Brazilian given provisional suspension after testing positive for banned substance Thiago Braz, who won Olympic pole vault gold in front of his home crowd at the Rio 2016 Olympics, has been banned by the Athletics Integrity U...
I’m guessing he’ll keep his gold medal and Olympic record? Sucks for Lavillenie, he could have been one of the few (the only?) repeat Olympic gold medalists in the vault.
I think thats the problem with the way dopers are punished. They get to keep most of their medals and prizes. If someone is caught doping, take away all of the international medals and try and get as much of their winnings back as possible (if anything can be recoverable). It’s a joke how World Athletics deal with doping cases. In other sports, national federations are suspended left and right for sharing things even if it’s not doping. Meanwhile places like Kenya, Turkey and Morocco have been left untouched even with so many doping cases out of them.
I think thats the problem with the way dopers are punished. They get to keep most of their medals and prizes. If someone is caught doping, take away all of the international medals and try and get as much of their winnings back as possible (if anything can be recoverable). It’s a joke how World Athletics deal with doping cases. In other sports, national federations are suspended left and right for sharing things even if it’s not doping. Meanwhile places like Kenya, Turkey and Morocco have been left untouched even with so many doping cases out of them.
I wouldn’t assume all of his career is tainted. I think it makes more sense that this one hit wonder succumbed to pressure of his career tailing off and cut corners doping. What can a vaulter gain? More strength and speed for a short sprint down the runway? More explosiveness in the weight room to translate to the track? Watching him over the last few years, he just looks older, slower. He was probably reaching to keep his career alive but I don’t think he saw any dividends to his cheating.
Might not have been intentional. Could have been in a supplement and it wasn't on the ingredient list. This is not to say he shouldn't face the consequences.
I think thats the problem with the way dopers are punished. They get to keep most of their medals and prizes. If someone is caught doping, take away all of the international medals and try and get as much of their winnings back as possible (if anything can be recoverable). It’s a joke how World Athletics deal with doping cases. In other sports, national federations are suspended left and right for sharing things even if it’s not doping. Meanwhile places like Kenya, Turkey and Morocco have been left untouched even with so many doping cases out of them.
Honestly I think the best thing WADA could do is like you said:
- Strip medals and sue for prize money for all banned athletes, as doping cases can be prosecuted as sports fraud
Additionally, WADA should:
- Ban for life on first offense
- Reduced sentence only for those who talk about where they got it and have witnesses or evidence as to their supplier and the extent of their doping. Too many get three years without spilling the beans on how they doped.
- Missed whereabouts without a verifiable excuse is punished by a six-month ban (still in testing pool during this ban, so athletes can't miss a test, leave the pool, and do a cycle of doping before returning)
- Miss 3 tests in the same year: same ban as a positive test
With all these extreme measures in place people will think twice about doping, as too many get a slap to the wrist. With a lifetime ban on the line, athletes could be pursuaded to rat out their suppliers, thus making the sport cleaner.
Might not have been intentional. Could have been in a supplement and it wasn't on the ingredient list. This is not to say he shouldn't face the consequences.
Not an attack on you, but these are professional athletes, they should really check what they are putting in their bodies.
I’m guessing he’ll keep his gold medal and Olympic record? Sucks for Lavillenie, he could have been one of the few (the only?) repeat Olympic gold medalists in the vault.
Only one man and one woman have won multiple Olympic golds - Bob Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva. Having two medals of any color is rare, a club that both Braz and Lavillenie belong to.
Only one man and one woman have won multiple Olympic golds - Bob Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva. Having two medals of any color is rare, a club that both Braz and Lavillenie belong to.
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