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

dopingnews · 2016-07-30T17:23:15-04:00

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82653837/kiwi-zane-robertson-had-death-threat-over-speaking-out-about-drug-use-in-kenya New Zealand runner Zane Robertson said he has been threatened to be "necklaced" after speaking out about doping in Kenya. The 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist over 5000 metres is prominent on social media in his criticism of drugs in athletics and the lack of real action from officials to fix the problem. In an interview to be aired on Newstalk ZB on Sunday afternoon, the 26-year-old who had spent years in Kenya said he can't name people or countries specifically because of death threats. New Zealand's Zane Robertson, front, has criticised drug use in track and field on social media. PHOTOSPORT New Zealand's Zane Robertson, front, has criticised drug use in track and field on social media. "One of [the threats] was from a Kenyan. He said he was going to put a tractor tyre on me and set me on fire. That was just one of them," he told the radio station. READ MORE: * 'Our athletes missing out' * Fuelling our Olympians "I have been close to [doping]. "I can't name people or countries because I had some death threats a few months ago just for even mentioning the topic around the area. I don't want to get killed for doing what is right or speaking up but I feel Twitter and social media are a place I can do that." â€‹"The more athletes who speak out on the topic, I feel they will put pressure on these big governing bodies or federations to crack down on it and actually do something about it. Ad Feedback "These guys are obviously very proud of their athletic achievements and what they have done as a country. It's that whole pride that sets them back. They are willing to win at any cost and willing to defend themselves at any cost. It's a dangerous environment to be in." Formerly from Hamilton, Robertson and his brother Jake moved to Kenya over a decade ago in their quest to become top-class middle distance runners. He now lives and trains in Ethiopia and will contest the 10,000 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics which starts next week. He said he's never used or contemplated taking drugs to improve performance. "I was approached once in 2007 by someone in Kenya but, as you can see in my results over the years, I was nowhere. As a youth growing up in New Zealand with sportsmanship and general morals, you can't consider that. It's not something normal for us. "[The approach happened] really early on. It was kind of weird. I had never experienced anything like that before. He just came to us and gave us his card and said he was a doctor who specialised in sports performance. We said, 'What type of performance?' And he said, 'Everything that will make you run faster.' He gave us his card and left quickly." - Stuff Interesting stuff.

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9 years ago 08/01/2016 7:07pm EDT

re: El Keniano

El Keniano wrote:
Mama Lillies say eat your chap wrote:
If you're a Mzungo living in Kenya you have to set a guard to not get taken advantage of.
Otherwise you have kids begging their neighbor with their hands out everytime they come out the door and hotel (cafÃ©) owners charging you triple for tea.
Whether on the track or at the neighborhood hotel the Robertsons just want respect.
FYI, the word is 'Mzungu'. And I, myself, have been taken advantage of several times by Taxi drivers, tour guides and waiters in Europe. Once a dentist in Rome charged more than normal just because I sounded like I " hava gooda insurance". It happens to everyone, everywhere.
Anyway, if Kenya is such a filthy, cheating, dirty country, where people are 'necklaced' (seriously?) on a regular basis, why stay for 10 years? There's altitude in New Zealand, Switzerland, Scotland, Peru, Flagstaff ... everywhere. Since it looks like he won't ever set foot in Kenya again, I wish him well and hope he doesn't turn his anger and frustrations on his new home, Ethiopia. Kenyans should be glad to see the backs of these two.

The "altitude in New Zealand" is mainly sharp mountains, though our triathletes train near Wanaka (1500/1600m or 4500/5000ft) but in the summer time in the S. Hemisphere, Norman Reed 1956 50km walk gold medallist used to train around Mt. Ruapehu on some of the tracks, but it is really again a Summer option in an awkward part of NZ to travel to and Ruapehu is a sometimes active Volcano...."Scotland" the highest peak is about 850m above sea level.

" I, myself, have been taken advantage of several times by Taxi drivers, tour guides and waiters in Europe. Once a dentist in Rome charged more than normal just because I sounded like I " hava gooda insurance". You need to watch a show called 'Scam Cities' it outlines all the tricks pulled on tourists.

9 years ago 08/02/2016 1:34am EDT

re: Caster Semen.....ya

Yeah there's no real altitude in NZ, actually Australia has towns at closer to ideal living and training altitudes.

9 years ago 08/02/2016 2:02am EDT

re: brass yourself

brass yourself wrote:
Hard to take him seriously when you see him making a video like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3Rm5k7RLM
EOT

Watching white guys trying to sound 'black' is pathetic. Why would you lower yourself like that?

