rekrunner wrote:
-lacking sufficient evidence, we should not cast aspersions on athletes; we should not doubt their performances; and we should not damage their reputations
I don't follow you on this because you're lumping insufficient evidence with aspersions and damaging reputations, etc. First of all, what do you consider as "sufficient" evidence? Doping positives, ABP violations or confessions? Something less? Something else? However, what about reasonable suspicion when strong circumstantial evidence exists that may suggest an athlete was doping. A level of evidence & circumstances that falls below the standard of anti-doping for disciplinary purposes, but evidence & circumstances that would lead to suspicion that is reasonable to suspect an athlete may have been involved in doping.
Some examples:
El G never tested positive for doping nor admitted to any involvement with PEDs. However, he ran for a nation that has a strong culture of doping and was at one time on the IAAF's "most likely to dope" list (and according to the IAAF, Morocco may be put back on that list due to reoccurring doping positives). In addition, one of El G's training partners & main pacer was convicted of doping and 3 out of Morroco's top 6 fastest 1500 runners were convicted of doping. Reasonable suspicion or insufficient evidence to suspect doping?
Dibaba has never tested positive nor admitted to any doping but was at an altitude training camp in Spain where her coach, Jama Aden, was arrested and a cache of doping products was found at the camp. Her coach was released pending further investigation with a later prosecutor's report having been filed that specifically accused Aden of providing doping products to his athletes. And three (3) athletes under the tutelage of Aden have been convicted of doping (Driouch, Traby, Degfa). Reasonable suspicion or insufficient evidence to suspect doping.
And lastly, Kosgei just smashes the "supposedly" clean WR and happens to run for a nation that is on the IAAF's current "most likely to dope" list. She also competes in a discipline that has history of top-level Kenyans doping (Jeptoo, Sumgong, Kirwa, Chepchirchir, etc.) She apparently also missed one drug test and her agent is the controversial Rosa who has represented 3 top-level Kenyans who have been convicted of doping (Jeptoo, Sumgong & Kiprop). Reasonable suspicion or insufficient evidence to suspect doping?
I not saying that it's conclusive that any of these athletes doped - that conclusion could only be reached with a doping positive, ABP violation, confession, etc. What I'm throwing out there for discussion is that the circumstantial evidence in each case a basis to form a reasonable suspicion?