Olympics!

[awk]

(blaming 'forgetfulness' for missing drug tests, come on)

I don't know about the details of her first two 'misses', but the third came about I gather when she turned up at her usual training venue to find it booked for a school sports day. This venue was where she had told the drug testers she would be available during the nominated hour of the day she was required to give them. She swapped to another venue, tried to contact the testers, who had gone to her house, where she couldn't get back in time. The panel that imposed the ban specifically stated that they were convinced that the three misses were due to "forgetfulness", but imposed a ban as these were the rules for missing three tests, with no assessment of intent. When she appealed against the ban, the Court of Arbitration in Sport whilst upholding the ruling, stated that there was no suggestion of any drug taking. Thus, in total, the three separate panels/courts who have examined the evidence have all agreed that the evidence points to exactly what you are rubbishing: forgetfulness and a genuine mixup, with no taint of drug taking.

[Scott]

On the other hand, if your entire professional career (I'm assuming that the Adidas sponsorship deal is worth a bob or two) depends on being where you said you would be when you said you'd be there, and you fail to do so repeatedly despite being aware of the consequences... Would such behaviour be tolerated in any other walk of life? I know people who, for example, have been suspended from university for missing Important Meetings after only one warning; I'm fairly sure you wouldn't get away with doing something similar in a business context either.

But - before I get eaten alive - that doesn't mean she's undeserving of her medal, and I agree there's no evidence that she's been doping.

[Adventure Racer]

HM's going to be busy with the old ceremonial sword later this year - what do you get for 3 gold's - Lord Hoy of the Spinning Wheel?

Your own national sports velodrome, for starters! Also good to see some publicity for the Save Meadowbank campaign.

I was thinking it interesting them naming the velodrome after him give how outspoken he's been about it not making up for the loss of Meadowbank! You have to hope that this might give him enough political muscle to really make a difference.

[andy]

Most people I've spoken to tend to agree with Andy's view on Christine Ohuruogu but this may be due to ignorance, so if you can elucidate on the practicalities, many here might change their opinion.

I would love to change my opinion on her because I believe she has so much potential to be really positive for British Athletics, just haven't seen anything from her to convince me yet

[geomorph]

HM's going to be busy with the old ceremonial sword later this year - what do you get for 3 gold's - Lord Hoy of the Spinning Wheel?

Your own national sports velodrome, for starters! Also good to see some publicity for the Save Meadowbank campaign.

Its interesting to observe honours inflation in motion. Were Mr Phelps GB affiliated, they would have to rename a whole town, as well as HM abdicating in his favour

[awk]

I would love to change my opinion on her because I believe she has so much potential to be really positive for British Athletics, just haven't seen anything from her to convince me yet

What would you need?

Would such behaviour be tolerated in any other walk of life? I know people who, for example, have been suspended from university for missing Important Meetings after only one warning; I'm fairly sure you wouldn't get away with doing something similar in a business context either.

But in the examples you cite, you know about the meetings beforehand. Out of competition dope testing can pretty much take place at any time: training, at home in the evening or (for international athletes) at work. Or so the UK Athletics guidelines to athletes indicate. This is not just being contactable, but actually being able to meet. Even when on call in some jobs, it's only about being contactable.

[Becks]

SYO Member - I never actually had to take part in the system when Christine failed, but other orienteers did and there were a couple of people on two warnings. There was no pre warning of a test - you had to inform UK Sport of a designated place and time you would be for I think an hour on five out of 7 days of the week. I think the initial place designation was a month in advance, but could be changed using the awful computer system that Harry mentioned beforehand. I guess for someone like Christine you would put the track you train at, at the time you normally train - if you got there on the night and found it wasn't available, your first thought would surely be - how am I going to do this training session, not oooh I'll need to get on the phone to UK sport to tell them what the deal is on the off chance the testers turn up.

Not a single person I know who actually had to use the system thought it was a good one. It has probably changed now, dunno for sure as I've been well out of it for a few years.

[Scott]

Not a single person I know who actually had to use the system thought it was a good one. It has probably changed now, dunno for sure as I've been well out of it for a few years.

Sounds like it's still much the same.

