Some good quotes from Sotherton in yesterday's Daily Mail. Given the source, it's a bit tabloidy, but it's interesting nonetheless:
'During our long jump event in Beijing I saw Blonska take something,' said Sotherton. 'I was sitting next to her during the event, watching her doing it and thinking: "You cheating cow".
'It had started when we were called out of the holding room for the long jump and I saw her husband, who's also her coach, hand her something. We were walking out in single file, with the judges in the front, and he just back-handed her something in a tissue.
'I thought, "I'm going to sit next to you and see you do it. You're cheating. I know you are". I followed her right to the long jump - maybe that's why I messed up my own long jump - and she had a phial. Maybe it was the thing that should have masked her drugs or a stimulant. But she was taking something.
'I think she thought she could do it subtly, but I decided I was going to stare her in the eye. And I thought: "Go on then, do it". And she did!
'It had happened before at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia. Then her husband threw something to her (from the crowd), which you can't do. I didn't see it but all the coaches did and thought it was wrong, but no one reported it. When he did the same again in Beijing, I reported it to the British team and they notified the athletics authorities, the IAAF, and they found something in the warm-up area.'
'It had started when we were called out of the holding room for the long jump and I saw her husband, who's also her coach, hand her something. We were walking out in single file, with the judges in the front, and he just back-handed her something in a tissue.
'I thought, "I'm going to sit next to you and see you do it. You're cheating. I know you are". I followed her right to the long jump - maybe that's why I messed up my own long jump - and she had a phial. Maybe it was the thing that should have masked her drugs or a stimulant. But she was taking something.
'I think she thought she could do it subtly, but I decided I was going to stare her in the eye. And I thought: "Go on then, do it". And she did!
'It had happened before at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia. Then her husband threw something to her (from the crowd), which you can't do. I didn't see it but all the coaches did and thought it was wrong, but no one reported it. When he did the same again in Beijing, I reported it to the British team and they notified the athletics authorities, the IAAF, and they found something in the warm-up area.'
'After the competition, the first five have to give a drugs test,' said Sotherton. 'You have a person who sticks with you all the time to make sure you don't interact with anyone or take masking agents.
Blonska was running away from her girl. 'This girl was trying to keep up with her and she was running off. She was probably panicking, thinking: "What am I going to do?"
'When we were in the drugs-testing room she was the last one in and there was panic all over her face.
Blonska was running away from her girl. 'This girl was trying to keep up with her and she was running off. She was probably panicking, thinking: "What am I going to do?"
'When we were in the drugs-testing room she was the last one in and there was panic all over her face.
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