The suspension seems to end tomorrow, so AIU will probably tweet about it then. Both athletes were given a reduced sanction due to voluntarily admitting to the violation and will be eligible from June 1. The main two questions:
i) The prohibited method is understood to have been “'an iv infusion' above the allowable limit in an impermissible setting”. But what would the substance be, and what are the benefits of this method? Is it commonplace? Did they actually use the method or did they voluntarily go to AIU about it before attempting?
ii) They both have the same coach, Tonja Buford-Bailey. Was this an issue within their camp or just something these two were caught up in?
You might be overthinking it. Wasn’t there a whole controversy around Salazar planning in advance to get Galen Rupp an IV (saline) before races. Illegal as it’s supposed to be for medical necessity.
You might be overthinking it. Wasn’t there a whole controversy around Salazar planning in advance to get Galen Rupp an IV (saline) before races. Illegal as it’s supposed to be for medical necessity.
Well neither of them were scheduled to race I believe? But I’m wondering how you even get caught doing (or attempting to do) this in the first place. Did AIU receive a tip-off?
The suspension seems to end tomorrow, so AIU will probably tweet about it then. Both athletes were given a reduced sanction due to voluntarily admitting to the violation and will be eligible from June 1. The main two questions:
i) The prohibited method is understood to have been “'an iv infusion' above the allowable limit in an impermissible setting”. But what would the substance be, and what are the benefits of this method? Is it commonplace? Did they actually use the method or did they voluntarily go to AIU about it before attempting?
ii) They both have the same coach, Tonja Buford-Bailey. Was this an issue within their camp or just something these two were caught up in?
The substance is saline solution. The benefits are essentially optimal hydration, like to a level you can't quite get to by just drinking water, sports drinks, etc.
I remember being at NXN in 2017 I believe it was and the girls team that won was saying how one of their top runners had gone to the hospital the night before due to being sick, but they wanted to go so she could get an iv. Everyone cheered them on like "oh wow, you're so brave, so courageous." But her took her from being sick af to topped off enough to run like she was totally healthy.
Of course I was one of the very few in the crowd just shaking my head thing, "y'all realize they are admitting to using a prohibited method?" Kinda comical, ironic, whatever. I don't really care, but I do know the rules we hold our professionals to that "in the real world" nobody even cares about.
As the saying goes, "there is doping and then there is DOPING." The latter of which is the stuff that really works; testosterone and epo or substances/methods that mimic their effects. A saline iv literally increases one's health and vitality without having some negative feedback loop effect on the endocrine system. If you have the opportunity to get one, I'd recommend it.
The suspension seems to end tomorrow, so AIU will probably tweet about it then. Both athletes were given a reduced sanction due to voluntarily admitting to the violation and will be eligible from June 1. The main two questions:
i) The prohibited method is understood to have been “'an iv infusion' above the allowable limit in an impermissible setting”. But what would the substance be, and what are the benefits of this method? Is it commonplace? Did they actually use the method or did they voluntarily go to AIU about it before attempting?
ii) They both have the same coach, Tonja Buford-Bailey. Was this an issue within their camp or just something these two were caught up in?
1. If this suspension has already been underway, why haven't we learned about it until now? What kind of transparency is this? Absolutely ridiculous.
2. Mildly concerned to have this come out of Tonja Buford-Bailey's camp - i've been hearing rumors of another high-profile athlete ban coming up. I hope it isn't who I think it is.
Then again, most of these rumors are coming from Rae, who is typically correct about the same amount of things as a dolphin playing jeopardy is.
Thanks for the insight. I’m wondering why this method is even banned now if anyone can do it and it has no negative health effects? But I guess that explains why it was only 4 months ban.
Thanks for the insight. I’m wondering why this method is even banned now if anyone can do it and it has no negative health effects? But I guess that explains why it was only 4 months ban.
Essentially because it makes the risk of doping much higher. For instance, a coach with less than pure intentions could tell their athlete to take an iv that appears to be a simple saline solution, but other things could be in it.
We also don't want athletes to feel as if they need to get an IV to keep up with their peers who are using IVs.
It can also be used to conceal blood doping by bringing the hematocrit levels down to a more natural level. For instance, you use epo or get a few units of blood infused and your hematocrit is now in the 50+% range. Now you infuse a unit or two of saline and voila back under 50% and not setting off any preliminary alarms when the vampires come to test.
Also a matter of protecting athletes who are brazen enough to give themselves an IV while sitting in their hotel room the night before a race. It's not extremely difficult, but it's also not unheard of for unqualified athletes/people to give themselves an IV and end up with an infection or potential issues at the site where they were digging around trying to find a vein.
At one point WADA said they could detect the microplastics or something like that released from bags and that would let them know someone was using an IV, though the actual substance being infused wouldn't necessarily be known meaning it could be saline solution, a unit of blood or something else altogether.
Swimmer Ryan Lochte got a 14 month ban for similar after posting about it on social media. Ryan’s actually a pretty well-meaning guy but yeah, about as smart as a box of rocks-
Two months ago, he posted a photo on social media of himself receiving an intravenous infusion. That caught the attention of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which launched an investigation.
Well if you read the article it clearly states that they admitted to trying IV infusion without knowing it was prohibited at the time. Nobody got “caught”.
You might be overthinking it. Wasn’t there a whole controversy around Salazar planning in advance to get Galen Rupp an IV (saline) before races. Illegal as it’s supposed to be for medical necessity.
Well if you read the article it clearly states that they admitted to trying IV infusion without knowing it was prohibited at the time. Nobody got “caught”.
As a professional athlete who is regularly tested, why voluntarily inject yourself with anything at all???
Where there's smoke, there is fire. This is a link to her training group's website. Unsurprisingly, Gabby Thomas who has her own with USADA is one of their highlighted athletes:
You might be overthinking it. Wasn’t there a whole controversy around Salazar planning in advance to get Galen Rupp an IV (saline) before races. Illegal as it’s supposed to be for medical necessity.
It's always best to consult reliable sources or news outlets to get the most up-to-date information on any controversies or events involving individuals such as Salazar and Galen Rupp.
Thanks for the insight. I’m wondering why this method is even banned now if anyone can do it and it has no negative health effects? But I guess that explains why it was only 4 months ban.
Essentially because it makes the risk of doping much higher. For instance, a coach with less than pure intentions could tell their athlete to take an iv that appears to be a simple saline solution, but other things could be in it.
We also don't want athletes to feel as if they need to get an IV to keep up with their peers who are using IVs.
It can also be used to conceal blood doping by bringing the hematocrit levels down to a more natural level. For instance, you use epo or get a few units of blood infused and your hematocrit is now in the 50+% range. Now you infuse a unit or two of saline and voila back under 50% and not setting off any preliminary alarms when the vampires come to test.
Also a matter of protecting athletes who are brazen enough to give themselves an IV while sitting in their hotel room the night before a race. It's not extremely difficult, but it's also not unheard of for unqualified athletes/people to give themselves an IV and end up with an infection or potential issues at the site where they were digging around trying to find a vein.
At one point WADA said they could detect the microplastics or something like that released from bags and that would let them know someone was using an IV, though the actual substance being infused wouldn't necessarily be known meaning it could be saline solution, a unit of blood or something else altogether.
Correct. That test was used to flag Contador many moons ago.