[DIDSCO]

I really don't understand the anti Christine Ohuruogu campaign that goes on in Britain. It's a sad fact that most british people, including most people that write on this forum, have absolutly no idea about elite sport. The girl in question was totally exonerated from any wrong doing and is not suspected in the slightest of any drug abuse, but there still remains a hate campaign among ignorant people like andy. Our attention should be focused on the athletes actually cheating the system, not wasting our time on a girl who changed destination at the last minute due to a school sports day, and who incidently raced back to the track to meet the drugs officials on realizing her mistake but the drugs officials weren't prepared to wait.
I'd also be interested t hear whether andy has the same hate campaign going for the great scottish skier Alan Baxter. Another great innocent athlete messed around by the authorities.

[awk]

It has probably changed now, dunno for sure as I've been well out of it for a few years.

Don't know, but UK Athletics athletes guidelines state:
"If you are eligible for the out of competition testing programme....you are required to make yourself available for testing at any time, without prior notice. The whereabouts information you are required to provide includes details of of your name and home address and training venue(s) and times. You are required to keep these details up to date......Please note that under the IAAF programme the DCO reserves the right to test you at your place of work (if applicable).....The DCO gives no advance notice of testing and this can mean, for instance, that they can call on you in the evening, without your prior agreement."

I can't find any indication of time limitations on the whereabouts information - it seems to indicate literally at any time.
I do agree with Didsco on this one - the anti-Ohuruogu attitude seems to be very much based on ignorance.

[Oldman]

... The girl in question was totally exonerated from any wrong doing and is not suspected in the slightest of any drug abuse...

She should appeal to the ECHR then because she had a ban of 12 months yet was "totally exonerated".

[Scott]

Another great innocent athlete messed around by the authorities.

A bit harsh, surely: I was under the impression that the BOA and BSSF had been right behind Baxter; it was just the IOF rules that were the issue, and which were never likely to be changed retroactively.

She should appeal to the ECHR then because she had a ban of 12 months yet was "totally exonerated".

Exonerated of any hint of drug use - she was still undeniably guilty of breaking the UK Sport testing rules, and she has paid the penalty for doing so.

[harry]

Whereabouts procedure: You had to input info for the next 3 months onto the worst website ever, often you would input stuff and really not be sure if it had logged properly and had to exchange several emails with some guy to check it was all OK. You had to give an hour a day for 5 out of 7 days each week. The addresses you gave had to have facilities ie a toilet. You had to remember where you said you were going to be because someone would turn up once every 3 months to test you. There were ways to change locations such email, phone or later on sms. If you were on a training camp abroad or wherever you had to give specific addresses and times for that.

You got no advance notice. They turned up at your flat or work or training venue or wherever (in my case it was my flat) and they couldn't even tell your flatmate who they were or why they were there (it was pretty obvious though) before they could see you in person.

Basically it was a right pain in the arse. They turned up at my flat once the Thursday night before the British Champs and I had to get out of bed and sit up drinking for about 2 hours before I could pee enough. Then I was up all night peeing! For orienteers it was even less practical because most training venues couldn't be given and most of us work and work venues are often not suitable for putting down and with work + training you couldn't guarantee to be home at sensible times. The earliest time you could give was 6-7am and back then I was often already out training at that time so I had to put down the late slot 10-11pm when I was almost always already in bed.

Christine Ohuruogu was getting funding and she was obligated to do all this and yes she should have done it but the way it worked it's easy to see why so many people missed tests. It must have been devastating to be banned and it's brilliant that she fought through all that ***p & went on to become Olympic & World Champion.

Orienteering has since been taken off the whereabouts system because we are too "low risk" for the cost of all the tests but we still have no advance notice testing on some training camps and in competition testing at some races.

[DIDSCO]

Scott > I've got no problem with the BOA, they are generally supportive of their athletes, and in Alain's case very supportive. (I even got excellent help from the BOA when I was still competing, and I have a lot of respect for them).
In Alains case it is the IOC and CAS that ultimatly stuffed his chances of ever getting his medal back, a total disgrace when you see so many former proven drug cheats having served their bans winning medals in Peking. IOC is totally corrupt, just like FIFA.

[PKJ]

It's noticeable that Christine Ohuruogu seems to have the support of most ex-athletes & commentators, which is clearly lacking for some others. And, as I understood it, she was tested OK on a number of occasions over the 18-month period, including both 9-days before and 3-days after one of her missed tests.

Here's one account of how tests can be missed -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 531336.ece

Would there have been a similar reaction if Tim Don had won a triathlon medal, rather than throwing up over his bike?

At least the discussion on here is civilised and based on facts - I started reading a couple of 'national media' forums and quickly gave up in disgust.