It will surprise no one that Mariem Alaoui Selsouli has tested positive for a banned diuretic, after running the extraordinary time of 3.56.15 for the 1500 metres in the Paris Diamond League three weeks ago. Both her time (she improved by over four seconds) and her nationality conspire against her.
The Moroccans have long built up an unenviable reputation for doping. They are, of course, not the only nation whose athletes indulge in drug-taking, but for a numerically small athletics country, the band of high achieving athletes caught drug-taking puts them close to top of the doping league.
Given that this is Selsouli’s second offence – she was banned between 2009 and 2011 for EPO – she now faces a lifetime ban. And incidentally, the reason diuretics are banned is that, since they increase urination, they are used to cleanse the body of performance enhancing drugs. And so, the favourite for the women’s Olympic 1500 gold is out of London 2012.
As is, in a similar situation, Robert Fàzekas of Hungary. Disqualified after winning the discus gold in Athens 2004, for not providing a proper urine sample, Fàzekas tested positive two weeks ago; and likewise is out of the Olympic Games, which begin on Friday.
But, as in previous Games, there will be more than a few athletes in Stratford East in the next couple of weeks, whose consciences may not be as clear as their blood and urine samples. And recourse to God, believe me, will be no defence, girls and boys, when you are busted. But that’s for another day.
For the time being, I wish to point out that, for those who can read between the lines, it was announced here a month ago, albeit obliquely, that Jemima Jelegat Sumgong of Kenya was likely to be DQ’d from second place in last April’s Boston Marathon.
http://www.globerunner.org/index.php/06/follow-the-money/
And so it has come to pass. All that anyone would admit a month ago was that her prize money had not been paid, whereas everyone else’s had. The clear implication was that she had failed a dope test. But I don’t blame anybody for lying to me, even by omission, as the Catholics say. After all, as that great moral philosopher Charlie Francis used to say, ‘Deny, deny, deny’.
Another athletics sage once said, ‘If the Kenyans and Ethiopians start taking drugs, we’re really screwed’. Well, guess what happened? Not only Sumgong was pronounced positive, in a leak to German TV network ARD earlier this week, but also another Kenyan woman marathoner, Rael Kiyara. And this pair was not even going to the Olympics.
Now, you could argue, as doubtless some will, that it is the lesser athletes who take drugs in order to ‘compete’. But that’s not necessarily the case, as the evidence of Selsouli and Fàzekas and, for example, Justin Gatlin (another Athens gold medallist) suggests. I may be wrong, but I don’t know any other example of a busted sprinter coming back, as Gatlin has done this year, from a four year ban; and not just running under ten seconds, but substantially under ten seconds, ie 9.80! And Gatlin will be in London 2012.
But given that their athletes are almost too good to begin with, the emergence of more and more East African dopers is probably more concerning for the future of track and field athletics.
So, are we really screwed? Or what?
As ‘Deep Throat’ (who we now know was Mark Felt, Deputy Director of the FBI) said to Bob Woodward in 1972 during the Watergate scandal: “Follow the money – it leads everywhere.”
If all the big dollar bonuses and cash prizes were taken out of the sport, I bet the drug problem in modern Track & Field would dissolve overnight. But of course that is totally unrealistic and will never happen.
Sorry to disillusion the romantics, but there never really was a ‘golden age’ when sport was pure and men competed simply for the honour of winning and wearing a laurel wreath.
Read SPEED TRAP by Charlie Francis; especially his chapter on the history of doping in sport – and it may open your eyes. Way back in history, Greek and the Roman athletes were at it long before the birth of Christ.
I, for one, believe in “one and done,” as far as dopers are concerned. That Gatlin is back in the good graces of USATF and the rest of the sport, makes me sick. Remember, he is a 2-time loser. To make matters worse, and to show you how pathetically stupid he is, he still maintains his innocence! Doesn’t have the sense to keep his damn mouth shut and be thankful that he’s allowed to compete. Hope he, and the rest of the cheaters, fall on their collective freaking asses in London
Sumgong is still a 2nd rater in terms of Kenyan running with a 2:28 pb. Although worrying there still remains to be a Kenyan or Ethiopian true elite to be busted. The difference with Morocco is their top level athletes get busted repeatedly and for one reason; they are not born at altitude and need something to close the gap. Another interesting case is the new Olympic road race champion, apparently he is better aged 38 and clean than 28 and doped – yeah right. The 2 year ban is a joke, runners like Chambers and Gatlin do not show that you can make a mistake and redeem yourself. They show that you can dope your head off for years and get away with it. What they are too thick to realise is a large reason why people really want money is, unless you are starving ,to do with prestige and to yourself not just other people. In the words of Mike Cudahy ‘to cheat is to trully embrace failure’.
The three posters before me said it all, and said it well! I especially liked Linda Goldman’s observation about Gatlin’s persistent lying/delusion. As she said, he just doesn’t get how fortunate he is to be allowed to compete again. (why his 8-year sentence as a two-time cheat was commuted to 4 years I’ll never know)
What i find quite entertaining about the Gatlin fiasco: when he was doped to the gills he was running 9.79. Now he is clean and running 9.80 and being at least 8 years older to boot…. I really do wish people would allow me to sell them waterfront property in Arizona.