Antonio Pettigrew latest victim in doping hunt

[tandfman]

Pettigrew has now admitted doping.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/ ... tigrew.php

[bad hammy]

Pettigrew has now admitted doping.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/ ... tigrew.php

Sounds like they were pretty effective:

Once he began taking the banned substances, Pettigrew said he was able to run 400 meters in under 43 seconds for the first time.

[Kevin Richardson]

Not to sound like I am waving the flag here, but let us keep in mind that most of the latest revelations stem from investigations into American athletes, only. The Mitchell Report could not care any less about foreign athletes. So, before we start casting stones at the American system, let us reflect on the fact that it is an American system which is bringing most of this to the fore. That neither vindicates nor indicts athletes from other nations. It just is what it is.

Which is only the case because the American system have been so lax over so many years. They have a lot of catchung up to do. It's obvious the authorities knew about this for years but did nothing about it.

You can't now make out that the US deserves credit for cleaning up it's own mess. Too little too late in my opinion.

Not sure how it is so obvious that they knew anything at all. Suspicions are like armpits, in that most people have them, and they often smell bad.

So, would you recommend that the US do nothing at all? When sufficient information arose, and was ferreted out diligently by a few individuals, the system did what it was supposed to do. Sorry we did not get around to it before now, but you know how it is.............there really are a few things that rise to greater levels of importance for the US Senate. As for the USTAF/USOC lot? Can't say what they were busy with, but since we provide them so little in the way of funding, we are just pleased with anything we get from them.

Bottom line...........The yanks are doing the best they can with what they know to root out drug cheats. We are goring our own bulls, as we are taking down some of our most popular athletes in the sport. If that is not enough for some critics, well..........sorry!

Cheers

[AthleticsInBritain]

I don't think anyone from any one country has any moral right to the moral high ground.

I'm not going to tell anyone their own business. But there's always been an impression over here of great leniency and looking the other way in the States. Of course, nobody really bothered about it anywhere until the Ben Johnson scandal. Even over here people joke about US colleges asking sports people if they're on steroids or not, and if not, making sure they are.

Mind you, I'm sure that the proportion of US PED users is no different to the rest of the world, although being a more moneyed country, you have more ability to finance purchase of said PEDs. A country with a larger population would be bound to have larger numbers involved.

The introduction of USADA seems to have made a positive difference over there, which is fantastic. I make no comment about USATF/USOC.

Still, someone must have known something if doping on this scale is going on - and this IS only one supply chain. It's the thought of people in charge who know who is doing what, while spouting anti-PED rhetoric and welcoming them to their meetings and celebrating their medals that makes me sick.

[bambam]

Here is the list of positive doping "irregularities" found at the Olympic Games since 1968 (all sports). USA is up there pretty high. Please note that GDR = 0.

RUS 14
AUT 11
USA 9
BUL 8
HUN 7
GRE 5
BLR 4
CAN 4
ESP 4
GER 4
LTU 4
SWE 4
MGL 3
POL 3
GBR 2
IND 2
IRL 2
JPN 2
PUR 2
ROU 2
TCH 2
AFG 1
ALG 1
ARM 1
AUS 1
CHN 1
COL 1
CRO 1
CUB 1
ETH 1
EUN 1
FIN 1
FRA 1
FRG 1
IRI 1
ISL 1
ITA 1
KEN 1
LAT 1
LIB 1
MAR 1
MDA 1
MON 1
MYA 1
NED 1
NOR 1
TUR 1
UKR 1
URS 1
UZB 1

[Jaack]

He was always a key player in the relays, accordingly I can see United states being DQ'd in.....oh, 97 world, 99 worlds, 2000 Olympics AND 2001 Worlds!

Which means Britian are 97 world champions, Poland are 1999 champions, Nigeria are the Olympic champions and the Bahamas win the 2001 world championships!

[peach]

Here is the list of positive doping "irregularities" found at the Olympic Games since 1968 (all sports). USA is up there pretty high. Please note that GDR = 0.

Yes, but that means nothing- the GDR used to test all their athletes before they left East Germany and if any of them failed tests, they would be mysteriously "injured" and not go to the games...

[kamikaze7]

The 1993 team should lose its medals too even though Pettigrew did not run in the finals. Thye sport needs harsher penalties. :evil:

And I hope Pettigrew will get a lifetime ban including his job at UNC. Having a coach who is a cheat cant possibly be good for UNC anyway.

[peach]

Depends how far the evidence goes back...

Of course, once you cheat, I think you should forfeit everything you've ever won before but as the rules stand, there isn't anything to say that he was doping then.

I mean, it is my own personal belief that there is no way in hell that Marion Jones wasn't swallowing pills left right and centre from 1997 onwards when she returned from nowhere in a blaze of glory, but the evidence only goes back to 2000 and so she gets to keep everything prior to then...

Just a rather silly flaw in a rather silly system...

[EPelle]

The 1993 team should lose its medals too even though Pettigrew did not run in the finals. Thye sport needs harsher penalties.

And I hope Pettigrew will get a lifetime ban including his job at UNC. Having a coach who is a cheat cant possibly be good for UNC anyway.

Eight-year statute of limitations rule comes into effect here, though I agree with Peach:s sentiment above.

[dcunited]

Well as jaded as I've been lately, can't say it's any less disheartening to see heart and soul torn out of the sport knowing full well it deserved better. I rue the contracts and cash that changed the game even though some athletes who competed clean got something out of it. Somehow it's always seemed to me T&F suffers more than other sports by presence of PEDs. My coach knew what he was doing by sticking with smaller colleges. Even though world has changed so much it seems, I can still feel for athletes shut out of contention by the cheating way of life that took hold of sport.

[catson52]

Well as jaded as I've been lately, can't say it's any less disheartening to see heart and soul torn out of the sport knowing full well it deserved better. I rue the contracts and cash that changed the game even though some athletes who competed clean got something out of it. Somehow it's always seemed to me T&F suffers more than other sports by presence of PEDs. My coach knew what he was doing by sticking with smaller colleges. Even though world has changed so much it seems, I can still feel for athletes shut out of contention by the cheating way of life that took hold of sport.

We have all had our suspicions for many (30+) years. As the headlines at T&FN site show, things are getting unravelled. Or to put it less politely, the shit has hit the fan. And the "stains" will be spread far and wide, both in this country and elsewhere. I went from being a rabid fan (knowing top 20+ at almost any time in all standard events in the precomputer era), to a somewhat disinterested fan. More for self protection than anything else, for no one likes a one time hero being exposed for a "fraud".

[dcunited]

Yeah man.