Runners who dope will always beat runners who don't dope so if you want to win medals and set records then you have to dope.
This cat has been out of the bag since marathoners used strychnine at the turn of the last century.
Alan
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:
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sbeefyk2 wrote:
Wasn't he the one who want to Kenya to train? Must have started his regiment in Kenya and got caught. The Kenyans must not have showed him the secret to use EPO without getting caught so easy.
I’m actually surprised it took this long. Foreigners would most certainly be the first to be thrown under the bus by Kenya anti doping.
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This sport is slowly going to shxt because of doping. Pretty sure collegians are doing this shxt during the summers and fxckin around the system. Can’t trust anyone nowadays
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ConsistencyIsKing wrote:
Damn, I'm really shocked by this to be honest. I remember watching the FloTrack Driven series on the Robertson's back in like 2014 and started following both of them on social media. I thought it was so cool that they picked up their lives and moved to Kenya when they were 17. I got to meet Zane back in 2016 at a road race in New York City and he came across as a very humble, and genuine guy despite what people on here will say. After the race, he was kind enough to invite me on his cool down and we talked for miles. For a 17 year old who was just starting to run decent times, it was such a cool experience to be able to pick the brain of a runner who competed against the best in the world.
Funny enough, we actually talked about doping when I ran with him and he had mentioned that while living in Kenya, he had seen many pro's including Asbel Kiprop, use EPO. He swore that he never used it and I'd like to believe that he was clean when I met him. It seems like in the last few years, he has dealt with some injuries which have taken a toll on him. He was with Adidas for a bit, got dropped, then signed with Asics and then got dropped at the beginning of 2022 I think.
I don't think that he was dirty for his entire career but I think it was likely that he was using EPO to get back to where he once was in order to secure a shoe contract again.
Amazing post. So he told you in 2016 - 3 years before Kiprop was banned - that Kiprop was on EPO? Is that what you are saying. Wow. Please confirm.
I imagine he wasn't dirty the whole career. It's like living in some third wold country. If everyone else is paying bribes, you don't really advance if you don't as well.
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dadasda wrote:
"Cornell Grad." The hubris and elitism of BroJos is obnoxious.
I did it as I spent 10 years of my life supporting that school's running program. Just showing them some love. How is that elitism? I was at the state school of the ivies.
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If Radcliffe doped, it's a similar story. Tried to do it clean forever, got tired of seeing known cheats win, joined the dark side but didn't get caught.
But all of these fast women's times make me think she may have been clean. She was just 15 years ahead of the game in terms of professionalism, coaching, etc.
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TMADDDHASFNE wrote:
His hut in Kenya had pictures of Lance Armstrong, Absel Kiprop, and Lasse Viren on the fridge. A sure sign of something smelling fishy. And, his Ugali never tasted authentic.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
‘The last part is funny. 😂😂😂😂😂😂🇰🇪
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Stay tuned for him to start a new shoe brand now.
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C'est tellement choquant et difficile a croire.
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fixed it for you wrote:
If Radcliffe doped, it's a similar story. Tried to do it clean forever, got tired of seeing known cheats win, joined the dark side but didn't get caught.
But all of these fast women's times make me think she may have been clean. She was just 15 years ahead of the game in terms of professionalism, coaching, etc.
I don't think so. Most dopers become emboldened after getting away with microdosing after a while. They realize that isn't enough and start taking risks, hoping they won't be tested or can just get a short ban for whereabouts violations.
Most people with integrity don't suddenly lose it to risk it all, instead choosing to protect the accomplishments they have already achieved as their running career wanes with age.
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I really recommend everyone read this story about their upbringings. So sad:
Scott Reid wrote:
“We were on the upper side of poor,” Zane Robertson said. “The bottom side of middle class.”
The twins struggled to fit in at school, where they were frequent targets of not only their classmates but their teachers and deans as well.
“The extreme part of the bullying, most of it, was from the teachers,” Robertson said. “We were different and even when we were 7 years old the teachers would tell the other boys not to hang out with us and then reward them with goody points for it.”
