2016 Olympic Marathon champion fails drug test

RayCun

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/39522434

"We can confirm that an anti-doping rule violation case concerning Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) has commenced this week," the IAAF said in a statement.

"The athlete tested positive for EPO (Erythropoietin) following a no-notice test conducted in Kenya.

"This was part of an enhanced IAAF out-of-competition testing programme dedicated to elite marathon runners which is supported by the Abbott World Marathon Majors group."

Interesting that she wasn't caught by the Kenyan authorities, but apparently by a doping programme started by the world marathon majors.

EauRouge79

http://www.the42.ie/jemima-sumgong-doping-out-of-competition-3328358-Apr2017/

EauRouge79

sorry Ray, we seem to have posted at same time. MOD's fire away and remove my thread if you like.

I knew there was something about her a few years back - a rescinded ban.

From her Wikipedia page:

2012[edit]

Sumgong was seventh at the highly competitive Kenyan Cross Country Championships at the start of 2012.[15]

At the 2012 Boston Marathon, high-profile withdrawals and hot running conditions worked in her favour as the race came down to a sprint finish against Sharon Cherop, with Sumgong taking the runner-up spot two seconds behind.[16] Sumgong tested positive for the banned substance prednisolone in her post-race anti-doping test and was given a two-year ban from competition by Athletics Kenya. However, she was cleared on appeal by the IAAF in September 2012, as the local injection which Sumgong had received was permitted under the governing body's rules.[17] Cleared to race, Sumgong again finished behind Cherop at that year's Philadelphia Half Marathon, taking third place.[18]

dastardly00

Good article on LetsRun.com about it.

Want proof of how EPO makes you faster: check out Sumgong’s career progression (If the 'B' sample is positive). She took up the marathon in 2006 at age 21, running 2:35 to win her debut at the Las Vegas Marathon. From 2006 through 2012, she never ran faster than 2:28 across her first six career marathons. In her next two career marathons, at age 28, she improved by almost eight minutes, running 2:23:27 for the win at the 2013 Rotterdam Marathon, followed by 2:20:48 for second (behind Jeptoo) at the 2013 Chicago Marathon. She remained one of the world’s best for the next two years before making another leap in 2016 and winning the two most competitive marathons in the world — London and the Olympics.

average_runner

Massive news this. Its great they caught her.

Tombo2001

I feel for the belorussian runner who was fifth.

Missing out on 4th by a second isn't so bad.

Missing out on a medal by a second is quite another thing.

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

Massive news this. Its great they caught her.

And reiterates why Athletics really is leading the way as regards wanting clean competing in their sport. It needs more praise and encouragement. The majority of the best athletes out there are clean.

Tombo2001

walshb wrote: »

And reiterates why Athletics really is leading the way as regards wanting clean competing in their sport. It needs more praise and encouragement. The majority of the best athletes out there are clean.

EDIT
On mature reflection, I wont bite.

walshb

Tombo2001 wrote: »

EDIT
On mature reflection, I wont bite.

Bite what?

Athletics is one sport that is tackling PED use more than any other sport. If you disagree with that, just say so.

The majority of the best athletes out there are competing clean. That is my view. Again, if you disagree simply say so.

No need to bite anything.

Tombo2001

Exhibit 1.

Womens athletics: Medals have been so far been rescinded in 9 different events from the London Olympics, womens athletics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stripped_Olympic_medals

There are 22 events in total - as such, in 42% of events, medals have been rescinded due to doping. This includes the Gold medal winners in all the mid-distance races 800m, 1500m, 3000m

Exhibit 2.
Medals table from the 2013 World Athletics Champs


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_World_Championships_in_Athletics#Medals

1. Russia
3. Jamaica
4. Kenya.
None are known for having rigorous doping controls; I don't think I am being controversial in saying that.


You've made two statements
(I) Athletics makes comparatively more efforts to test athletes and find cheats. Yay or nay, its difficult to compare apples with oranges - for example, British athletics may have a better system for doping than British soccer; hypothetically. However, British athletics is only testing British athletes, whereas any African, Russian, Turkish soccer player of worth will be in Britain or Spain or Germany, and subject to the doping control standards of those countries. Whereas a Russian athlete is based in Russia, and therefore subject primarily to doping control standards (and attitudes) in Russia.

