We caught up with Eric Jenkins at the USATF 5k champs today. He had a lot of interesting things to say including about how he'll be returning to Portland next year to train for the Olympic trials. However, the most headline-worthy comments came in regards to the NOP. You can listen to the whole interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSPl2BD2LzY
Jenkins said the ban hasn’t had many practical effects on him. “It’s kind of weird to say that it hasn’t affected me too much other than my name getting dragged through the mud and I understand why [that has happened].”
“Of course I’m sad about that (my name being tarnished), but I understand why and I understand I put myself in that situation. I’m not confused about that. It’s not true where the sense everyone is doing it [something illegal],” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said when he joined the NOP the BBC/ Pro Publica allegations were known and “Alberto did say these are just allegations and nothing will come of it.”
Despite something coming of it, Jenkins said he is not angry at Alberto. “I’m not mad at him. He was nice to me,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins however fully understands why Alberto got banned. “He got banned, so clearly a lot of people thought he did something wrong… If they banned him they must have had some serious stuff,” Jenkins said. “One of the things that has been thrown around a lot is this grey area and maybe it’s not cheating… you’re getting into some weird morality issues with things in this area and I totally understand why he’d get banned.”
Jenkins added, “I’m sure if you ask Alberto [he’d say ] there is no such thing as a grey area, there is right or wrong.” Jenkins was not trying to imply that Alberto was on the right side of the line. “Alberto pushed the line and clearly he pushed it too far,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins stressed he had seen nothing suspicious in the group and had done nothing he felt was in the grey area. “I’ve never been asked to take any supplements by Alberto or Pete. I’ve never seen anything suspicious in the group,” he said.
https://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/11/usatf-5k-quick-takes-rowbury-and-jenkins-talk-nop-aaron-templeton-breaks-out-and-jessica-tonn-returns-home/
Eric Jenkins on Salazar: "I totally understand why he’d get banned...(He) pushed the line and clearly he pushed it too far."
Report Thread
-
-
Salazar is very arrogant. It comes as no surprise he pushed on his house of cards too hard thinking nothing could bring him down.
-
CYA. Eric. Well done.
-
Please both sides wrote:
CYA. Eric. Well done.
^Nike shill.
There is NO other side for someone who is officially banned. -
Now that the dust has settled we are led to believe that Salazar actually coached a total of 2 athletes Rupp and Hasay.
-
bleu wrote:
Now that the dust has settled we are led to believe that Salazar actually coached a total of 2 athletes Rupp and Hasay.
Don't forget Hassan, KK, and Kejelcha. Probably coached them because no Americans that knew about the allegations and had a brain wanted to be coached by Salazar. -
Eric has a very logic-based personality... if all people answered questions like this the world would be so much simpler. This was actually a pretty thorough interview if not a little repetitive... must be weird to have to react since Salazar isnt involved with his training
-
Salazar: "It is impossible to be a world class runner or Olympic medalist without taking PEDs."
End of story. -
Every NOPer is a doper.
-
I suppose I was only considering the US runners. However, I believe KK stated her coach was Julian.
-
Can we just say that eric jenkins has some of the best interviews. He answered all the questions, didn't try to dodge any answers and just spoke in such a great way. a very likable guy. I hope he is able to make the olympic team this year.
-
I can only assume that now the curtain is pulled on salazar athletes we will only see equal or improved performances from the clean Julian athletes
-
Hayduke wrote:
I can only assume that now the curtain is pulled on salazar athletes we will only see equal or improved performances from the clean Julian athletes
Even if they were "doped to the gills", would you really expect anything different now that salazar is gone? I would assume they would continue doing whatever they were doing before wether or not he is technically considered their coach. -
fortherecord wrote:
Eric has a very logic-based personality... if all people answered questions like this the world would be so much simpler. This was actually a pretty thorough interview if not a little repetitive... must be weird to have to react since Salazar isnt involved with his training
I agree that Eric Jenkins is very likable and comes off as forthcoming, and I agree with your sentiment overall. However, some of his statements quoted above reflect an oversimplification of things:
There is not much logic in “he got banned, so clearly a lot of people thought he did something wrong… If they banned him they must have had some serious stuff." Even if the ban was appropriate, this is by all means faulty logic.
Understandably, Eric does not want to delve into a grey area, but his unwillingness or inability to do so does not justify the outcome in and of itself:
“One of the things that has been thrown around a lot is this grey area and maybe it’s not cheating… you’re getting into some weird morality issues with things in this area and I totally understand why he’d get banned.”
I chuckled after reading his take on "weird morality issues." Overall, it's a good interview. -
Context is everything, ahole.
He said this at a time when testing was very, very bad and tests for certain suspected PEDS did not yet exist.
I guess you're too stupid to understand the idea of context and timing. -
Actually, Mr. Jenkins had a meteoric trajectory from his high school 9:20+ two mile days to run 13:18 5km in some eastern podunk college as a sophomore. He then transferred to Oregon which has better facilities, training partners, coaching and support only to slow down?
-
Actually, Mr. Rupp is the one who had a meteoric trajectory from his middle school soccer field to high school sub 13:40 5k at some podunk Oregon school. He got Salazar as a coach at a young age, with access to better facilities, training partners, coaching and support only to get caught up in Salazar's NOP web.
-
Isn't it amazing how now it seems that every NOP athlete was working with Julian? Every interview with a member of the former NOP now says they were being coached by Peter J
-
After they interview everyone , we will find out Al actually coached no one . lol I'm sure rekrunner will jump in a redefine what "a line " actually is . #dirtynop
-
jenapharm wrote:
Isn't it amazing how now it seems that every NOP athlete was working with Julian? Every interview with a member of the former NOP now says they were being coached by Peter J
Exactly. Because they were and have been for a few years now. Watch Jenkins’ interview and he event mentions being frustrated with Julian never getting any of the credit when he was doing the actual job of coaching the majority of the team for the past few years.