The brothers began running at 14 and within three months both were national champions.
“And we took flight from there,” Robertson said......
“In New Zealand, there’s this mentality to always put down anyone trying to be good,” Robertson said. “So no matter how successful you are they’re always going to put you down for trying to be good at something. Except rugby.”What kind of adults pick on kids?
I still think there story is cool. We should have him on the podcast. It would be amazing if he'd name names.
Guy had great range - 3:53 in mile, 59:47 and 2:08.
This post was edited 11 hours after it was posted. Reason provided: word was missing.387 -
Their experience being bullied as kids helps to explain why he took EPO. More than anything, the twins just wanted to find a place where they were accepted and fit in. What’s the best way to fit in when living and training with elite distance runners in Kenya? Take EPO.
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crwnikeboy wrote:
Who?
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AReed wrote:
Huge bummer to see this. Always admired the Robertson twins when I was in high school and college.
But here is the problem...These dudes buy into that they have a future (a career) in running. Then, well maybe they are a notch below actually..so, what does one do?
Try PEDs and not get busted --->$$ (or at least survival)
Try PEDs and GET busted --->move on with life, get a job, go back to school, whatever.
Point is that there is no downside to cheating if you are a borderline athlete. And the system *incentivizes* cheating for these folks.
We either need to make the punishment far more severe (unlikely and probably unwarranted) OR give aspiring athletes a way to make ends meet.
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rojo wrote:
dadasda wrote:
"Cornell Grad." The hubris and elitism of BroJos is obnoxious.
I did it as I spent 10 years of my life supporting that school's running program. Just showing them some love. How is that elitism? I was at the state school of the ivies.
How is it showing them some love to establish their connection with a doper?
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So much material here, I like to believe that what I am thinking is obvious to many.
Pathetic and intolerable at the same time.
Down goes Robertson.
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q234r2qWfeD wrote:
But here is the problem...These dudes buy into that they have a future (a career) in running. Then, well maybe they are a notch below actually..so, what does one do?
Try PEDs and not get busted --->$ (or at least survival)
Try PEDs and GET busted --->move on with life, get a job, go back to school, whatever.
Point is that there is no downside to cheating if you are a borderline athlete. And the system *incentivizes* cheating for these folks.
We either need to make the punishment far more severe (unlikely and probably unwarranted) OR give aspiring athletes a way to make ends meet.
Yes. Calculated risk. As people just mentioned on the last Shelburrito thread: she got all the way to a few years with 150,000 or more per year, plus a few records. Calculated risk, like Zane. They both get to keep their earnings, and now move on to something else; the lady cheater as grad student, the dude, we'll see, but it was certainly worth it.
Plus the majority who didn't get caught are laughing all the way to the bank. We either need harsher punishment, including paying back the ill-gotten earnings, or much better testing, or just give up on anti doping and let them all all their stuff.
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Wow. never have I read a drug bust post with so much sympathy for the doper.
Its all like, "Oh man poor guy got busted."
Even to the point where, Rojo included, are implying its the Kenyans who made him cheat, Amazing!
"Oh whats a guy to do, everyone there was doing it so he jumped in too, don't be too harsh on him."
Are you kidding me?
An English speaking white dude from NZ living in Kenya gets this much sympathy for CLEARLY taking EPO illegally.
I don't think I read a single post completely condemning him.
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Salvitore Stitchmo wrote:
plucky colonies dont dope wrote:
Morals.
Dude - really? Morals? The whole concept of morality relies on how societal accountability of "right" and "wrong" behavior - you think living in Kenya in a culture of doping in distance running creates any accountability between right and wrong?
And do you honestly think this guy even cares? He had his moments. Stood on podiums, broke records and cashed checks. He has the same mindset as all dopers - that everyone else is so it's not immoral in any way - that's the mental gymnastic. Therefore, as I said, absolutely nothing to lose.
Real morals are not relative.
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