9 years ago 08/02/2016 2:27am EDT

re: Clerk

Clerk wrote:
El Keniano, your hypocrisy is too much. You take every opportunity to remind the Americans on this board about their doping problem. Same with Europeans. You call them jealous, and then lazy and uncommitted. But your bias blinds you to evaluating your own. Your bias is so thick, that you take every opportunity to undermine discussions about the extent of doping. You know there is a problem, but still work to mininize any revelation of it. You know everyone would be better off with honest discussion, but you choose a nationalist defensiveness instead.
How does it feel to be part of the problem in athletics? What is your goal? You gain nothing from the success of your runners, but vehemently attack anyone who threatens their dominance. That is not national pride, that is psychopathy.
Your downplay of these threats is the exact problem. You have now exemplified yourself as the problem: the attitude that it is all normal and okay to threaten those who wosh to expose the truth. If you had a moral bone in your body, you could acknowledge there is truth behind Zane's comments, and truth behind the vitriol in the threats against him. But you choose to say that he is a precious flower for is reaction.
You are choosing a world where violence is the status quo. Actually, you are building a world where threats to safety and life are okay. You are building a world where threats if violence are acceptable in protecting the narrative you want to sell the world. You are the worst kind of person.

You are gnawing on my last nerve. I only bother because you don't hide behind an unregistered name, otherwise you're as dogmatic as the worst of the anti-Kenya brigade.

Are you seriously accusing me of "psychopathy"? Of encouraging violence and threats to life? Out of line. Have a look at typical comments on social media or even try uploading a video to YouTube then get back to me. That some random Kenyan on Facebook wanted to hang a tractor tyre around his neck and set him alight and it being taken as a literal threat is the most ridiculous part of this. An overreaction by Zane but you can't ignore the fact it's garnered him more attention than he's ever had his entire career. I fully expect him to milk this to the last drop. If/when WADA finally declares Kenya compliant in November, it still won't be enough for the likes of you and Zane watching from outside the country because nothing short of a blanket ban will satisfy you lot even when he still hasn't come up with specifics. No names or incidences. Just a general characterisation of all Kenyans as cheats knowing the splash it will cause in the media and the doubt it will sow about 50+ years of domination in athletics.

Anyway, I'm done with the Robertsons as they've (hopefully) severed all ties with Kenya and won't be returning. They're now only able to chime in as outsiders. That it took 10 years to speak up when just weeks ago they were gushing on video about what makes Kenyan runners great strikes me as, at the very least, odd. That Kenya is now allegedly only successful because of cheating is quite a sharp turnaround, isn't it?

9 years ago 08/02/2016 3:47am EDT

re: El Keniano

Hey,

El Keniano mate, you're right that the Robertson twins are obnoxious, and not all Kenyan runners are doping. And man it is funny watching Nick Willis with them (about two years ago in nz), it is like they hate him but he kept betting them, but at the same time he is the only one who could translate their language to nz reporters. However, Kenya looks really, really suspect and a lot of the unreal times by many of the greats from your country are probably the result of doping. Sadly.

9 years ago 08/02/2016 4:18am EDT

re: Caster Semen.....ya

Caster Semen.....ya wrote:
Hey,
El Keniano mate, you're right that the Robertson twins are obnoxious, and not all Kenyan runners are doping. And man it is funny watching Nick Willis with them (about two years ago in nz), it is like they hate him but he kept betting them, but at the same time he is the only one who could translate their language to nz reporters. However, Kenya looks really, really suspect and a lot of the unreal times by many of the greats from your country are probably the result of doping. Sadly.

It'll all come out in the wash. Zane should be able to come up with names now he's left the country. I, and others, think only third-tier types who couldn't cut it in Kenya doped. Of course, out of literally thousands, you'll get the odd Rita Jeptoo or Matthew Kisorio, but they're not the norm. Just my opinion and I appreciate how respectfully you've stated yours.

9 years ago 08/02/2016 5:03am EDT

re: El Keniano

El Keniano wrote:
Caster Semen.....ya wrote:
Hey,
El Keniano mate, you're right that the Robertson twins are obnoxious, and not all Kenyan runners are doping. And man it is funny watching Nick Willis with them (about two years ago in nz), it is like they hate him but he kept betting them, but at the same time he is the only one who could translate their language to nz reporters. However, Kenya looks really, really suspect and a lot of the unreal times by many of the greats from your country are probably the result of doping. Sadly.
It'll all come out in the wash. Zane should be able to come up with names now he's left the country. I, and others, think only third-tier types who couldn't cut it in Kenya doped. Of course, out of literally thousands, you'll get the odd Rita Jeptoo or Matthew Kisorio, but they're not the norm. Just my opinion and I appreciate how respectfully you've stated yours.

