Why are people here so certain that Shelby intentionally cheated?

Shelby is innocent wrote:

Armstronglivs wrote:

What a load of pointless waffle. An athlete can be taken out of contention for the Olympics if the ban is the same year or they are only 1, 2, or 3 years away from the Olympics and they have a ban of less than 4 years.

None of this is relevant to Houlihan, whose violation is incontestable and the penalty reflected the seriousness of the offence. That is why it is 4 years. The penalty needs to be more than a slap on the wrist.

Gosh, do you not ever admit when you’re wrong? It’s not pointless waffle. The point is Shelby’s ban is draconian because it covers two Olympics, and the spirit of the standard 4-year suspension is to cause athletes to miss one Olympic year (plus everything else that happens in a typical four-year span) not two. You challenged me on my assertion regarding the spirit of the penalty being related to the Olympics, and I have provided incontrovertible evidence that I am correct. You can at least have the decency to concede that point.

Armstronglivs wrote:

Shelby is innocent wrote:

Gosh, do you not ever admit when you’re wrong? It’s not pointless waffle. The point is Shelby’s ban is draconian because it covers two Olympics, and the spirit of the standard 4-year suspension is to cause athletes to miss one Olympic year (plus everything else that happens in a typical four-year span) not two. You challenged me on my assertion regarding the spirit of the penalty being related to the Olympics, and I have provided incontrovertible evidence that I am correct. You can at least have the decency to concede that point.

It isn't "the point". It is your point. It is only "draconian" to those who support or excuse drug cheats - like you. The ban is for several years because if it wasn't it would be seen as a mere token, a slap on the wrist. Missing a key international competition is simply a bonus. Good.

themildrunmaster wrote:

griles17 wrote:

She seems like a genuinely wonderful person. I've followed her for years. Even if you think it's unlikely a burrito was the cause of the positive test, why are you so sure that Shelby intentionally cheated? People here often claim that this is the case and that she's a legit psychopath who refuses to admit what she's done wrong. But if she were a psychopath, why does she have so many friends and people around her who say she's an incredible person? And if she wanted an advantage, why would she choose to dope but not wear super shoes? Looking for genuine convo here - I just don't understand how anyone can smear Shelby online. I'm a huge fan of hers.

It's weird to me that the people who tend to believe she was intentionally doping are framed as the "crazies" in this case. She was legally handed a doping ban--from what we know about the doping in our sport, intentionality is the most likely case here. Sure, it's also possible she was sabotaged, or taking something unintentionally, like from a burrito... But think about the possibility that either of those things happened. The likelihood she doped unintentionally pales in comparison to the likelihood she did intentionally.

At the end of the day, no amount of personal vouchers Shelby gets will ever erase the fact that she tested hot. They do not give you a free pass because she "seems like a genuinely wonderful person". Maybe she is a good person--people still make mistakes, and I believe its very possible this was a mistake she made that surprised a lot of people. When you're put in a difficult position where you have to face the reality of a mistake while upholding your personal reputation, you never know what you might do. This is why I could believe she may have doped intentionally yet insists on her innocence today. She chose her path and is too far in now to change course.

Can I ask you a question: why are you a fan of hers? What is it about Shelby that makes her worth being a fan of vs. any other track athlete?

griles17 wrote:

themildrunmaster wrote:

It's weird to me that the people who tend to believe she was intentionally doping are framed as the "crazies" in this case. She was legally handed a doping ban--from what we know about the doping in our sport, intentionality is the most likely case here. Sure, it's also possible she was sabotaged, or taking something unintentionally, like from a burrito... But think about the possibility that either of those things happened. The likelihood she doped unintentionally pales in comparison to the likelihood she did intentionally.

At the end of the day, no amount of personal vouchers Shelby gets will ever erase the fact that she tested hot. They do not give you a free pass because she "seems like a genuinely wonderful person". Maybe she is a good person--people still make mistakes, and I believe its very possible this was a mistake she made that surprised a lot of people. When you're put in a difficult position where you have to face the reality of a mistake while upholding your personal reputation, you never know what you might do. This is why I could believe she may have doped intentionally yet insists on her innocence today. She chose her path and is too far in now to change course.

Can I ask you a question: why are you a fan of hers? What is it about Shelby that makes her worth being a fan of vs. any other track athlete?

First is her incredible talent. Second is her determination, work ethic, and outlook. I've followed her pretty closely over her career. I'm an even bigger fan now seeing how she's handled this situation and continues to work so hard. I read a long article about Shelby many years ago and was an instant fan - I'll have to find it