It's time for him to immigrate to the USA! We've got some ex-Kenyans. Why not an ex-Ethiopian??? Come over to the USA!
It's time for him to immigrate to the USA! We've got some ex-Kenyans. Why not an ex-Ethiopian??? Come over to the USA!
Ohohohohho wrote:
One of the greatest? I would say he IS the greatest. Stupid mistake on their part. If he doesn't win gold this year, and he definitely has the talent and ability, it's because of this.
I reserve that spot for Haile G, but I think Kenny will take over that position pretty soon. Give him a few years.
Canova's phone is blowin' up about now
anybody know wrote:
If they're banned from competition, will they still be drug tested? Seems plausible that they wouldn't be tested. The federation could always come back months down the road and reinstate these athletes, creating a nice little window for the athletes to do some performance enhanced training.
Oh, interesting theory... I am curious to know now too. Would they be tested?
skepticrunner wrote:
Ohohohohho wrote:One of the greatest? I would say he IS the greatest. Stupid mistake on their part. If he doesn't win gold this year, and he definitely has the talent and ability, it's because of this.
I reserve that spot for Haile G, but I think Kenny will take over that position pretty soon. Give him a few years.
Just because you reserve that title for Haile G doesn't make you right. Bekele is the best distance runner ever.
Come to the US Bekele! We'll take him if the Ethiopians don't want him.
Yes, come to the USA and make love to as many women as possible. We want those genes in our gene pool!
Fluffy wrote:
skepticrunner wrote:I reserve that spot for Haile G, but I think Kenny will take over that position pretty soon. Give him a few years.
Just because you reserve that title for Haile G doesn't make you right. Bekele is the best distance runner ever.
Let me clarify, it is my OPINION that Haile G is the best ever (for now.) I am not trying to assert that he actually IS the best ever, that's just my own opinion. I can definitely understand why you believe Kenenisa is the best ever though, he certainly has the credentials. I apologize for any misunderstanding, I wasn't trying to claim that Haile G is the best ever, I was just offering my opinion.
NTHXC wrote:
anybody know wrote:If they're banned from competition, will they still be drug tested? Seems plausible that they wouldn't be tested. The federation could always come back months down the road and reinstate these athletes, creating a nice little window for the athletes to do some performance enhanced training.
Oh, interesting theory... I am curious to know now too. Would they be tested?
Yes, I'm sure the IAAF isn't going to stop testing them because of internal federation squabbling.
Bekele has a serious injury according to his own statements in this new story. Doesn't know if he'll do London. Won't be able to run competitively for months he says.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was all just a ploy.
laffitup wrote:
Bekele has a serious injury according to his own statements in this new story. Doesn't know if he'll do London. Won't be able to run competitively for months he says.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20012012/2/athletics-ethiopia-bans-olympic-champion-bekele-34-others.html
I'm not sure if the Olympic games pay big bucks to the medalists, I was always under the impression that the runners' sponsors will give major incentive bonuses for a medal.
Obviously Bekele and Dibaba want to run in the Olympics and win, but if they don't, they'll still be heavily recruited by the Diamond league meets and in the end, adidas. Olympic championships are the highlight of a runner's career, but if they are banned by Ethiopia, at least they can run in other meets and make a living.
If Ethiopia refuses to let them compete in the Olympics, they'll be putting less talented runners in the events and reducing their chance for a medal. If Ethiopia then fails to medal at the 5000 or 10000 because their best runners were 'banned', the athletics federation will look like a bunch of idiots.
Ethiopians are VERY proud of their runners. If the best can't compete in London and those that do fail, then the Ethiopian community will be pissed and it will be the federation that gets in a lot of trouble. the federation is playing with fire whether they realize it or not.
Also, to the poster about taking PEDs - the IAAF can still conduct random checks. Just because a runner isn't running in the Olympics does not mean that runner can avoid the WADA.
Why do people freak out for nothing over African athletics federation rulings?
These people are idiots who love to saber rattle. I can assure you that if he is fit Bekele will be on the team as will anyone else who has the potential to win medals for Ethiopia.
Mark my word, Bekele WILL run in London if he is fit and makes the cut, not because of some dumb official ruling.
Thats the way Africa operates.
I was in Ethiopia a couple summers ago and talked to a couple of high-ranking, well-qualified coaches, all of whom agreed that the EAF was corrupt and preventing them from what they wanted to do.
That said, I think the EAF will eventually come back to their senses and remove the bans on the athletes as the games get closer.
As reigning champs, doesn't Bekele and Dibaba have personal free slots for the olympics no matter what their country does with the other three normal slots? Or is that just at Worlds?
As for the "creating a doping window" theory, I'd say that banning 36 athletes because they don't wanna train at the places where the federation wants them to pretty much turns that one on its head.
Surely it would be easier for the IAAF to test all the ethiopian top runners if the federation had the power to order them to be at national team camps at specific times instead of all of them split out over the nation (and in some cases globe)?
He should just come over here and apply for US Citizenship right away and once he becomes a US citizen then he can represent the US at the 2016 Olympics where he will be basically guaranteed a spot on the Marathon team.
Peter Andersson wrote:
Surely it would be easier for the IAAF to test all the ethiopian top runners if the federation had the power to order them to be at national team camps at specific times instead of all of them split out over the nation (and in some cases globe)?
They test European and American runners frequently even if they are not gathered in camps.
NTHXC wrote:
anybody know wrote:If they're banned from competition, will they still be drug tested? Seems plausible that they wouldn't be tested. The federation could always come back months down the road and reinstate these athletes, creating a nice little window for the athletes to do some performance enhanced training.
Oh, interesting theory... I am curious to know now too. Would they be tested?
It's not. How would this in anyway effect testers arriving to Ethiopia to conduct out of competition tests?
wow ethiopia is dumb wrote:
Obviously Bekele and Dibaba want to run in the Olympics and win, but if they don't, they'll still be heavily recruited by the Diamond league meets and in the end, adidas. Olympic championships are the highlight of a runner's career, but if they are banned by Ethiopia, at least they can run in other meets and make a living.
Dube didn't say anything about the Olympics. He said from all international competition. If the federation doesn't want you to leave, they can stop you from leaving the country.
Jeff Wigand wrote:
If the federation doesn't want you to leave, they can stop you from leaving the country.
How? No athletics federation has such power that I'm aware of.