Wow, this is the response I get to my first ever post on this (or any other running-related ) site.
Silly me for thinking that people attracted to track and field, in general, and distance running, in particular, and who are most likely runners themselves wouldn't be inclined to dehumanize another. Yeah, sure, let's call someone we've never met a skank. Let's call someone a cheat when we don't know that for sure.
The whole thing saddens me to no end. I am the world's worst runner, but I know how hard it is to run hard. I marvel at elite runners like Shelby and others who push themselves to limits I know I am afraid of approaching and, quite honestly, I don't have the guts for. I think of all that work that she has put in since whenever she started. Now, with all that in mind, ponder for a few moments this: suppose she is innocent. My God, all that hard work, and her Olympic dreams and her career are gone, just like that. And, her reputation is in tatters. Part of me hopes she is guilty. Because if she is innocent, the sentence she just got would be completely unbearable, I cannot even process it and I'm not her.