Kudos to the ultimate Internet sleuth: Canadian proves that 2012 Russian Olympic champ competed on Dec 30th while banned!

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  • rojo
    cofounder
    5 years ago 01/14/2015 7:54pm CST
    Forum Index
    Over the years, LetsRunners have made quite a name for themselves for uncovering race cheat. But I think we've been trumped by Canadian Evan Dunfee.

    He's got a blog post up on his dunfeewalks site where he very convincingly shows that 2012 Olympic race walking champ Elena Lashmanova competed while in the midst of a 2-yr ban on December 30th. The Russians tried to claim that the photos of Lashmanova were from the race in 2012 but he Dunfee shows you why that's a lie. Many of the shoes didn't exist in 2012, the bib numbers don't match up and people in the podium pictures from the alleged 2012 race are wearing the exact same clothes in 2014.

    Great work. Read his blog post here.

    http://dunfeewalks.weebly.com/canadian-tf-blog/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-saransk-and-russia

    Here is an article on how the IAAF is now investigating.

    http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/iaaf-investigating-allegations-elena-lashmanova-competed-banned-15710/
  • LRC wins again
    5 years ago 01/14/2015 8:07pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    I think you'll find that LRC sleuths won this too Rojo. Here is a thread discussing the incident with a Facebook link to the evidence started on the 9th of January, well before the guy you mentioned put up the evidence.

    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6266177

    Another win for the LRC nation.
  • jogger please !
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 7:40am CST
    re: LRC wins again
    Forum Index
    LRC wins again wrote:

    I think you'll find that LRC sleuths won this too Rojo. Here is a thread discussing the incident with a Facebook link to the evidence started on the 9th of January, well before the guy you mentioned put up the evidence.

    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6266177

    Another win for the LRC nation.

    LOL that's like saying your crazy uncle said at the dinner table that Nixon was corrupt, therefore gets the "win" over Woodward and Bernstein who actually showed something definitive.

    Nice that LRC was on it, but that doesn't take away from this guy finishing it.
  • skwilli
    registered
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 7:59am CST
    re: jogger please !
    Forum Index
    Now, Woodward and Bernstein ARE those crazy uncles at the table. And Nixon has been outdone by BO. And there are no Woodwards or Bernsteins around to care anymore.
  • The Dingo
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 8:26am CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    Race walkers dope?
  • Edward Teach
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 8:55am CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    So what happens to a banned athlete who willingly competes? Does the ban restart? Does it get made a lifetime ban? Does the IAAF accept a bribe and do nothing at all?
  • state
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 11:17am CST
    re: Edward Teach
    Forum Index
    Edward Teach wrote:

    So what happens to a banned athlete who willingly competes? Does the ban restart? Does it get made a lifetime ban? Does the IAAF accept a bribe and do nothing at all?

    According to the blog (it is a long read, I don't blame you for not caring so much about race walking to make it to the end), the ban starts over, equal in length to the old ban, tacked onto the end of it. WADA rule 10.12.3.

    Well done, Canadian.
  • big deal
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 11:22am CST
    re: state
    Forum Index
    And yet we still haven't caught Parvaneh Moayedi cheating . . . .
  • SB
    registered
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 11:23am CST
    re: The Dingo
    Forum Index
    The Dingo wrote:

    Race walkers dope?

    Probably, but that's not important in and of itself (except for those who care about race walking). This matters within the larger context of (quite probable) widespread doping and corruption in Russian athletics. If they're shown to be willing to go to these lengths to protect athletes and coaches in an event group that, let's face it, people either don't care about or actively dislike, then consider what they'd be willing to do to protect their stars in higher profile event groups.
  • Dunfee
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 11:39am CST
    re: state
    Forum Index
    It is a long read, I tend to get carried away.
  • Dunfee
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 11:48am CST
    re: SB
    Forum Index
    SB wrote:

    The Dingo wrote:

    Race walkers dope?

    Probably, but that's not important in and of itself (except for those who care about race walking). This matters within the larger context of (quite probable) widespread doping and corruption in Russian athletics. If they're shown to be willing to go to these lengths to protect athletes and coaches in an event group that, let's face it, people either don't care about or actively dislike, then consider what they'd be willing to do to protect their stars in higher profile event groups.


    True. But it should be noted that just because Americans don't like the walk doesn't mean that is true everywhere else (as much as you guys like to think so). Fact is race walk is the state sport of Mordovia and this centre receives over $2 million a year in funding. The Russians dominate the walk globally, and the Russians like dominating things so therefore the walk there is more popular than in North America.

    This would kind of be like if Salazar had 20 athletes that had served doping bans, but was still allowed to coach and if NOP was funded by USATF and not Nike.
    ^Obviously it would be a bit less intense then that because, lets face it, you're right... People don't care as much about the walk.

    PS why don't people like the walk? It's like the marathon but with the added excitement that someone might get DQ'd 49,900m into a race.
  • piotrj
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 12:08pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    If it makes anyone feel better, here is a video of Russian women's weightlifter - Olga Zubova - compete in a regional competition in December while serving a 2-year WADA ban for Clomiphene. She avoided criticism by lifting as featured "guest lifter" after the official competition was completed.

