Relay Medals [U.S. Poll Results]

[Quarter Horse]

I don't want to discuss Marion Jones and her drug admission on this thread. I'm just curious to know if the people on this board believe that the members of the relay teams should also have to return their medals from 2000 and 2001.

[Powell]

Yes, they should.

[guru]

Yes, they should.

Agree, though for those who have never been tinged by drug suspicions it is a tragedy, especially for that 4x4.

[Powell]

for those who have never been tinged by drug suspicions it is a tragedy

But that's beside the point. If one member of the team used drugs, then the team was unfairly aided. I find it strange anyone would even ask the question Quarter Horse asked here.

[mal]

Drug taking is dirty, but I am not sure its such a dirty 'secret.'

[26mi235]

for those who have never been tinged by drug suspicions it is a tragedy

But that's beside the point. If one member of the team used drugs, then the team was unfairly aided.

MJ was the number 1 runner on both the those relays -- just based on what they would have gotten with the 5th best US runner rather than the best would have resulted in lower placings at best. I do not know if it should make any difference, but the likelihood that they would not have been obtained in the first place makes it a lot less of an issue for me.

[Quarter Horse]

With these comments in mind, let's not forget about a previous story:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics ... elay_x.htm

And this team had 3 drug cheats competing.

[Powell]

I do not know if it should make any difference, but the likelihood that they would not have been obtained in the first place makes it a lot less of an issue for me.

For me it makes no difference whatsoever. That's how it works with all rules in T&F. Marion could have very possibly won individual titles without PEDs. Gwen Torrence certainly did not need to step on the line to finish first in the 1995 WCh 200 final. Maria Mutola definitely didn't need to break out of her lane early to qualify for the final in the same championships. But that does not matter. If you break the rules, you pay.

Taking a medal away from only one runner would be absurd for other reasons, too. So you now try to pretend that it was a three-woman team that won the relay?

[Powell]

With these comments in mind, let's not forget about a previous story:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics ... elay_x.htm

And this team had 3 drug cheats competing.

I'm not forgetting anything, but let's stay on track here. The Harrisons did not test positive before Sydney, did they? So it was one cheat, not three.

The difference between that case and Marion's was that Jerome Young only ran in the qualifying. Of course, if you ask me, the IOC's decision was completely wrong. If you're drug positive in the heats, your performance in that should be annulled, so you should not have made the final, and the lack of unfair aid in the later race is irrelevant.

[Quarter Horse]

"Taking a medal away from only one runner would be absurd for other reasons, too. So you now try to pretend that it was a three-woman team that won the relay?"

And I agree 100% with this notion, but unfortunately the governing body of T&F doesn't always agree...

[Powell]

I agree 100% with this notion, but unfortunately the governing body of T&F doesn't always agree...

Don't they? I thought it was only the IOC.

[bad hammy]

Of course, if you ask me, the IOC's decision was completely wrong.

It was a CAS decision, not the IOC.

[Half Miler]

Passion Richardson, for one, won't voluntarily return her medal.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/200 ... medals.cnn

[Quarter Horse]

The message that CAS sent was basically this:

"It's okay to have drug cheat help your relay team get to the finals, as long as the team that competes in the finals is clean. It's okay to rob another country/team from their opportunity to make the final, but you can't cheat in the final to win a medal."

Or is it a matter of "Let's see who losing a medal would effect, and then make a ruling as to whether or not they deserve to lose that medal"?

[bad hammy]

The message that CAS sent was basically this:

"It's okay to have drug cheat help your relay team get to the finals, as long as the team that competes in the finals is clean. It's okay to rob another country/team from their opportunity to make the final, but you can't cheat in the final to win a medal."

Or is it a matter of "Let's see who losing a medal would effect, and then make a ruling as to whether or not they deserve to lose that medal"?

The CAS decision was basically that the rules current at the time did not allow for the taking of relay member's medals.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/sports/181 ... rt_ruling/

The court said IAAF rules in force at the time of the Sydney Games did not allow for a whole team to be disqualified because of the actions of one of its members.