A top British athlete has escaped a doping inquiry

long sox wrote:

German *cough* *cough* marathon *cough* *cough* ex soviet bloc *cough* female *cough* *cough* skipped Olympics *cough* *cough*

That's nasty cough

Magnum PI wrote:

mo'pak wrote:

25 Kenyans, 10 Ethiopians and 4 Qataris.

The Qataris should be fairly easy to identify. From there we might be able to link to Kenyan / Ethiopian training camps or coaches. Who was running at a decent level for Qatar during that period?

Well two of the Qatari athletes were obvious a very long time ago. A third is also pretty easy to come up with. The Kenyan concerns were raised some time back by Bernie Heinrich but the coach of many of those Kenyans gave another explanation. Most of this info has been floating around for some time but the nations hadn't been named, was not hard to guess Russia and Kenya though.

what's Renato got to say about all this

He has been largely silent on the subject of PED use in African distance runners ever since one of his former athletes (jeptoo) was busted for EPO.

just sayin wrote:

what's Renato got to say about all this

He's busy paddling furiously back up the River Of Denial.

Renato's point that Kenyans don't need drugs is true. In fact it's true for any nation.

Not that you kids would be interested in what it takes to reach the top without drugs.

actually... wrote:

Renato's point that Kenyans don't need drugs is true. In fact it's true for any nation.

Not that you kids would be interested in what it takes to reach the top without drugs.

Yeah, and apparently at least 225 elite athletes weren't interested either. It's a good thing there are a few sages like yourself who understand how to get to the top clean.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

CO was doping, at first you would think sure anyone can change their changing plan at the last moment but I like to bet and wha't the chance that you change your plans 3 times on the exact same days the testers come knocking. Its not her though as it says blood values so would be someone in an endurance event.

What I recall was that the missed test (third one?) was due to having to switch tracks because the venue she had on her list was closed so she had to go elsewhere.

26mi235 wrote:

ukathleticscoach wrote:

CO was doping, at first you would think sure anyone can change their changing plan at the last moment but I like to bet and wha't the chance that you change your plans 3 times on the exact same days the testers come knocking. Its not her though as it says blood values so would be someone in an endurance event.

What I recall was that the missed test (third one?) was due to having to switch tracks because the venue she had on her list was closed so she had to go elsewhere.

And she did that knowing that a 3rd missed test would result in a ban? I don't buy it. Everyone always seems to have a great excuse for missing the tests.

Iceberg Tip wrote:

actually... wrote:

Renato's point that Kenyans don't need drugs is true. In fact it's true for any nation.

Not that you kids would be interested in what it takes to reach the top without drugs.

Yeah, and apparently at least 225 elite athletes weren't interested either. It's a good thing there are a few sages like yourself who understand how to get to the top clean.

And of course you know more about coaching Kenyans than Renato Canova and Brother Colm don't you?

But you're probably just trolling aren't you?

The whereabouts/out-of-competion testing process is one that most result in most professional athletes missing one or more OoC tests. If I'm correct the athlete has to notify the testers of a location and time where they'll be for one hour every day for the next three months. Whilst it's easy to predict where you'll be in the next week, two weeks, even possibly three weeks, I would hazard a guess that most would struggle to accurately predict their location for 12 weeks.?

Add to that, if you have a sudden change of venue, personal emergency, sudden social event etc. etc. forget to update the testers and/or lose your mobile then it is easy to see how someone could easily miss a test or two...

That said, I think once you've missed a second most people would be very tight on ensuring they have the whereabouts database up to date and accurate..or at least I would.

So she knew about the facility being closed even without any notice of it being so that day?

It is my impression that CO is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Further, she has been as successful in the bio-passport era.

Follow the stories... wrote:

following on from the Daily Mail article that references one of the other athletes as a 'finge' performer, who was searched prior to a major comp after a 'joke' about taking drugs, leads us to this....

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/sep/05/olympics2008.olympicsathletics

Nice one!

I do not mean to be a strong supporter of her, but her case seemed more 'realistic' given the facts that I heard at that point.

It is interesting that some countries with many, many athletes (e.g., the US) have few cases on the list. Russia competes in a very broad range and so has more athletes that might be in the group. Is it known that these are all distance/middle distance runners (a much smaller pool, especially for the US and UK)?

actually... wrote:

Iceberg Tip wrote:

Yeah, and apparently at least 225 elite athletes weren't interested either. It's a good thing there are a few sages like yourself who understand how to get to the top clean.

