outside oft he group. Let's not pretend this is just about PR fluff and let's also acknowledge that GDSs departure and clearly stated reasons for that will only increase scrutiny of the group. The best coaches in sports across the world put the team first and Jerry is now burying the team so that he can maintain the presence of a doper around the group.

you forget you are talking about human beings in these situations until it hits close to home and you are forced to think about it.

Sad situation all around. hopefully everybody can find peace. Even those who are responsible for creating it.

people forget how utterly terrible most human beings are with communication.

It's a good statement from Houlihan, but it's not the issue. The issue here is that Schumacher failed to give GDS and other BTC athletes the information that they needed. You can accuse Houlihan of lacking self awareness by continuing to train adjacent to the group, but she's only looking our for number one. Schumacher is the one who has responsibilities to a whole team and is seemingly failing to fulfil them. Even now, he doesn't seem to see the need to clarify what he's doing by keeping a convicted doper at least very close to the group. I'll just repeat what GDS said - if Houlihan isn't even training 30 minutes apart from the BTC group, then how is she training entirely alone? It sounds a lot like she's on the same track but not in the pack. This is definitely exploiting a gray zone, ignoring the spirit of the rules while (perhaps) technically complying with them. The AIU should open an investigation based on GDSs statement

There are many hundreds of banned sportspeople across the world and all meant to be following the minute detail of the rules as being advanced in this thread.

This thread is looking at the minute timings of crossover and warm down and even after it is apparent that legal advice from both sides has be sought.

It is totally disproportionate for Wada and its rules to police this SH situation let alone following up any allegation across the world.

However optics in the SH matter are a different thing.