Comments on: VIREN AT THE DOUBLE

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:58:09 +0000

Only the best people on Globerunner

check out Craig on this link - http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Sc-Sp/Sharp-Craig.html

By: Craig Sharp

Craig Sharp — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:50:11 +0000

Just a comment re Lasse Viren and blood doping. I was a physiologist with the GBR team at Munich 72, and I happened once to be in the shower area with Lasse. As we had heard a rumour (no more) that one or two Scandanavian runners (unspecified) might have blood doped - I had a wee look at the obvious main I/V injection sites on Lasse. Now, to transfuse a unit (450ml) of blood needs a big needle, and leaves an obvious mark at best. But on the main venous sites on Lasse there were no marks at all - and no elastoplasts covering any suspicious areas.
So, I have never believed that Lasse Viren was other than an extremely gifted runner who trained - and focussed - and raced - brilliantly. And this is not starry-eyed or wishful thinking - I was part of the dope testing team at the 1977 World Table Tennis Champs in Birmingham UK, and I headed the same at the world Canoe Champs at Holme Pierrepont, UK in 1981 - and in my time lectured much and published on doping in sport (albeit long ago, now!). So, I was not ignorant of doping methods - (and indeed recently published on gene doping possibilities.) And as a former veterinary surgeon (turned sports scientist) I was certainly not ignorant of intravenous work!
One of the major curses of doping is that every brilliant result is (understandably) suspect. As Addison wrote ” ‘Tis not in mortals to command success,/ But we’ll do more Sempronius, we’ll deserve it.” The trouble these days is knowing who deserves it!
Yours in Sport, Aye, Craig S.

By: Jess Koski

Jess Koski — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:00:34 +0000

Thanks for this update on Viren. All good stuff, but I’m sad he doesn’t at least run for fun any longer!
Good, objective reporting.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:25:43 +0000

His secret was not doping, it was Lydiard’s training methods. If you look at his training and how it works, you would realize why he was able to do what he did, because his training was better than anyone else’s at the time. He peaked for his races and was ready to run fast when they came.

By: Marcelo Assunção

Marcelo Assunção — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:32:01 +0000

Viren won, Prefontaine don’t. Cierpisnki won, Shorter don’t. This is the history. Believe it!

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:03:14 +0000

the secret was reindeer milk, wasn’t it?

By: steve

steve — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:23:13 +0000

If he has admitted to blood doping as chris suggests, then why did he not admit it here? Why did he not admit it when a German paper offered him a million to tell the truth? (He agreed to the terms, said he never doped and the paper dropped their offer.)

Some people just love making stuff up. Maybe he doped, maybe he didn’t, but chris has no idea, and Viren has never, ever, ever admitted to it.

By: Tore Axelsson

Tore Axelsson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:14:58 +0000

From Scandinavia!

It is not so easy. Look at the history and you can find a mount of finnish runners winning olympic titles. Growing up a little bit like the Africans do today- maby that is the mystery?

By: chris

chris — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:41:22 +0000

BLOOD DOPER ALL THE WAY!! i dont care who or what he did. he admitted later like his teamate in 1980 to doping

By: David Ian Cocksedge

David Ian Cocksedge — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:18:07 +0000

Another good piece, Pat. I am sure that Viren was born in OCTOBER 1949, not July, however.
It might be worth mentioning that we now know (from STASI files) that Cierpinski was an East german doper; so Frank Shorter was almost certainly cheated out of being only the second man to retain the Olympic Marathon title in 1976. The East German won two doped-up gold medals in 1976 and 1980
Among the men chasing Viren home over 5km in Montreal was also Brummie Ian Stewart, bronze medallist in 1972. Stewart is now the main distance running guru in UK Athletics, or something like that. Let’s hope that he can put his extensive knowledge to good use in this area.
I will always remember Steve Ovett’s comment about that incredible 5000m final at Montreal: “They were all lining up behind him (Viren) coming off the last bend just waiting to kick. But when they did, they all seemed to hit a brick wall!”