Unbelievable: Convicted doper Martin Maric is back at UVA

Bump. This should be covered on the front page.

If you want people to notice this, you really have to do a much better job with the subject line. Even on LR, 98% of people don't know who Martin Maric is and will never click on this. People on here do this all the time and I don't get it.

800 dude and A#, so very right but I just don't see any method to make headway since UVA has made it crystal clear that they don't give two rat's rears about the issue. Unless there is some sort of process by which the head coaching staff and/or athletic admin can be forced to accountability, then it just feels (sadly/frustratingly) like a brick wall, since uva doesn't give a sh**...

Couldn't agree more with the above posters. Only way anything will happen is if the local press picks it up. As stated before, the AD, athletic department and University couldn't care less. Disgraceful.

We've got it up there now. Plus an article now.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/08/unbelievable-university-virginia-rehires-convicted-doper-martin-maric-gets-rid-coach-produced-programs-1st-ever-ncaa-shot-put-champion/

I still don't understand how U Va was able to justify his special talent work permit for an intramural recreation worker.

How was Maric able to coach the uva thrower at the 2015 euro u23s while serving a drug suspension? He was physically there coaching him from the coaches box as a Croatian coach. Should he not have to forfeit his medal for being coached by a dope suspended coach? Clearly against IAAF and wada rules.

Obviously Fetzer, uva, ustfccca, & the NCAA have no interest in a drug free sport. But neither does the IAAF, or -as we've seen from this olympics- wada.

So yeah, drug cheats have been having there way at the world level for a long time. But with programs like uva now condoning drug use, & getting away with it, how much more of a factor are drugs becoming at the NCAA level?

Uva dope show wrote:

How was Maric able to coach the uva thrower at the 2015 euro u23s while serving a drug suspension? He was physically there coaching him from the coaches box as a Croatian coach. Should he not have to forfeit his medal for being coached by a dope suspended coach? Clearly against IAAF and wada rules.

Obviously Fetzer, uva, ustfccca, & the NCAA have no interest in a drug free sport. But neither does the IAAF, or -as we've seen from this olympics- wada.

So yeah, drug cheats have been having there way at the world level for a long time. But with programs like uva now condoning drug use, & getting away with it, how much more of a factor are drugs becoming at the NCAA level?

My impression is that Maric was continuing to coach Mihaljevic even while Maric was purportedly not a member of the U.Va. coaching staff. I base that, at least in part, on this article in the Cavalier Daily of April 20, 2016:

"Mihaljevic has adjusted nicely, particularly under the guidance of his coaching staff at Virginia. He said that his coaches — including fellow Croatian assistant coach Martin Maric and new throws coach Kemal Mesic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina — have not only helped him adjust to the new rules and environment in America, but have also helped him “develop … as a person and as an athlete.”

My recollection of the IAAF rules is that, although Maric was prohibited from coaching anyone participating in IAAF-sanctioned events, an athlete being coached by him was not in jeopardy of IAAF sanctions until he was informed, in writing, that IAAF rules prohibited him from working with that coach during the ban. (The rule is easy enough to find, but I don't have the time to look for it right now.) Presumably, nobody did anything to make sure that Mihaljevic ever received such a written notice. Mihaljevic appears to be in Rio right now as a member of the Croatian Olympic team.

By the way, as I noted on another thread earlier this year, U.Va. was still showing Maric as the throws coach for its 2016 track and field summer camp in the camp's promotional materials this spring. After I pointed that out, the promotional materials changed the designation of the camp's throws coach from Maric to Mesic.

It's all sickening to me. If I were a member of the university's board of overseers (or whatever it's called), I suspect that I'd demand an accounting of all of this, including a demand to show cause why those in the chain of command who knew about this should not be fired or otherwise severely disciplined. In the whole scheme of things, I can't imagine that many people care about who the assistant throws coach on the track team is, but I would hope that many would care about U.Va. administrators engaging in such machinations.

If I've gotten something wrong about any of this, I'd welcome any corrections. To me, this is very serious stuff, and I have no intention of unfairly impugning anyone's reputation.

800 dude wrote:

Bump. This should be covered on the front page.

