Probably playing Devil's Advocate here and i know there are arguments between missing tests and being found guilty of drug offences but do we think the "holier than thou" crew of Kelly Holmes, Steve Redgrave, Steve Cram, Steve Backley etc will come out and say she doesnt deserve her medal?
You have to wonder if she is 'clean' though - imho missing three drugs tests is the same as being found guilty of taking drugs. ....................
There'll always be doubts when someone misses a dope test, let alone three of them but she did have a good excuse for one - that the dope testers turned up at the track where she was training, she had turned up earlier to find it had been double booked and trained elsewhere instead. The dope testers - not finding her there reported her for missing a test. I've no idea what the other excuses were though...
[quote]If it werent for Michael Phelps, we would be one gold behind the US... not bad not bad. [/quote] but a fair few of those would've been won by the American silver medalists!
Anyway there are too many swimming events. And there shouldn't be any velodrome, sailing or horsey events either these are privileged events in which we have been able to buy our way to success :-)
Probably playing Devil's Advocate here and i know there are arguments between missing tests and being found guilty of drug offences but do we think the "holier than thou" crew of Kelly Holmes, Steve Redgrave, Steve Cram, Steve Backley etc will come out and say she doesnt deserve her medal?
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I hope not - she missed three tests, rather than fail a dope test for which she served a year's suspension and has since been tested regularly.
I just watched a brilliant race, a Londoner down in 4th with 60m to go battle through to take gold, jump around like a loon on the podium, actually sing God Save the Queen, and the first thing some people want to do is say she is on drugs.
She has done brilliantly and I am sure she is clean now.
but you could say it smacks of hypocrisy to exclude Dwain Chambers after he has served his punishment in full, but to allow Christine O to compete after serving hers?
Shouldn't avoiding drugs tests have a similar penalty to being tested and being found guilty?
to me though it smacks of hypocrisy to exclude Dwain Chambers after he has served his punishment, but to allow Christine O to compete in similar circumstances.
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The difference is - he failed a drugs test, she only missed three drug tests, there has to be some allowance for there being different offences. She served her ban and starts with a clean slate.
I don't know why i'm replying but i've been sucked in :-)
She never 'run away' from any of the tests. If anyone was to blame for those missed tests, it was her coaching team for not updating the register on their designated training venue. It is also arguable that the testing body could easily of avoided all scenarios simply by a phone call but chose not to.
On all three times, she provided a negative test within 24 hours. No known banned substance can move through the bloodstream that quickly.
Those three tests were also over a long period of time, a period where she provided a series of negative tests in between, along with those within 24hrs relating to the missed tests. Since then, she has been one of the most tested athletes.
Of course, if you and others have made up your minds, then its irrelevent.
Hi AFKA ... no, I haven't made my mind up at all, and I'm sure you don't approve of people who evade drugs tests.
From the background you and Rothko have provided it sounds like she's been really unlucky .... and also that there needs to be a better processes in place by both the coaches and the testers, then there should be no excuse in future for athletes delaying tests on multiple occaisons and tougher sanctions can apply - perhaps to the coaches too.
My mates son is one of our leading junior athletes - triple jump - the athletics community is pretty tight and there is no doubt that she was is and will continue to be clean. Chambers was not clean, if he had missed his test he would still ot have been clean.
Initially I was determined not to get into the Olympics, but I'm hooked. At 3.10'ish this afternoon I was shouting at my computer screen and jumping around like a loon when Ohurougu was sailing past the opposition.
What great role models for our kids? Suddenly we're all feeling proud to be British! I cannot wait until 2012.
Who knows if we'll manage to stay above them, but ain't it great to be higher than those whining ozzies!!!! Long may it last.
Comments
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There'll always be doubts when someone misses a dope test, let alone three of them but she did have a good excuse for one - that the dope testers turned up at the track where she was training, she had turned up earlier to find it had been double booked and trained elsewhere instead. The dope testers - not finding her there reported her for missing a test. I've no idea what the other excuses were though...
but a fair few of those would've been won by the American silver medalists!
Anyway there are too many swimming events. And there shouldn't be any velodrome, sailing or horsey events either these are privileged events in which we have been able to buy our way to success :-)
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I hope not - she missed three tests, rather than fail a dope test for which she served a year's suspension and has since been tested regularly.
Christ we Brits love to knock people down.
Well done girl, what a games its been.
but you could say it smacks of hypocrisy to exclude Dwain Chambers after he has served his punishment in full, but to allow Christine O to compete after serving hers?
Shouldn't avoiding drugs tests have a similar penalty to being tested and being found guilty?
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The difference is - he failed a drugs test, she only missed three drug tests, there has to be some allowance for there being different offences. She served her ban and starts with a clean slate.
She's clean, and what a story, the girl from Stratford having the chance to defend her championship in her own back yard
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Then you get a year's suspension.
She never 'run away' from any of the tests. If anyone was to blame for those missed tests, it was her coaching team for not updating the register on their designated training venue. It is also arguable that the testing body could easily of avoided all scenarios simply by a phone call but chose not to.
On all three times, she provided a negative test within 24 hours. No known banned substance can move through the bloodstream that quickly.
Those three tests were also over a long period of time, a period where she provided a series of negative tests in between, along with those within 24hrs relating to the missed tests. Since then, she has been one of the most tested athletes.
Of course, if you and others have made up your minds, then its irrelevent.
I'm looking forward to 2012 even more than I was before, fantastic stuff!
From the background you and Rothko have provided it sounds like she's been really unlucky .... and also that there needs to be a better processes in place by both the coaches and the testers, then there should be no excuse in future for athletes delaying tests on multiple occaisons and tougher sanctions can apply - perhaps to the coaches too.
As you say she's probably been tested more than any other UK athlete and has NEVER failed a test.
What great role models for our kids? Suddenly we're all feeling proud to be British! I cannot wait until 2012.
Who knows if we'll manage to stay above them, but ain't it great to be higher than those whining ozzies!!!! Long may it last.