(II) Quite clear, in recent history a very significant number of medal winning athletes have had medals stripped due to doping; with the likelihood that there are more again that haven't been caught. There is a good likelihood that there were dopers amongst the medal winners in more than half the womens athletics events in London for example, given that 42% have seen medals stripped.

In that context - look your exact words were 'the majority of best athletes are competing clean' - if you mean the majority in the sense of 60%-70% of leading athletes are competing clean; then I don't think that's something to celebrate. Givenrecent history that you couldn't say its much more than that.

walshb

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Exhibit 1.

Womens athletics: Medals have been so far been rescinded in 9 different events from the London Olympics, womens athletics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stripped_Olympic_medals

There are 22 events in total - as such, in 42% of events, medals have been rescinded due to doping. This includes the Gold medal winners in all the mid-distance races 800m, 1500m, 3000m

Exhibit 2.
Medals table from the 2013 World Athletics Champs


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_World_Championships_in_Athletics#Medals

1. Russia
3. Jamaica
4. Kenya.
None are known for having rigorous doping controls; I don't think I am being controversial in saying that.


You've made two statements
(I) Athletics makes comparatively more efforts to test athletes and find cheats. Yay or nay, its difficult to compare apples with oranges - for example, British athletics may have a better system for doping than British soccer; hypothetically. However, British athletics is only testing British athletes, whereas any African, Russian, Turkish soccer player of worth will be in Britain or Spain or Germany, and subject to the doping control standards of those countries. Whereas a Russian athlete is based in Russia, and therefore subject primarily to doping control standards (and attitudes) in Russia.

(II) Quite clear, in recent history a very significant number of medal winning athletes have had medals stripped due to doping; with the likelihood that there are more again that haven't been caught. There is a good likelihood that there were dopers amongst the medal winners in more than half the womens athletics events in London for example, given that 42% have seen medals stripped.

In that context - look your exact words were 'the majority of best athletes are competing clean' - if you mean the majority in the sense of 60%-70% of leading athletes are competing clean; then I don't think that's something to celebrate. Givenrecent history that you couldn't say its much more than that.

Well, that's a lot better than your previous post.

I just don't see the point in these threads if any kind of opposing view (in this case, me simply giving athletics a little praise and encouragement) is met with an inability to debate and a strange kind of dismissal.

Shouldn't athletics fans and lovers of the sport be once in a while trying to help and praise and promote their sport? Nobody is saying that the sport is perfect, but yes, I believe the vast majority of everyone involved with the sport are good people who are trying to make the sport great. Shoot me.

For every doper caught there are many more great athletes clean. There's your statistic. Make of it what you want.

robinph

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Exhibit 1.

Womens athletics: Medals have been so far been rescinded in 9 different events from the London Olympics, womens athletics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stripped_Olympic_medals

There are 22 events in total - as such, in 42% of events, medals have been rescinded due to doping. This includes the Gold medal winners in all the mid-distance races 800m, 1500m, 3000m

That is slightly misrepresenting things in order to come up with a bigger number.

There are 14 medallists on that list out of a total of (presumably 22x3) 66 medals awarded, so 21% of medallists. That it's from 42% of the events is irrelevant. It's the number of athletes being caught that is of interest, not if they were running twice round a track or 4 times round a track.

Tombo2001

robinph wrote: »

That is slightly misrepresenting things in order to come up with a bigger number.

There are 14 medallists on that list out of a total of (presumably 22x3) 66 medals awarded, so 21% of medallists. That it's from 42% of the events is irrelevant. It's the number of athletes being caught that is of interest, not if they were running twice round a track or 4 times round a track.

Yes an no.

If you are 4th, as many Irish athletes have been, it only takes 1 of the 3 in front of you to be doping - to deny you the glory of a place on the podium; and all the financial benefits that go with that. As such, the number of events for me is as significant as the number of athletes.

We must be close to double figures now re the amount of Irish athletes who have had a medal upgrade due to doping.

