Brojos are Biased (Steve Cram Article)

When a credible group of people emerge claiming that Cram tried to get them to dope it would be reasonable to question Cram's performaces as well. Let us know when that happens and we can re-evaluate things.

Yes, it's possible that Aouita dd not use anything illegal himself but tried later to get athletes he was coaching to do so. But what we learn here is that he evidently had no scruples about illegal drugs.

That was four years ago and he was cleared of any wrong-doing.

HRE wrote:

When a credible group of people emerge claiming that Cram tried to get them to dope it would be reasonable to question Cram's performaces as well. Let us know when that happens and we can re-evaluate things.

Yes, it's possible that Aouita dd not use anything illegal himself but tried later to get athletes he was coaching to do so. But what we learn here is that he evidently had no scruples about illegal drugs.

the real Rudi Voeller was a great player. one of my sporting heros. nice handle brings back memories.

Athletics Australia’s initial inquiry into the matter “cleared” Aouita (read swept it under the rug) of wrongdoing. At that point, only one athlete had accused him of recommending drug use. However, when Aouita’s coaching contract with Athletics Australia was not renewed, and he had returned to Morocco, several other athletes came forward with similar accusations. They initially did not come forward for fear of losing their funding. Athletics Australia was just happy to be rid of Aouita and to avoid expensive lawsuits and further negative publicity. The FACT of the matter is that Aouita DID recommend PEDs to the Aussie athletes he was coaching. Whether he took PEDs during his own career is something we will never know.

"No one credible suspects Aoiuta of doping when he was an athlete."

-hahahahahaha!!!!! go race and train with some of the guys i did in the mid 80's to early 90's, and you'll be whistling a different tune altogether.

The Brojos are also right wing undercover sodomites.

I recall that time period. I seem to recall Cram as being the one at the time people were talking about being on something. Steroids mainly.

Rudi Voeller wrote:

Read below quote....because some Australian athletes accuse Aouita of trying to dope them, the Brojos automatically discredit Aouita's performances 20 years earlier as an athlete. So if Aouita was doping back in '85 what was Cram doing? After all he beat Aouita in his world record 1500m race that summer. No one credible suspects Aoiuta of doping when he was an athlete. Even if he really did try to dope his athletes in the 2000s, it doesn't necessarily mean that he tooks drugs himself 20 years earlier. People's attitudes and actions can change over time. Huge bias here.

"We won't list Aouita's fantastic string of races from 1985, as given the fact that several Australian athletes claimed in 2004 and 2006 that Aouita tried to dope them when he was their coach, we feel there is a strong possibility that Aouita was on performance-enhancing drugs during his career."

Whether or not I believe Aouita to have taken PEDs during his career, although unfortunately he was Moroccan!, I do agree that the piece you speak of was somewhat biased, and it was not necessary to bring up the Australian episode in the context of what the article was supposed to be about.

One would expect some impartiality from "journalists" but then again it is their site and they allow everyone else a high degree of free speech on here.

The thing that I found misleading about the article was the fact that they said Cram ran and won all 7 races that summer!

Well he actually ran 12 times on the track that summer and was actually beaten twice! - by Coe over 800m on June 21st and by Mckean on the 29th June, again over 800m, either side of his 3:31 win in Oslo.

In addition he was beaten by Ovett over a Mile on the streets of London in September, so it wasn't quite the invincible form that we're led to believe. Amazing season nonetheless.

George Webbs wrote:

I recall that time period. I seem to recall Cram as being the one at the time people were talking about being on something. Steroids mainly.

I have never heard anything to question Cram's ability being anything but natural. I would seriously doubt any claims of him taking anything. He would be one of the last people I'd expect.

Sounds like rumour mongering to me.

GPII - Names and dates please otherwise you are just another blowhard pretending you know something you don't.

You're right he was definitely a natural. I believe a sub 4:00 miler at 18, an olympic finalist at 19 and 1:43 and 3:31 and World Champion at 23 years old.

Whenever you see such dominance like he had in 1985 people will wonder .Remember he finished his 3:46 mile with a 25.0 200!

I thought he looked just as dominant the next year in the Commonwealth Games 800. Peter Elliot all out on the backstretch and Cram floating by him easily.

