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Nothing like a healthy debate - I just posted this on "I am or was a Runner"
There's been a lot of comment on here recently about last year's London Marathon winner (and Olympic Champ) Jemima Sumgong having a positive drug test. And sadly, some of the response has been of the nature of "well what do you expect, she's Kenyan?" Trial by nationality. Not helpful. And then our very own Paula Ratcliffe says that drug offenders should be treated like criminals. Well, a millionaire tax exile might see it that way. How much, for example, is down to the London Marathon as an organisation? London has a budget which exceeds that of the other five marathon majors. It is incredibly wealthy. How stringent do you think their organisation is regarding drug testing? Because I don't know. I also don't know if they're so concerned with points-scoring with the other majors as to which event has the fastest times, and which is considered the best in the world. We make certain assumptions with marathon winners. We think they must be worldly-wise. I've never met Jemima Sumgong so I wouldn't know. My interest in London hasn't just been one about participation (31 times). But I also have a keen interest in the athletic media. I have attended the London Marathon post-race press conference many times. Some of the press are incredibly knowledgeable. And for some - you wonder what they're doing there. Interviewing marathon winners is fascinating. For example, in 2006, Deena Kastor won. Incredibly bright and articulate. I could have listened to her for hours. Then in 2007, Zhou Chunxiu won. She did not attend the press conference. She was so terrified by the media that she went AWOL. Don't jump to conclusions. If you were to win a marathon in China, would you be happy being interviewed in mandarin? Or would you feel it daunting? So I come back to the original question. Jemima Sumgong: is she really a criminal? If so, whose responsibility is it to initiate change? We all love this sport, and we know it's not in a healthy state. Responsible comments only please.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Answer. No she is not a 'criminal' but she is a cheat. Poverty is no excuse; or if it is then it makes the exploits of Lance Armstrong all the worse. Which way do you want it - forgiveness for Jemima or absolutely no excuse whatsoever for Lance? (For those who don't know Mick still has Lance down as a sporting icon).
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Rank: Advanced Member
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The sad thing about Armstrong is that he raised alot of money for cancer through his livestrong campain but a cheat is a cheat Edited by user 21 April 2017 11:26:42(UTC)
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