And of course you know more about coaching Kenyans than Renato Canova and Brother Colm don't you?

But you're probably just trolling aren't you?

Wait a second, you come on here suggesting that PEDs are unnecessary for the elite running performances we see, and you call ME a troll?

I have no doubt Canova and O'Connell know more about coaching Kenyans than I do. In fact, I've never even coached a single Kenyan. But that doesn't mean these coaches can't lie. When Canova pumps out a story that Kenyans don't use or need drugs, and that the only Kenyans who do use them are desperate second-stringers, and then it turns out that 25 Kenyan athletes show up on this "suspicious" list, it's not exactly trolling to suggest that his credibility is suffering.

yup its her wrote:

runner85 wrote:

Paula Radcliffe

Paula Radcliffe

Paula Radcliffe

Iceberg Tip wrote:

actually... wrote:

And of course you know more about coaching Kenyans than Renato Canova and Brother Colm don't you?

But you're probably just trolling aren't you?

Wait a second, you come on here suggesting that PEDs are unnecessary for the elite running performances we see, and you call ME a troll?

I have no doubt Canova and O'Connell know more about coaching Kenyans than I do. In fact, I've never even coached a single Kenyan. But that doesn't mean these coaches can't lie. When Canova pumps out a story that Kenyans don't use or need drugs, and that the only Kenyans who do use them are desperate second-stringers, and then it turns out that 25 Kenyan athletes show up on this "suspicious" list, it's not exactly trolling to suggest that his credibility is suffering.

I was responding to your sarcasm, which shows how little you really care just how mindless it is to believe in the obsession with so called 'performance enhancing drugs' and not to believe in the amazing and enormous potential of the human body to adapt to stimuli naturally. Not to mention that fact that you have insulted two of the World's best coaches who are trying their best to minimize the influence of the drug pushing coaches and doctors who have obviously invaded Kenya.

If you want to make an intelligent comment, then go ahead, but be careful to choose your words wisely and carefully.

actually... wrote:

I was responding to your sarcasm, which shows how little you really care just how mindless it is to believe in the obsession with so called 'performance enhancing drugs' and not to believe in the amazing and enormous potential of the human body to adapt to stimuli naturally. Not to mention that fact that you have insulted two of the World's best coaches who are trying their best to minimize the influence of the drug pushing coaches and doctors who have obviously invaded Kenya.

If you want to make an intelligent comment, then go ahead, but be careful to choose your words wisely and carefully.

No, not "so called" 'performance enhancing drugs'. Just plain performance-enhancing drugs. Why is that so difficult for you to believe? It's so simple, really. Success in distance running is all about transporting and processing as much oxygen as possible, and recovering from workouts as quickly as possible. If there are drugs that can improve these abilities beyond naturally attainable levels, it stands to reason that they would enhance an athlete's performance.

It's not that I don't believe in what you describe as the "amazing and enormous potential of the human body to adapt to stimuli naturally". It's just that I believe that potential has a limit, and that an athlete who reaches that limit can then go beyond it by using PEDs.

As far as insulting top coaches, who cares. O'Connell I'll make no comment on, because I have nothing negative to say. Canova may be a great coach, but then, so is Michele Ferrari. That doesn't mean he observes the rules or speaks only the truth.

actually... wrote:

I was responding to your sarcasm, which shows how little you really care just how mindless it is to believe in the obsession with so called 'performance enhancing drugs' and not to believe in the amazing and enormous potential of the human body to adapt to stimuli naturally. Not to mention that fact that you have insulted two of the World's best coaches who are trying their best to minimize the influence of the drug pushing coaches and doctors who have obviously invaded Kenya.

If you want to make an intelligent comment, then go ahead, but be careful to choose your words wisely and carefully.

For years you lot have been giving the whole 'Kenyans never use drugs', 'Kenyans can't afford drugs', 'Kenyans are too honest to use drugs' and all those other nonsese excuses.

Now that it's proven that lots and lots of Kenyans do use drugs, the official line of the fanboy is 'Drugs don't work on Kenyans because Canova speaks Kenyan and he says so'. Canova was in charge in Qatar too around that period wasn't he? A few Qataris are on the list too.

Get with reality. Kenyans (and other nationalities) use performance enhancing drugs because when they take them, their performance enhances. It's not rocket science, but you people just can't seem to accept it.