You are right, they do seem biased against cheating bastards

Other than some alleged rumors and some unsubstantiated allegations there is nothing to indicate that Aouita doped. If Moorcroft could run 13:00, Coe could run 1:41/3:29/3:47, and Cram could run 1:42/3:29/3:46 why is it so hard to believe Aouita could run 1:43/3:29/3:46/12:58? He didn't shatter any world records. He took down the 1500m by a hlaf second, 5000m by two seconds, and 3000m by 3 seconds. His range was amazing but you might as well accuse Webb of drugs then because he has the same range as Aouita.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

You are right, they do seem biased against cheating bastards

Cram's ability was that he was naturally selected to run the mile. He first broke the 4 minute mile when he was 17 years-old. He also made the Olympic 1500 final when he was still a gangly teenager! Watch the 1980 Olympic final on Youtube. He was clearly not yet a man. By the time he reached his early to mid-twenties he was flying. His success was due to talent, good coaching, and hard work. He has just turned 50, and he's still in great shape. Go Crammy!

You need proof for something to be called a FACT. Lets see your proof.

Aussiemiler wrote:

The FACT of the matter is that Aouita DID recommend PEDs to the Aussie athletes he was coaching. Whether he took PEDs during his own career is something we will never know.

George Webbs wrote:

You're right he was definitely a natural. I believe a sub 4:00 miler at 18, an olympic finalist at 19 and 1:43 and 3:31 and World Champion at 23 years old.

Whenever you see such dominance like he had in 1985 people will wonder .Remember he finished his 3:46 mile with a 25.0 200!

I thought he looked just as dominant the next year in the Commonwealth Games 800. Peter Elliot all out on the backstretch and Cram floating by him easily.

His last 200m was actually 25.5 not 25.0. Still awesome!

Athletics Australia's coaching shame

Nick Bowen writes:

Date: 21 February 2006

Athletics Australia sure can pick its coaches. Take last week's allegations by Australian steeplechaser Melissa Rollison that former national distance coach Said Aouita urged her to take performance enhancing drugs.

This followed earlier allegations against Aouita by middle distance runner Mark Fountain arising out of a training camp in the US in 2003. An inquiry at the time exonerated Aouita, but Rollison, who also attended the camp but kept mum at the time, has now corroborated Fountain's version of events.

Whether or not these allegations are true, Aouita's two year reign was an unmitigated disaster. Not only did he fail to deliver anything resembling results, he also managed to alienate virtually all of Australia's best middle distance runners, driving a number out of the sport altogether. And if you think the Aouita appointment was on the nose, don't forget AA hired former East German Ekkart Arbeit as its head coach in 1997.

This was the same guy who, as East Germany's throwing coach from 1982-88 and head track and field coach in 1989-90, presided over that country's systematic drug doping program. Oh, and he also managed to moonlight as a spy for the East German secret police in his spare time!

Rudi Voeller wrote:

Other than some alleged rumors and some unsubstantiated allegations there is nothing to indicate that Aouita doped. If Moorcroft could run 13:00, Coe could run 1:41/3:29/3:47, and Cram could run 1:42/3:29/3:46 why is it so hard to believe Aouita could run 1:43/3:29/3:46/12:58? He didn't shatter any world records. He took down the 1500m by a hlaf second, 5000m by two seconds, and 3000m by 3 seconds. His range was amazing but you might as well accuse Webb of drugs then because he has the same range as Aouita.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

You are right, they do seem biased against cheating bastards

The rumours probably based on the fact his pbs at 22 were fairly modest:

1:47.4, 3:37.4, 14:05

At same age Coe had already broken 3 WR, Ovett was European & World Cup Champion and Cram was world Champion.

Then I believe Aouita moved to Italy in winter of 82/83 and at age 23 improves to

1:44.38, 3:32.54 and soon after 13:04.

Doesn't prove anything, but a big improvement in a season at that age would get some people talking.

Aouita was also nearly fired before he even started his coaching job in Australia for LYING ON HIS RESUME. He claimed he had coached a number of Moroccan stars when he actually hadn't. While lying on his resume, and recommending PEDs to Aussie athletes, does not mean he took PEDs; it does reveal the man's lack of integrity!