Dear USATF: American Athletes Standing Up for Clean Sport is a Good Thing And Should Not be Silenced

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wejo

cofounder

4 years ago 03/16/2016 6:42pm CDT

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Today at the press conference the first 10 questions were not about drugs but then Alan Abrahamson asked a drug question and it was clearly a topic many of the journalists wanted answers to.

However, just like she did at the USATF outdoor press conference (see http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/06/justin-gatlin-still-doesnt-want-to-answer-our-or-any-drug-questions-but-christian-taylor-talks-about-what-supplements-hes-on/ ) USATF Marketing and Communications Manager Christa Mann pushed the conversation away from drugs.

Update: I want to clarify one thing as while the topic was diverted from drugs like at the USATF press conference, Christa did allow multiple drug questions to be asked so this was overall different than the USATF presser. I just feel so strongly about anti-doping that I wish the topic had not been diverted to other issues

At the outdoor press conference, Mann did it in response to negative questioning after I asked Justin Gatlin a question and Gatlin refused to answer and then the Orange County Register's Scott Reid followed up with a similar question.

Today Mann shifted the questioning away from doping after Brenda Martinez was standing up for clean sport and saying the Russians should be banned from the Olympics. I believe it was Alan who wanted to hear what all the athletes had to say about the Russians. Brenda answered and then Mann cut in and somewhat awkwardly changed the subject before any of the other athletes spoke.

If a press conference is a PR enterprise for USATF then a lot less journalists will come. But even if USATF thinks only positive press should come from a press conference, USA's athletes standing up for clean sport is a good thing and should be encouraged.

Below is video today from Brenda and her talk on drugs. First is the exchange where Mann jumps in awkwardly at the end and then you have Brenda talking with a smaller group on whether the Russians should be banned from the Olympics.
Cant see the forest.....

4 years ago 03/16/2016 8:23pm CDT
re: wejo

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Just keep on your path of KILLING the sport clear off.
A. J. Leibling

4 years ago 03/16/2016 8:39pm CDT
re: wejo

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.".

Keep doing what you're doing.
All Medals Are Tarnished

4 years ago 03/16/2016 8:48pm CDT
re: Cant see the forest.....

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If you cannot clean up the sports and stop paying the cheaters then kill the sport.

IMO, The 2016 Olympic's should be cancelled since you cannot put proper testing in place in time and all gold medals won will be fool's gold.

Solution starts with the sponsors (Abbott, Nike, etc.) they are the one's with the money and ability to force reforms.
NEVER BE

4 years ago 03/16/2016 8:50pm CDT
re: All Medals Are Tarnished

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There is no such thing as adequate testing. There will always be new drugs invented that are worthy of being PEDs. Might as well cancel all sports.
Your Mom

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4 years ago 03/16/2016 9:00pm CDT
re: wejo

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***Deer USATF

Come on Wejo, get with it.

a dog

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4 years ago 03/16/2016 9:06pm CDT
re: Your Mom

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Well done Weldon. Usatf never ceases to amaze.
Left Said Fred

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4 years ago 03/16/2016 9:07pm CDT
re: All Medals Are Tarnished

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All Medals Are Tarnished wrote:

If you cannot clean up the sports and stop paying the cheaters then kill the sport.

IMO, The 2016 Olympic's should be cancelled since you cannot put proper testing in place in time and all gold medals won will be fool's gold.

Solution starts with the sponsors (Abbott, Nike, etc.) they are the one's with the money and ability to force reforms.

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Perfection is an admirable goal, though an unrealistic expectation.
aaa Duck

4 years ago 03/16/2016 9:14pm CDT
re: wejo

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wejo wrote:

Today at the press conference the first 10 questions were not about drugs but then Alan Abrahamson asked a drug question and it was clearly a topic many of the journalists wanted answers to.

However, just like she did at the USATF outdoor press conference (see http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/06/justin-gatlin-still-doesnt-want-to-answer-our-or-any-drug-questions-but-christian-taylor-talks-about-what-supplements-hes-on/ ) USATF Marketing and Communications Manager Christa Mann pushed the conversation away from drugs.

At the outdoor press conference, Mann did it in response to negative questioning after I asked Justin Gatlin a question and Gatlin refused to answer and then the Orange County Register's Scott Reid followed up with a similar question.

Today Mann shifted the questioning away from doping after Brenda Martinez was standing up for clean sport and saying the Russians should be banned from the Olympics. I believe it was Alan who wanted to hear what all the athletes had to say about the Russians. Brenda answered and then Mann cut in and somewhat awkwardly changed the subject before any of the other athletes spoke.

