Nick Willis had some fascinating things to say about doping today. Plenty of good and bad news!

LetsRun.com · 2016-02-18T14:59:30-05:00

http://www.letsrun.com/?p=103780 Good News: Nick Willis Thinks Most Elite Runner Are Above Board; Bad News: He Thinks a High Percentage of the Top Performers Are Dirty by Robert Johnson February 19, 2016 NEW YORK -- Today at the 2016 NYRR Millrose Games press event, New Zealand miler Nick Willis had some interesting things to say about track and field's doping problem. Recently, Athletics Kenya was put on probation by the World Anti-Doping Agency for not meeting a WADA deadline to prove it was doing enough to fight doping; Athletics Kenya may not have the funds or expertise to properly set up an independent testing agency. Instead of banning federations that run afoul of the WADA Code -- the IAAF suspended Russia after December's WADA Independent Commission report and may do the same to Kenya -- Willis had a different solution. Here is Willis' recommendation: "One unique outlook I've sort of thought may be a possible solution is rather than [banning] federations, why not create a situation where the top 10 or top 15 athletes in the world, they have to train at least 10 months of the year in a country where the country is under the compliant WADA Code. If they are from a country that doesn't have those places -- a lot of my competitors are from Kenya, Ethiopia, or Djibouti, a lot of places that don't have the funds to [have compliant testing facilities]. If you are a top-10 or top-15 athlete in the world, you have the sponsors, you have the means to go and train in Flagstaff as opposed to altitude there. It's not ideal and it's not necessarily fair, but it's also not fair that a lot of these athletes are getting away with training in places where the testers cannot access them." After the main press event, Willis continued to talk about doping with Chris Lotsbom and myself. You can listen to much of that exchange below (some additional footage from before I stared film in is on RunnerSpace here but that doesn't include the key part of my video, which begins at 2:55) but I'll give you the highlights. When I asked Willis if the doping problem was better now than when he started as a professional, Willis was emphatic that things are much better now. "Absolutely," said Willis. "In 2004, when I first made the Olympics, [people would ask me], 'How many of the medallists were doping?' [and] I'd say, 'How many of the finalists are doping?' and I'd say it was much higher than 50% of the finalists. Whereas now, it's only really the top three or four guys [where] there's is a high percentage that are doing it. "But, just like with the [Rashid] Ramzi situation in 2008, it becomes more evident (that they are doping now) because they are so much further ahead - the one or two or three that are doing it. Whereas in the late 90s, early 2000s, I think there was such a high percentage doing it that it wasn't obvious as they all were ahead at the same time." Since Willis had just said "it's only really the top three or four guys [where] there's is a high percentage that are doing it," I wanted clarification. I asked him, "So you think there is a high percentage of the medallists in the 1500 right now that are dirty?" Willis responded, "I don't know specific people. Again, I'm at risk of libel if I ever say anything about specific people." I then asked if he was talking about a high percentage of 1500 medallists or all distance medallists and Willis focused on the positive and how much better anti-doping is now than when he began his pro career. "I think as a whole, the testing has gotten a whole lot better. I think the blood passport has gotten better. Now they are catching people for CERA and EPO, people are veering away from that sort of stuff. I just think as a whole the only people who can sort of get away with doping now [are those with] very, very sophisticated methods to beat the testing system or they have to be in a very, very sort of closed-off environment either from testing or from just word-of-mouth being able to spread what is going on. And those are select groups that can take place now. By and large, I think most people are above board." In terms of track talk, Willis interesting said that he views himself and Centrowitz to be very similar in one key way besides the fact that both are incredibly smooth. "I think we are secretly 5k runners with a little bit of speed who use that to run miles," said Willis. In terms of his most vivid Millrose moment, Willis, who has twice finished second and twice finished third in the Wanamaker Mile, said it was the 2009 Wanamaker Mile at Madison Square Garden when he was intent on beating the "Chairman of the Boards" Bernard Lagat just months after Willis had won his Olympic 1500 medal. Willis said he attacked just as planned on the penultimate lap and was thrilled to get the lead he coveted at was very hard to run from behind on the tight MSG track. Willis was proud of himself for getting the lead but before he knew it, Lagat was the champion. "He absolutely blew the doors off me. I still have nightmares about him making me look like an absolute turd out there," said Willis. Video interview with Willis is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcEP0RI2jYE&feature=youtu.be

Pro News/Info/Results Distance

Reply New New Thread

Moderation Moderation Information Moderation Information & Rules

Page 5 of 5

1 4 5

Next Last

10 years ago 02/19/2016 11:25am EST

re: coach

coach wrote:
Why was Lance never found guilty when he was doping in a trailer 10 feet away from officials and reporters but everyone else was?

He was found guilty.

coach wrote:
Why was Gatlin the sacrificial lamb but another wasn't?

You think these people are smarter than they really are. He tested positive for testosterone at the Kansas Relays. It's not that complicated.

coach wrote:
Why was Ben Johnson crucified but not the others in 88?

Different era.

coach wrote:
Why was El G never found guilty?

Probably because he didn't test positive. Maybe he did and it was dealt with like it was for Regina Jacobs in 1995, but that's all speculation without basis. You could have tested positive and it was killed somehow.

coach wrote:
We don't have an answer but there's no doubt that some guys are "more equal than others."