    There are regular video posts of her (among other banned athletes) training at national training camp facilities. It's not race walking getting beat on here, rather, it is state-sponsored elite sport programs.
  • piotrj
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 12:08pm CST
    re: piotrj
    Forum Index
    What a dumba$$. Forgot the video!

    http://www.allthingsgym.com/olga-zubova-130kg-snatch-165kg-clean-jerk/
  • C Kramer
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 1:12pm CST
    re: state
    Forum Index
    state wrote:



    Well done, Canadian.

    That lucky kraut!
  • Solved Before Dinnertime
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 1:26pm CST
    re: Dunfee
    Forum Index
    Dunfee wrote:

    SB wrote:

    [quote]The Dingo wrote:

    Race walkers dope?

    PS why don't people like the walk? It's like the marathon but with the added excitement that someone might get DQ'd 49,900m into a race.



    If you guys were carrying eggs on spoons, I would get into the action. But I just can't watch swivel-hips for 50km.
  • polevaultpower
    registered
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 2:38pm CST
    re: LRC wins again
    Forum Index
    LRC wins again wrote:

    I think you'll find that LRC sleuths won this too Rojo. Here is a thread discussing the incident with a Facebook link to the evidence started on the 9th of January, well before the guy you mentioned put up the evidence.

    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6266177

    Another win for the LRC nation.

    Several of us around the world were investigating the same thing at the same time, and were able to learn from the things we all found to piece together an incredible story. I did not expect to uncover a massive Russian cover-up when I started digging around a few nights ago, but I am pleased to see it all pieced together and explained far better than I could have in stream of consciousness Facebook comments.

    I did post here several days ago and bumped it several times trying to get anyone to care. I also was the first to tag you on Twitter about the topic. So if you want to get the scoop on things faster, check your message board and Twitter more often ;)

    Evan is doing a fantastic job staying on top of this story and I hope that Letsrun will help keep this story in the public spotlight. We cannot let this get swept under the rug. This is huge. There are a significant number of people who _should_ be punished here, including the other athletes who staged a photo re-shoot of the race and awards a week later.
  • Now a Coach
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 2:47pm CST
    re: polevaultpower
    Forum Index
    You're in The Guardian

    http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/14/elena-lashmanova-iaaf-investigating-race-ban
  • Really?Really!
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 6:08pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    The Russians tried to claim that the photos of Lashmanova were from the race in 2012 but he Dunfee shows you why that's a lie.

    Okay, so the athlete has to start her "ban" over again, but to what effect? If the Russian federation tried to cover for her after this episode, it is likely that they have done it for her or others previously, and will do it for her and others in the future, although being more careful about it. Just one more reason for the IAAF to ban all Russian athletes for some period of time (one year, perhaps).
  • polevaultpower
    registered
    5 years ago 01/15/2015 6:35pm CST
    re: Now a Coach
    Forum Index
    Latest updates from Russia: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2912315/Athletics-Doping-eliminated-soon--Russian-chief.html

    The head of the Russian Federation, Balakhnichev (who recently resigned his position as IAAF treasurer amid the corruption scandal uncovered in the German documentary) claims several things here:

    - The event was not sanctioned. This matters, because the ban for dopers does not necessarily apply to events that are not sanctioned. But I think in this case, it won't necessarily matter. This was a large event, recurring year after year, considered to be a local Championship, I've heard that it was advertised as a qualifier to the Russian National Championships, many were wearing Russian uniforms, etc. I don't know what the sanctioning process is in Russia, maybe only the events put on by their federation are "sanctioned" and they do not have a sanctioning process for local events. Great loophole for dopers.

    - Sergey Bakulin is apparently under some kind of secret ban that has not been published. Evan mentioned this in his blog, there seems to be a pattern in Russia of secret bans that are never published, which is surely some egregious violation of WADA policies?

    - Medvedeva was also officially named as a banned athlete who was competing.
  • messi
    5 years ago 01/16/2015 9:46am CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    rojo wrote:

    Over the years, LetsRunners have made quite a name for themselves for uncovering race cheat. But I think we've been trumped by Canadian Evan Dunfee.

    He's got a blog post up on his dunfeewalks site where he very convincingly shows that 2012 Olympic race walking champ Elena Lashmanova competed while in the midst of a 2-yr ban on December 30th. The Russians tried to claim that the photos of Lashmanova were from the race in 2012 but he Dunfee shows you why that's a lie. Many of the shoes didn't exist in 2012, the bib numbers don't match up and people in the podium pictures from the alleged 2012 race are wearing the exact same clothes in 2014.

    Great work. Read his blog post here.

    http://dunfeewalks.weebly.com/canadian-tf-blog/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-saransk-and-russia

    Here is an article on how the IAAF is now investigating.

    http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/iaaf-investigating-allegations-elena-lashmanova-competed-banned-15710/

    So why didn't IAAF investigate the American Racheal Marchand doing the exact same thing?
    http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=6070745&thread=3701371#6070745