04/26/24
May 20, 2005
Collins drops appeal, accepts 4-year ban. : Michelle Collins, a former world champion sprinter who got busted in the BALCO scandal, dropped her appeal after USADA lowered the period of suspension from eight years to four.
posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 06:28 PM - 4 comments
Yup, she's toast.
"It's one thing to have a glittering career ahead and to be fighting USADA," [her lawyer] said. "It's another to be in a position where one can't race because of injuries and to be fighting USADA."The original eight-year suspension was pretty exceptional; I wonder if USADA took that stance knowing that they would end up settling for a "normal" four years?
posted by Amateur at 08:09 PM on May 20, 2005
The story I saw on this in the paper today also included the latest on Marion Jones. Though she's never tested positive and not been suspended, the group of 50 major European meets will not allow her to compete this year. If she's broken the rules, prove it and penalize her but as she hasn't then I don't think the meet organizers are doing the right thing. Guilt by association may be okay in the eight grade but not from alleged adults.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:24 PM on May 20, 2005
You know, I don't have much sympathy for steroid users, and I personally believe that Jones is guilty of the accusations Victor Conte has made against her. There is a lot more here than "guilt by association," since more than one person has claimed that he has personal knowledge of her banned substance program. The fact that she has not tested positive is basically irrelevant and USADA has pursued suspensions in several other cases without a positive test. Having said all that, though, I do think that she is being mistreated here. Why has she not been suspended, when several other BALCO-linked athletes have been? It must be because USADA has some doubt about the evidence against Jones. Either you have enough to punish her, or you don't. This "let's just not invite her" strategy is, as you say, not an adult way to deal with the issue.
posted by Amateur at 08:32 AM on May 24, 2005
...Collins also lost a world and US title in the deal. She cut her suspension in half, but given her age (she's 34), it's still one helluva banhammer.