Usain Bolt after winning the 100m gold at the World Athletics Championship last night
In China our hero Usain,
Went out and made it quite plain,
When he’s in a race,
Will he takes second place?
That’s so silly it’s almost insane.
John Moynes
Diego Azubel/EPA
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Did no one else find last night totally depressing?! I would love to believe that Bolt put on amazing performance but c’mon clean athletics don’t beat juicers … and we are expected to believe he beat 3 of them last night?
Bolt is to athletics, what Lance used to be to cycling, too big a star to be brought down. I hope Bolt is clean. If he is beating people who are currently cheating, it is not a good sign.
You are all very sure of something that you have no proof of.
Just so we are clear on what I am saying, Gatlin having been on in the past is not an indication of him being on now. The idea that his performance is highly unusual for a guy his age is fair, but to say that implies drug use is innuendo at best. The guy has had very few injuries, which is very unusual and steroids don’t prevent injuries. If anything they contribute to them. Gatlin is unusual in many respects.
The idea that he was banned twice and shouldn’t be competing is overly simplistic, given that the circumstances of the first were accepted as mitigating circumstances. To be clear, he could have taken that medicine and still competed, if he had gotten permission from the IAAF. Its fair to ban him for not being diligent about his medication, as is his responsibility, but it isn’t the same as taking steroids or HGH.
The “once a cheater, always a cheater” trope is actually an appalling way to talk about another person.
It suggests that a past transgression can’t be atoned for and that rehabilitation is impossible.
Also, you can’t use your way to doing what Bolt did. The guy is a shambles at the moment, he nearly fell over in the semis. He looked completely uncomfortable in London but the guy has run 9.58. That is insane. Gatlins best is 9.74. Gatlin ran faster than the winning time in the semis. He was winning the race until he stumbled/broke stride 10 meters out. Bolt is going backwards, but he is going backwards from 9.58.
Drugs won’t get a 9.8 guy to 9.58. So while I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Gatlin tested positive (he gets tested by USADA, who are probably the most aggressive anti-doping body) saying Bolt narrowly beating him when he threw the race away and running a time that is significantly below Bolts best, is evidence of Bolts doping is also just innuendo.
“You are all very sure of something that you have no proof of.”
I think we expressed doubt, rather than condemned Bolt.
“To be clear, he could have taken that medicine and still competed, if he had gotten permission from the IAAF.”
He would have to prove that he had a medical ailment, in order to take the medicine. I know cycling is riddled with TUE’s. I would remove TUE’s, or make it so you have to have a few weeks off, each time you asked for a TUE.
“Drugs won’t get a 9.8 guy to 9.58”
Who says? Something has turned a 10.8 equivalent Chris Froome into a 9.58 equivalent. It might be something not technically banned, but he isn’t doing it on his own.
I volunteer to check his pupils
I gave up on Athletics many years ago- it’s been riddled with steroids since the 80s and it was covered up as expertly as the cycling.