El Keniano wrote:
Armstronglivs wrote:
Then you have just refuted your own claim that he is biased, by pointing out correctly that more elite runners come from some countries than others, and that will reflect - in part - their greater number of dopers. You have, however, conveniently left out that some of these countries, like Kenya, have a serious doping problem - acknowledged by WADA - and others, like Ethiopia, have notoriously poor anti-doping. But you would do that. Your own bias.
Do you understand simple logic? New Zealand has only Willis and the Robertson twins. British true distance elites number in the single digits. Kenya has hundreds (possibly thousands) of runners capable of winning international meets/races someplace. Statistically likely to find a higher number of bad apples in the bigger sample than in a country with just three.
Or look at it another way: the population of New Zealand is less than 5 million. There are more Nazi sympathisers in the U.S. than the entire population of New Zealand. But that doesn't mean the U.S. is more racist than New Zealand.
And that's exactly what is laughable about Kenyan doping - the world's greatest distance runners shouldn't have to be doping in the first place.
It's a dichotomy to have been told for decades how great the Kenyans are, how hard they train, naturally born runners, altitude natives and all that, but yet they're doping like crazy! And these just aren't 2nd or 3rd tier Kenyans looking to make a few bucks on the road circuit to feed their families but prime time, big time names. Former WR holders, Olympic & WC medalists and top marathon title winners such as Kiprop, Jeptoo, Sumgong, Kisorio, Bett, Jebet, Kirwa, Kiptum, Chepchirchir, Kalalei. It's laughable to see some of Kenyan's best are dopers.
Doping is expected with some nations such as Russia and some of the former Soviet block nations (e.g., Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, etc.). These countries aren't noted for their distance running. Russia, inheriting their old Soviet doctrine that they must dope to be successful, shouldn't surprise anyone of their long history of doping going back decades. They didn't care if they got caught (over 70 ABP infractions resulting in bans!) and they were going to cheat in anyway, shape or form with one goal in mind - to win Olympic & WC medals. And their arrogance and refusal to clean up their mess is what ultimately led to their demise.
But the prevalence and culture of doping in Kenya is ridiculous. You ask any Joe or Jane on the street who's the world's best distance runners are and the answer will be a resounding Kenya. It wouldn't be Russia, or Germany, or China, or Canada but KENYA!
And yet the world's best distance runners seem to becoming the world's best dopers.