Probably more than allegations after you read how fellow Finn Martti Vainio got caught for doping. Apparently reinfusing blood tainted with an anabolic steroid prior to 1984 Olympic 10,000m
Repeating as an Olympic champion in one event makes on a great. In two events leaves no question. Also, Martti Vainio getting caught for doping 8 years after Viren won his last title doesn't imply that everyone in his country was doping. If there had been a slew of Finnish positive tests at the time, then I could see how suspicions would be raised. Of course, it's possible he was cheating, and some may feel it was very probable, but that speculation could be had about every athlete competing at the time.
They aren't allegations. It wasn't illegal then and it was discussed openly, there is zero question that he used blood doping.
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that Viren over the years has consistently denied using blood doping.
If that is indeed the case, then would they not be allegations?
You are not mistaken. Viren’s alleged blood doping remains just that—alleged. He has consistently denied the claims and there is no more proof that he did this than there is proof of PED use by Paula Radcliffe or anyone on the Fancy Bears list.
Repeating as an Olympic champion in one event makes on a great. In two events leaves no question. Also, Martti Vainio getting caught for doping 8 years after Viren won his last title doesn't imply that everyone in his country was doping. If there had been a slew of Finnish positive tests at the time, then I could see how suspicions would be raised. Of course, it's possible he was cheating, and some may feel it was very probable, but that speculation could be had about every athlete competing at the time.
At the time there was no test for blood doping so a slew of Finnish positives, or for any other country, for blood doping wasn't possible. There were Finns at the time who acknowledged that they had blood doped. Viren was not one of them. He's always denied it but waited until his career was over to do it. And he's said that because blood doping wasn't illegal he'd have no reason to deny it. If four Olympic gold medals don't make you a true great I don't know what does.
Repeating as an Olympic champion in one event makes on a great. In two events leaves no question. Also, Martti Vainio getting caught for doping 8 years after Viren won his last title doesn't imply that everyone in his country was doping. If there had been a slew of Finnish positive tests at the time, then I could see how suspicions would be raised. Of course, it's possible he was cheating, and some may feel it was very probable, but that speculation could be had about every athlete competing at the time.
It’s unprovable, but just look at what he did in his career outside of the month or so on either side of the Olympics: very mediocre for a guy who became unbeatable at the right time every 4 years. That is very unusual and indicative of someone who was doing special preparations for the big event.
They aren't allegations. It wasn't illegal then and it was discussed openly, there is zero question that he used blood doping.
If it was legal why didn't everyone do it? Just curious, actually.
How do you know they weren't? In '72 blood doping was a fairly recent discovery. The idea was just spreading. Mikko Ala Lempilammpi acknowledged doing it and I believe Juoko Kuha claimed to have done it before breaking the steeplechase world record in 1968. But Finland is off the beaten path and I can't recall anyone I knew who heard of it until stories came out about Viren doing it for Munich. But the stories were never verified and there is no reason to think he was the only one doing it in Munich. After Munich everyone knew about it and others tried it. I know that in Montreal that if Viren was doing it he was not the only one.