If a press conference is a PR enterprise for USATF then a lot less journalists will come. But even if USATF thinks only positive press should come from a press conference, USA's athletes standing up for clean sport is a good thing and should be encouraged.

Below is video today from Brenda and her talk on drugs. First is the exchange where Mann jumps in awkwardly at the end and then you have Brenda talking with a smaller group on whether the Russians should be banned from the Olympics.

We agree on this one, no suppressing the athlete's freedom of speech.

The topic is massive right now, especially in the UK.

Let the athletes speak.

I hope some athlete, when redirected, picks up and says something like "Excuse me, I won't have my opinion suppressed. Russia and others have stolen millions and millions of dollars from clean athletes... Etc.
Wait Just a Dam Minute

4 years ago 03/16/2016 9:57pm CDT
re: aaa Duck

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I thought everyone here said Abrahamson is a USATF shill. Way to go off reservation.
Not seeing the issue

4 years ago 03/16/2016 10:11pm CDT
re: wejo

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Well i was not in the room BUT the video does not support Christa doing anything beyond moderating a press conference. And in the 2nd part (in the hallway) it is obvious that Mann is helping Brenda get to another function (could be a TV interview). Not seeing the big deal on this but again i was not in the room.
runnerdnerd

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4 years ago 03/16/2016 10:14pm CDT
re: Wait Just a Dam Minute

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Of course a usatf press conference is a PR press conference. If you want to ask questions they (usatf) don't approve of, ask the athletes not at a usatf press conference.

Asking an American athlete at a usatf press conference about Russian doping is fine I suppose, but it doesn't take much intelligence to see that usatf is going to push that away as having nothing to do with the purpose of the press conference: promoting American t&f. This isn't a political campaign, going negative on the competition is a bad idea.

If you want to ask questions like that to athletes, ask the athletes to meet for a separate interview. That would be the appropriate context for those sorts of questions, and I think many of our athletes would welcome that. In fact you had very similar interviews recently published with Rowbury and Montano (how do I add the tilde to her name?).

I think you just want to take an opportunity to kick usatf when they are done. I think usatf is corrupt just like you do, but this was an example of bad journalism, not wrongdoing on the part of usatf.

wejo

cofounder

4 years ago 03/16/2016 10:45pm CDT
re: Your Mom

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Your Mom wrote:

***Deer USATF

Come on Wejo, get with it.

Jon Gault is too professional. I had properly titled this thread "Deer USATF" and he changed it when I told him to read it over. Shows what Syracuse journalism school gets you.
wejo

cofounder

4 years ago 03/16/2016 10:56pm CDT
re: Not seeing the issue

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Not seeing the issue wrote:

Well i was not in the room BUT the video does not support Christa doing anything beyond moderating a press conference. And in the 2nd part (in the hallway) it is obvious that Mann is helping Brenda get to another function (could be a TV interview). Not seeing the big deal on this but again i was not in the room.

Yes she was moderating a press conference but she presumes that a) questions about drugs are bad for the sport even when an athlete is speaking eloquently against them and or
b) Brenda isn't capable of saying "I've had enough and don't want to answer anymore questions"

1) The question on the stage was asked to all the athletes. Christa then jumped in and asked something totally unrelated after 1 athlete answered. The press conference had started with opening statements and then was thrown open to the journalists. When it got on a topic that Christa did not like, Christa tried to ask a question really no one cared about. That is one of the reasons I almost didn't go to the press conference because it's hard to get anything substantive in.

2) As for the group session, Brenda didn't go anywhere after Christa ended it. Christa couldn't be everywhere but paid attention to the one athlete speaking out about drugs. About 5 minutes later I looked across the room and Flotrack was talking to Brenda 1 on 1.

Sure she is doing what she is paid to do, but I think she is helping the sport or USATF by not letting people ask the questions they want to ask.
Journalism - go for it

4 years ago 03/16/2016 11:36pm CDT
re: wejo

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Can you guys do some follow up on Kenya and Ethiopia? Also, can you ask Kenyan and Ethiopian runners the same questions you would ask of NOP? I look forward to those interviews at the next WMM (Boston)! Fire away Wejo! Thanks in advance!
TrackCoach

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4 years ago 03/16/2016 11:46pm CDT
re: wejo

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wejo wrote:

Today at the press conference the first 10 questions were not about drugs but then Alan Abrahamson asked a drug question and it was clearly a topic many of the journalists wanted answers to.