But that doesn't make much sense, the slow ones dope but the good Kenyans don't, what? To tell the truth Zane got a lot of abuse here, claiming he was rubbish but he has run the half in 59 mins. That is a very good time, again their personalities are devoid.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 1:22am EDT

re: Mope Dealer

People on here and sites like Athletics Illustrated trust Zane only because he's 'one of us' i.e. white.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 1:36am EDT

re: El Keniano

The Robertsons were on 60 minutes nz last year, and man do they have personality deficiencies.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 3:15am EDT

re: Mope Dealer

Mope Dealer wrote:
El Keniano wrote:
It'll all come out in the wash. Zane should be able to come up with names now he's left the country. I, and others, think only third-tier types who couldn't cut it in Kenya doped. Of course, out of literally thousands, you'll get the odd Rita Jeptoo or Matthew Kisorio, but they're not the norm. Just my opinion and I appreciate how respectfully you've stated yours.
But that doesn't make much sense, the slow ones dope but the good Kenyans don't, what? To tell the truth Zane got a lot of abuse here, claiming he was rubbish but he has run the half in 59 mins. That is a very good time, again their personalities are devoid.

The slow ones dope because they can't quite hack it the most cutthroat distance running scene in the world. Makes a lot of sense to me.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 3:22am EDT

re: Mope Dealer

Mope Dealer wrote:
The Robertsons were on 60 minutes nz last year, and man do they have personality deficiencies.

They're uneducated, wannabe wiggas too stupid to know people laugh behind their back when they speak. They're also mediocre so will never make the papers for their (lack of) talent.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 5:48am EDT

re: Truthsayer

Yes, they are uneducated, they come from the Hamilton area, that is sort of NZs answer to a hick-town. However, untalented is an unfair statement Zane has run 3:34 for 1500m and 59 mins for the half. These are excellent times and Jake's 5 & 10 times are 13:15 and 27:43. In political terms they are like Donald Trump, easily side tracked by silly infantile things instead of their main goal (running fast).

9 years ago 08/04/2016 8:28am EDT

re: Mope Dealer

Those times are middling to Kenyans.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 4:23pm EDT

re: El Keniano

There have been something like 50 Kenyans caught doping and the problem here are the people talking about doping in Kenya? Right.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 5:06pm EDT

re: HRE

HRE wrote:
There have been something like 50 Kenyans caught doping and the problem here are the people talking about doping in Kenya? Right.

Nobodies, mostly, and no one has failed a test for a while now. Seems those 40 (out of thousands) were concentrated over a three-year period. Problem's been nipped in the bud.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 5:11pm EDT

re: El Keniano

El Keniano wrote:
HRE wrote:
There have been something like 50 Kenyans caught doping and the problem here are the people talking about doping in Kenya? Right.
Nobodies, mostly, and no one has failed a test for a while now. Seems those 40 (out of thousands) were concentrated over a three-year period. Problem's been nipped in the bud.

Except for the fact that the biggest managers and coaches in the sport are under arrest for doping their athletes...

9 years ago 08/04/2016 5:13pm EDT

re: El Keniano

El Keniano wrote:
Nobodies, mostly, and no one has failed a test for a while now. Seems those 40 (out of thousands) were concentrated over a three-year period. Problem's been nipped in the bud.

Sure it has. Good to know.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 5:55pm EDT

re: Clerk

Clerk wrote:
El Keniano wrote:
Nobodies, mostly, and no one has failed a test for a while now. Seems those 40 (out of thousands) were concentrated over a three-year period. Problem's been nipped in the bud.
Except for the fact that the biggest managers and coaches in the sport are under arrest for doping their athletes...

Correct. For doping Rita Jeptoo and Matthew Kisorio. Looks like they'll have their permits revoked.

9 years ago 08/04/2016 6:11pm EDT

re: HRE

9 years ago 08/04/2016 6:15pm EDT

re: El Keniano

El Keniano wrote:
That's right. Kenya officially compliant now. You mad, bro?
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2016-08/wada-removes-kenya-from-the-world-anti-doping-codes-non-compliant-list

That and two bucks will get you on the subway. It's like getting the stamp of approval of the WWE, all of our bloated wrestlers are clean even Brock Lesnar who just failed a PED test.....

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