Gatlin was as big as it got in 2006.

10 years ago 02/19/2016 11:35am EST

re: Curious cat

I thought that the top 10 and now proposed top 20 would be on the IAAF whereabouts system. Is there evidence that there are lots of missed tests or test failures in this group.

I would have thought that the problem was that certain nations were not testing those outside the top ten or twenty and as such the plan from Willis is meaningless .

10 years ago 02/19/2016 6:21pm EST

re: LetsRun.com

Most of you guys are drooling morons. Who says Nick Willis is clean?

So there could be a lot of dopers, or not, and we treat Willis's half baked thoughts like they are off the dead sea scrolls? He's just a jock, nothing more.

10 years ago 02/19/2016 7:13pm EST

re: llort_vbo

A lot of you (and even Nick himself) don't seem to realize that the biggest effect of his proposed rule wouldn't be the pressure on the ATHLETES to move -- it would put a TON of pressure on these COUNTRIES to upgrade their testing to modern standards simply to keep their best runners, best coaches, best training camps, etc. from having to move elsewhere.

Great idea, Nick.

10 years ago 02/19/2016 8:07pm EST

re: wineturtle

wineturtle wrote:
As an aside---
How many Chairmen of the Board are their?
Martin McGrady was, as far as I know, the first to hold the title.

I know Eamonn Coghlan also had that nickname in his indoor prime.

10 years ago 02/19/2016 8:30pm EST

re: Jeff Wigand

Lance did not fail a drug test even though he was doping and only after his career was he found guilty. Was he ever banned? No.

Maybe Gatlin was not marketable, he seems to be now as it's he against The golden boy Bolt. In 88 it was The golden boy Carl vs the brooding Johnson. Vince McMahon couldn't script it any better.

How much was Gatlin paid to run in 06 was it the type of money Geb, Tergat, El G were getting? Or Johnson and Lewis 10 years earlier? Does he get the same as Bolt?

Gatlin and Gay are lucky that they are the perfect foils for the Jamaican team that everyone wants to watch. The world loves watching the little Jamaicans beat the ugly Americans in a 4x1. It doesn't matter who's clean or not as long as they race and the stands are filled.

Many Kenyans are obviously dirty but we love the story of these poor kids who run 10 miles to school and love watching them dominate, that's why they're paid to run road races all over this country along side the 45 minute 10k hobby joggers.

Follow the money trail.

10 years ago 02/19/2016 9:00pm EST

re: Coach

I understand what he is saying but I think the solution is flawed.

I like watching the guy and have rooted for him for many years. That said, I don't think I learned much from his statements and I get the impression that he is going off guesswork and rumor. It's different if we are going off of test results or direct testimony.

Btw, a person just saying 'i heard x is a doper 'is not libel if it is true that you heard it and you do not know that the statement is not true that the person is a doper

10 years ago 02/20/2016 2:12am EST

re: Read carefully

Read carefully wrote:
Any advanced nation of the athlete's choosing.
It solves the problem of shoddy out of competition testing.
If it were required to be eligible, it would happen.
YOU misinterpreted it thinking they all must move to once camp or one city. Just admit it and own it already.

It wouldn't happen.

And it won't happen.

And it wouldn't matter whether he gave Flagstaff or London or Moscow as an example, it still isn't going to happen.

Willis doesn't make single mention of "nation of the athlete's choosing".

It doesn't solve any problem at all. If anything, bringing more moneyed up elite athletes into nations with more resources to utilize newer technologies heightens the potential for undetected drug use.

Everything being put forward is done so on hearsay and conjecture. One could just as easily, and potentially far more rationally, argue that because we're seeing increases in drug busts of athletes from these countries he's singling out, it suggests that resources being used in places like Flagstaff are simply ahead of the game.

It's Never Going To Happen.

What is, exactly, an "advanced nation"?

10 years ago 02/20/2016 2:20am EST

re: Jeff Wigand

Jeff Wigand wrote:
coach wrote:
The untouchables could live in a WADA home and still be deemed clean. If you bring in the money, sell the tickets, create the buzz you won't be caught.
Someone's never heard of Justin Gatlin or Tyson Gay.

Have you heard of Bernie Lagat?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3078642.stm

10 years ago 02/20/2016 2:57am EST

re: BLAST FROM THE PAST 2.0

igf-1 lr3 use in track is biggest ped scandal ever

due to complete silence.

nick why wud cera be used, detected for ages

Page 5 of 5

1 4 5

Next Last

What People Are Talking About On LetsRun

No top threads at the moment. Check back soon.

Reply Replying to

Username

Password

Leave the password field blank to post anonymously.

Post Preview

By posting you acknowledge that you have read and abide by our Terms and Conditions.

Remember me on this device.

Nick Willis had some fascinating things to say about doping today. Plenty of good and bad news!

This thread has already been deleted.

You have been subscribed.

Nick Willis had some fascinating things to say about doping today. Plenty of good and bad news!

Jump To A Page

Follow Jeff Wigand

Block Jeff Wigand

Follow Birmingham

Block Birmingham

Follow llort_vbo

Block llort_vbo

Follow Coach

Block Coach

Follow wtfunny

Block wtfunny

Jump To A Page

This thread has already been deleted.

Reply Replying to

You have been subscribed.