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Eyeing the Gatlin/USADA secret deal
Within recent weeks, I have been watching, with great interest, what appears to be a subtle move by track and field interest in the United States to find a way around the doping ban imposed on sprinter Justin Gatlin, who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a second time last year.
Based on information filtering down through the media, it would appear that Gatlin is poised to benefit from a questionable deal he struck with the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA), which promised him leniency should he provide information to implicate his former coach, Jamaica-born Trevor Graham.
secret deal
It would appear that Gatlin has kept his part of the deal by secretly recording conversations with Graham, and then turning over the tapes to USADA. That process on his part appears to be the prelude to a carefully orchestrated plot to destroy Graham and exonerate Gatlin on the grounds that he was a victim and not a villain.
Personally, I see the Gatlin/ USADA scheme as yet another case of arrogance and hypocrisy by the American authorities, which seem to suggest that there should be one rule for American athletes and another for athletes such as Ben Johnson, who they vilified back in 1988 after he tested positive following a victory over their beloved Carl Lewis.
As far as I am concerned, the rules governing the punishment for using performance-enhancing drugs are clear and unambiguous to the extent that not even a layman should have a problem understanding them. So, it is difficult to understand the ********************-footing by USADA.
The rules clearly state that if you are caught cheating twice, you face an automatic life ban. Gatlin, who was previously caught as a student at the University of Tennessee prior to his 2006 positive test, has had his two strikes. He should be out whether or not he becomes a campaigner in the crusade to remove drugs from sport.
serve life ban
While there might be some value if Gatlin is able to provide proof that all is not well with coach Graham, especially if there is really a genuine bid to rid athletics of drugs, I still think he should serve his life ban. In fact, I hope the rest of the world does not stand by and allow this plea-bargain between Gatlin and USADA to circumvent the rules.
While I might not have all the evidence, I believe that the Americans have been operating in murky waters insofar as their athletes and drug testing are concerned. It would appear that even some of their star athletes have escaped punishment in the past because the results were not made public.
When one looks at the situation with the infamous BALCO lab and the number of athletes who have been implicated, but have escaped punishment because of an apparent unwillingness to properly process the cases against them, it really leaves one to question the sincerity of the U.S. authorities.
While the hands of coach Graham might or might not be clean, I have a feeling that the fact that he was the one who initially spilled the beans on the BALCO situation has made him the enemy a lot of very powerful persons. It, therefore, stands to reason that a good way to punish him would be to make him a scapegoat for Gatlin's indiscretions.
I recently read in the media that Mr. Gatlin is quite hopeful that he might be cleared as early as next week, which would pave the way for him to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I am waiting with bated breath to see what will happen because if he is set free, it would be rated as, arguably, the greatest mockery that has been made of athletics.
Within recent weeks, I have been watching, with great interest, what appears to be a subtle move by track and field interest in the United States to find a way around the doping ban imposed on sprinter Justin Gatlin, who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a second time last year.
Based on information filtering down through the media, it would appear that Gatlin is poised to benefit from a questionable deal he struck with the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA), which promised him leniency should he provide information to implicate his former coach, Jamaica-born Trevor Graham.
secret deal
It would appear that Gatlin has kept his part of the deal by secretly recording conversations with Graham, and then turning over the tapes to USADA. That process on his part appears to be the prelude to a carefully orchestrated plot to destroy Graham and exonerate Gatlin on the grounds that he was a victim and not a villain.
Personally, I see the Gatlin/ USADA scheme as yet another case of arrogance and hypocrisy by the American authorities, which seem to suggest that there should be one rule for American athletes and another for athletes such as Ben Johnson, who they vilified back in 1988 after he tested positive following a victory over their beloved Carl Lewis.
As far as I am concerned, the rules governing the punishment for using performance-enhancing drugs are clear and unambiguous to the extent that not even a layman should have a problem understanding them. So, it is difficult to understand the ********************-footing by USADA.
The rules clearly state that if you are caught cheating twice, you face an automatic life ban. Gatlin, who was previously caught as a student at the University of Tennessee prior to his 2006 positive test, has had his two strikes. He should be out whether or not he becomes a campaigner in the crusade to remove drugs from sport.
serve life ban
While there might be some value if Gatlin is able to provide proof that all is not well with coach Graham, especially if there is really a genuine bid to rid athletics of drugs, I still think he should serve his life ban. In fact, I hope the rest of the world does not stand by and allow this plea-bargain between Gatlin and USADA to circumvent the rules.
While I might not have all the evidence, I believe that the Americans have been operating in murky waters insofar as their athletes and drug testing are concerned. It would appear that even some of their star athletes have escaped punishment in the past because the results were not made public.
When one looks at the situation with the infamous BALCO lab and the number of athletes who have been implicated, but have escaped punishment because of an apparent unwillingness to properly process the cases against them, it really leaves one to question the sincerity of the U.S. authorities.
While the hands of coach Graham might or might not be clean, I have a feeling that the fact that he was the one who initially spilled the beans on the BALCO situation has made him the enemy a lot of very powerful persons. It, therefore, stands to reason that a good way to punish him would be to make him a scapegoat for Gatlin's indiscretions.
I recently read in the media that Mr. Gatlin is quite hopeful that he might be cleared as early as next week, which would pave the way for him to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I am waiting with bated breath to see what will happen because if he is set free, it would be rated as, arguably, the greatest mockery that has been made of athletics.
(Nearest tuh egg pan face. Needed, such an emoticon).
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