They don't care. Look at LaShawn Merritt. He's in the upcoming 400 final. lol

Well when CJ Hunter left the Olympics in disgrace he was hired by North Carolina State as strenght and conditing coach before he even touched down in the US. The US simply doesn't care about cheating. There's a reason they have the highest population in prison in the world. NC State's Presidnet didn't even answer when asked about it. Do you really think any NCAA Division 1 program could compete in football or track etc if they were clean. My college coach back in the 1970's told me he just ignored his athletes on drugs because otherwise he'd lose his job for not being able to compete.

PS NBC uses Gatlin to promote their coverage. 99% of people don't care. Although when this bought up to Rowdy Gaines (I think thats his name) the NBC swimming commentator who was critical of drug use of other (Non USA) swimmers he tweeted Who's Gatlin I'm not a track guy.

Guy did his time as required.

Now he can go back to work.

There are people all over the workplace who have a history but still get to work after doing their time.

Guy did his time as required.

Now he can go back to work.

There are people all over the workplace who have a history but still get to work after doing their time.

8 meters 38 wrote:

They don't care. Look at LaShawn Merritt. He's in the upcoming 400 final. lol

I don't have a problem with that, particularly if he really did test positive only because of DHEA contained in the alleged penis enlargement supplement ExtenZe. The embarrassment was bad enough, and he did his time, more or less (twenty-one months, I believe). I'm not among those who advocate lifetime bans for stuff like that.

A#, I suspect very strongly that you are 100% spot on about Maric being the "real" coach, whilst Mesic was simply the coach in name, in order to "comply" with the rules, once they (admin/head coaching staf) fknew the gig was up and the sanction was publicly known. Bet half a years pay that a very thorough investigation would turn up plenty of evidence to support just such a contention.

however, as you and others have alluded to, the "I don't give a sh**" attitude goes ALL the way to the top, and since there's really no convictable laws being broken, nobody will ever face the music for it (though I wholeheartedly agree that the athletic admin and head coaching staff should either lose a few months pay or be sent packing...along with Maric). Guess the whole ethics angle just doesn't hold much (any) water over at UVA. sad.

News flash...no one really cares. Get over it.

His ban did not expire until 5 August 2016, but he competed in May 2016! How did he manage to compete during his 2-year ban and get the mark listed with the IAAF?

61.00m DT at Vassar Twilight, Poughkeepsie, NY, 6 May 2016.

http://www.vassarathletics.com/sports/2015/2/24/twilight2015.aspx

This same mark is listed at the IAAF under the "Progression" tab:

https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/croatia/martin-maric-183782

Was he trying to somehow sneak in an Olympic qualifier (which he didn't get there) so he could head to Rio? Or did the ban not cover competing at a low-key meet at a college in the U.S.? Did the IAAF, in listing this 2016 SB, forget that he was banned?

Someone should contact IAAF, WADA, USADA, and the Croatian Institute for Toxicology and Anti-Doping. Maybe competing during a ban might result in getting his ban extended for some more months or years. Rojo?

I know people with lifetime bans still coaching. You can search the forum and find examples.

"Should he not have to forfeit his medal for being coached by a dope suspended coach? Clearly against IAAF and wada rules."

I don't think a rule actually exists.

But a few questions if it does...

Is he banned as an athlete or coach? If he is a banned athlete does that carry over to coaching as well?

Donger wrote:

I know people with lifetime bans still coaching. You can search the forum and find examples.

"Should he not have to forfeit his medal for being coached by a dope suspended coach? Clearly against IAAF and wada rules."

I don't think a rule actually exists.

But a few questions if it does...

Is he banned as an athlete or coach? If he is a banned athlete does that carry over to coaching as well?

Both! But his ban ended a week ago.

Banned as athlete for 2 years, until 5 August 2016 ("currently suspended from all competitions in athletics following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation"):

Banned from association with athletes, as athlete support personnel (coach) until 5 August 2016 ("All Athletes are prohibited from associating with any such Athlete Support Personnel . . . "):

Don't be so naive. He was most likely taking DHEA as a pure testerone booster and recovery agent. Clever excuse to go with Extenze as the culprit. Regardless, all athletes in every sport must be solely responsible for what goes in their body. One and done is the only way to clean up this mess.