When does 2 years not equal 2 years

[MJD]

Gary Reed ran another excellent 800 yesterday dragging a drug cheat to a qualifying time.

"The entry deadline for the world championships starting Saturday in Paris was last week, but the IAAF extended the deadline for Longo because his ban had prevented him from qualifying."

Isn't the point of suspensions to have consequences? How many people did they give extensions to?


http://canada.com/sports/story.html?id= ... E48CB2B169

Re: When does 2 years not equal 2 years

I'd be curious to see what the Iaaf would do for an athlete coming off suspension the day prior to the start of the WC or OLY. Since the athlete was denied an opportunity to run in meets prior to that date, would that athlete be allowed to compete without a quailifer?

This policy is a slap in the face to all of the athletes who played by the rules!

Re: When does 2 years not equal 2 years

Lots of people, myself included, think the IAAF has no desire to enforce drug rules. This action only further that belief.

GH repeatedly says that the cheats will always be ahead of the testers. Maybe so, but the sport's leadership hasn't ever tried to get the testers ahead anyway.

Re: When does 2 years not equal 2 years

The IAAF gave an extension to Ali Saidi-Sief as well. Such a ridiculously stupid move. So, Longo and Saidi-Sief can't qualify for Worlds this year? Too freaking bad! They're drug cheats! The IAAF should be banning these cheaters for life, not creating loopholes to make their suspensions easier. If the IAAF truly wants to help track grow, it needs to eradicate the drug problem and creating the precedent of bending over backwards to accomodate a pair of cheaters is absurd and has no deterrent effect.

Re: When does 2 years not equal 2 years

>The IAAF gave an extension to Ali Saidi-Sief as
>well. Such a ridiculously stupid move. So,
>Longo and Saidi-Sief can't qualify for Worlds
>this year? Too freaking bad! They're drug
>cheats! The IAAF should be banning these
>cheaters for life, not creating loopholes to make
>their suspensions easier. If the IAAF truly
>wants to help track grow, it needs to eradicate
>the drug problem and creating the precedent of
>bending over backwards to accomodate a pair of
>cheaters is absurd and has no deterrent effect.

The IAAF doesn't have much interest in drug cheats. Sure, they might nab a European, or suspend an "Arab", today's universal bad guy, but let's see them actually march into E. Africa and test some of these guys off season. Oh wait, they'll say the testee is in some remote village hundreds of miles away. No problem. Those guys wouldn't even take an aspirin. How's Chepchumba doing these days? And her coach, Rosa jr.?

Re: When does 2 years not equal 2 years

Are you saying that east african drug inventors are getting better results than the entire western world, I don't like your odds.