However, just like she did at the USATF outdoor press conference (see http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/06/justin-gatlin-still-doesnt-want-to-answer-our-or-any-drug-questions-but-christian-taylor-talks-about-what-supplements-hes-on/ ) USATF Marketing and Communications Manager Christa Mann pushed the conversation away from drugs.

At the outdoor press conference, Mann did it in response to negative questioning after I asked Justin Gatlin a question and Gatlin refused to answer and then the Orange County Register's Scott Reid followed up with a similar question.

Today Mann shifted the questioning away from doping after Brenda Martinez was standing up for clean sport and saying the Russians should be banned from the Olympics. I believe it was Alan who wanted to hear what all the athletes had to say about the Russians. Brenda answered and then Mann cut in and somewhat awkwardly changed the subject before any of the other athletes spoke.

If a press conference is a PR enterprise for USATF then a lot less journalists will come. But even if USATF thinks only positive press should come from a press conference, USA's athletes standing up for clean sport is a good thing and should be encouraged.

Below is video today from Brenda and her talk on drugs. First is the exchange where Mann jumps in awkwardly at the end and then you have Brenda talking with a smaller group on whether the Russians should be banned from the Olympics.

Perhaps if I was there in person, I would have a different perspective, but from watching the video, which I did several times, I have to disagree with you. Any one who has moderated interviews knows that there is always some directing involved. When you have multiple athletes to interview and only a certain amount of time, you have to move things along. Also, 2 days before a national championship, no one wants the conversation to be dominated by such a negative topic. Btw, I don't think Brenda had much more to say about the topic.
You spoiled trust fundies

4 years ago 03/16/2016 11:50pm CDT
re: wejo

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wejo wrote:

Today at the press conference the first 10 questions were not about drugs but then Alan Abrahamson asked a drug question and it was clearly a topic many of the journalists wanted answers to.

However, just like she did at the USATF outdoor press conference (see http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/06/justin-gatlin-still-doesnt-want-to-answer-our-or-any-drug-questions-but-christian-taylor-talks-about-what-supplements-hes-on/ ) USATF Marketing and Communications Manager Christa Mann pushed the conversation away from drugs.

At the outdoor press conference, Mann did it in response to negative questioning after I asked Justin Gatlin a question and Gatlin refused to answer and then the Orange County Register's Scott Reid followed up with a similar question.

Today Mann shifted the questioning away from doping after Brenda Martinez was standing up for clean sport and saying the Russians should be banned from the Olympics. I believe it was Alan who wanted to hear what all the athletes had to say about the Russians. Brenda answered and then Mann cut in and somewhat awkwardly changed the subject before any of the other athletes spoke.

If a press conference is a PR enterprise for USATF then a lot less journalists will come. But even if USATF thinks only positive press should come from a press conference, USA's athletes standing up for clean sport is a good thing and should be encouraged.

Below is video today from Brenda and her talk on drugs. First is the exchange where Mann jumps in awkwardly at the end and then you have Brenda talking with a smaller group on whether the Russians should be banned from the Olympics.

Christa has to. She can't let you diss Nike. Christa, Amanda, Jill, Max all
have to act as propagandists for Nike dopers. Have mercy on USATF staff
employees please.
rojo

cofounder

4 years ago 03/17/2016 9:54am CDT
re: You spoiled trust fundies

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I get why USATF doesn't want all of World Indoors to be talk about Russian dopers and if Brenda's quote gets picked up by the AP that's the story.

That being said, I had hoped 10 years ago that we were past the mentality of "Let's avoid the short term pain of drug talk" mindset as cleaning up the sport is the only way forward.
jeff tallon

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4 years ago 03/17/2016 10:01am CDT
re: wejo

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are there any top clean american athletes? compare their national championships,to the russian championships,and the usa is way stronger in most events,with more depth,more athletes,and much better performances..if russia has a systematic doping problem,then america has one that is just as bad,or even worse.many performances in the ncaa are suspect as well.
Lance Armwho

4 years ago 03/17/2016 10:18am CDT
re: wejo

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my .02$

The way most posts are written make me feel like the LR community truly believe these athletes are training/racing clean. To be in the 99.9th percentile you need to do things that set you apart.

The way I see it Mann is attempting to stop these athletes from shooting themselves in the foot. Russia is an easy target with all of the attention it's been getting, as if they're the only ones using prescriptions for performance. We all know a guy who "sweared to god he was clean"...