Shelby Houlihan Ban Upheld -- Loses Appeal

There is no bias in my post, and there is no evidence either way regarding intent or knowledge. There is simply a positive test. My post was not in any way claiming some conspiracy theory. She tested positive, her appeals failed, and the decisionmakers' bases for upholding the ban were well explained and reasonable. I have no problem with that result at all. If it wasn't already clear, perhaps I should've prefaced my post by saying, "If she in fact does not know what triggered the positive test, then..."

I appreciate that many of you are convinced she is an intentional cheat. Like I said, based on her reaction and that of her coaches and teammates, I am willing to extend her the benefit of the doubt that ok, maybe she truly doesn't know exactly what triggered the positive. Clearly the burrito excuse was the wrong move. Again, seems far more likely she wasn't keeping track of everything she took or maybe she trusted the wrong people. We all know Nike has a history of systematically pushing into grey areas. Maybe she didn't ask any questions. Who knows, but yeah... obviously all of it is speculation. Regardless, lack of intent doesn't = lack of culpability. She's banned either way and I'm fine with that.

She screamed PED use.I could tell she was on drug cocktails,and shes just the tip of a massive iceberg.Its a fair bet she wasnt just on nandralone either,but EPO and perhaps winstrol.

Officially they were going into "grey area doping".In reality they use cocktails of EPO, steroids and human growth hormones to get results.All elite athletes are on drug cocktails.Thats how they get so lean and slim,yet muscled.

You're one of those who wants to believe the best aren't doping. They probably are doping but at the very least you can't be sure they aren't. That is the sport now. I wouldn't be too strenuous in your defence of Chepkoech. Houlihan has shown that to us (as well as Jebet).

Yes you can.Remember athletes being advised to only drink out of sealed containers.

But that would only have some real merit if an in comp test.

Ross Tucker has done a good podcast about doping, the 2nd half talks about the Shelby case and the piece of work he did for Letsrun -

open.spotify.com

Doping and the Curious Case of Shelby Houlihan

Open link

An interesting point he made, which is something the Johnson's and Jon seem to have not grasped, and something that Shelby keeps repeating is about "innocent until proven guilty" and how innocent athletes get wrongly caught doping. What they're all missing/willfully ignoring is that every athlete competing at present is innocent - it's only when they fail a test that they're then guilty. The system isn't set up whereby at the point of returning an adverse analytical finding the athlete should still be
"innocent until proven guilty" as in the court of law, at the point of a positive B-sample and ban the athlete has been proven to be guilty.

Maybe it speaks to wider society and how facts seem to mean less and less nowadays, but it's frustrating none-the-less that the expectation of innocence is there even after an athlete has effectively been pictured standing over a dead body holding a gun that's just been fired.

Are not date rape drugs on the banned list?

Back to strict liability as interpreted by Wada and then the general public.

it makes me laugh that people who hate armstronglivs give him such easy headshots.

Innocence of what; cheating or breaking strict liability?

The police (etc) decide if the holder of the gun should go to court but the courts assume innocence.
Sort of the basis of western society for a good few centuries.

Did she buy the nandrolone with shtcoins or a shtcoin wallet?

So; actor Baldwin is a murderer then?

Hopefully she returns and challenges the marathon. Would be interesting to watch her at long distance races.

Maybe someone rubbed it on her during a massage

The system does not work

I will not stop until me and every other so called "Doper" has their name cleared. It's so unfair that they can just decide my blood has more illegal substances in it than someone elses.

Shelby just trying to keep up with the men competing in womens T&F these days.

This thread: "Shelby is horrible. How dare she sully the good name of our fine sport."

Also this thread: "How dare you suggest that runners with far better times and even more suspicious performances such as Gidey or Hassan are doping! They say they get tested damn it!"

Well maybe she "liked" the part where the ban was upheld. In fact, I might go "like" the post for the same reason. Good riddance.