ripparkerstinson wrote:
According to the lawsuit in the allegations it says that Ritz received treatment from the doctors around 2012. In The fall of 2012 he ran 2:07:47 at the Chicago Marathon.
With the dates given by the lawsuit and his fast progression could 2 and 2 go together.
Ritz is an interesting case. Your mention of 2012 Chicago reminds me of something interesting.
I remember talking to someone about the NOP and the allegations a long while back. I said, "Well if they are doping, they can't all be doing can they? What about someeone like Ritz? No way he is doping, right?" Their reply was "I imagine he was clean most of the time but if you're getting up there in age, haven't done anything in years and your contract is about to expire in an Olympic year, and you've got kids to support, might you let Alberto rub some androgel in you or not ask any questions. You run 2:07 and you are good to for for another few years."
Now that was just speculation by them based on the year, and how contracts are normally based and what not. Adnd to be honest I'm not sure it's fair as he had run 2;09 earlier that year to get 4th at the Trials. But That's the problem with all of these cases. If you want to be negative, you can come up with a narrative that fits that idea - same thing if you want to be supportive.
Now it's clear that in the case of the l-carnitine Ritz did ask questions. That being said, while the arbitrators aren't convinced that their injections were over the limit like they were with Magness, I talked to one of Ritz's ex-teammates about it and asked it and asked him what he thought. He said, "I'd tell him to his face. You did it buddy. You crossed the line and are a doper."
Is that fair? Ritz repeatedly asked not to go over the L-carinitine limit. I don't know. He became irate when he found out he was taking a supplement linked to cancer. I heard Ritz was irate about it all and the fact that he had to lawyer up and refused to wear the NOP singlet when he ran Boston after moving back to Michigan.
In the end, I think we don't know what he did or didn't do, such as is the case with much of the sport.