In addition, the probability is that there were many more again who weren't caught.

Chivito550

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Yes an no.

If you are 4th, as many Irish athletes have been, it only takes 1 of the 3 in front of you to be doping - to deny you the glory of a place on the podium; and all the financial benefits that go with that. As such, the number of events for me is as significant as the number of athletes.

We must be close to double figures now re the amount of Irish athletes who have had a medal upgrade due to doping.

In addition, the probability is that there were many more again who weren't caught.

To be fair to Walsh he does make a valid point regarding the fact that athletics (along with cycling) tackles doping on a much more serious note than any other sport. Could you imagine if you suddenly applied the level of testing and scrutiny that is seen in athletics to football, you wouldn't be able to field a Barcelona or Real Madrid team!

People are hypocrites. Disgusts me when people throw out lazy assumptions about athletics yet will happily watch NFL which is known to be a complete drug fest, or UFC which hardly does much in the way of drug testing. No issue with people making informed comments about athletics if they are consistent in their attitude to doping across all sports. Why do some people turn away from one sport because of doping, yet turn a complete blind eye in another and ignore it? A selective ethical stance.

Tombo2001

Chivito550 wrote: »

To be fair to Walsh he does make a valid point regarding the fact that athletics (along with cycling) tackles doping on a much more serious note than any other sport. Could you imagine if you suddenly applied the level of testing and scrutiny that is seen in athletics to football, you wouldn't be able to field a Barcelona or Real Madrid team!

People are hypocrites. Disgusts me when people throw out lazy assumptions about athletics yet will happily watch NFL which is known to be a complete drug fest, or UFC which hardly does much in the way of drug testing.

Yes,

And to be fair to WalshB, and to argue against myself, athletics did take the rather extraordinary and brave decision to ban Russia from the Olympics last year.

The stats I presented relating to London 2012; more than half the instances of doping were Russians.

I would hope that in ten years, we will see a much lower % of cases from Rio.

He is right - athletics is strong on doping.

However, its the bit about the majority of leading athletes being clean that I'd question. 60%-70%, perhaps. 80%-90% clean, not in recent years.

walshb

Tombo2001 wrote: »

And to be fair to WalshB, and to argue against myself, athletics did take the rather extraordinary and brave decision to ban Russia from the Olympics last year.

It has little to do with being fair. I am simply speaking sense...

BTW, the "thanks" your initial post received is more to do with posters having a bee in their bonnet as regards my sense, as opposed to them agreeing with your post. More of a dig at me than a thanks to you....

Chivito550

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Yes,

And to be fair to WalshB, and to argue against myself, athletics did take the rather extraordinary and brave decision to ban Russia from the Olympics last year.

The stats I presented relating to London 2012; more than half the instances of doping were Russians.

I would hope that in ten years, we will see a much lower % of cases from Rio.

He is right - athletics is strong on doping.

However, its the bit about the majority of leading athletes being clean that I'd question. 60%-70%, perhaps. 80%-90% clean, not in recent years.

I'd say 60-70% of top athletes (say those ranking in top 6-8) would be about right. 90% of all who compete at a World Champs could be right.

The fact that FIFA are holding their showpiece event in Russia next year while the IAAF have banned Russia says it all for me.

Tombo2001

Chivito550 wrote: »

I'd say 60-70% of top athletes (say those ranking in top 6-8) would be about right. 90% of all who compete at a World Champs could be right.

The fact that FIFA are holding their showpiece event in Russia next year while the IAAF have banned Russia says it all for me.

Ah here - the next one is in Qatar - that's hardly a doping stronghold

Tombo2001

walshb wrote: »

Well, that's a lot better than your previous post.

I just don't see the point in these threads if any kind of opposing view (in this case, me simply giving athletics a little praise and encouragement) is met with an inability to debate and a strange kind of dismissal.

Shouldn't athletics fans and lovers of the sport be once in a while trying to help and praise and promote their sport? Nobody is saying that the sport is perfect, but yes, I believe the vast majority of everyone involved with the sport are good people who are trying to make the sport great. Shoot me.

For every doper caught there are many more great athletes clean. There's your statistic. Make of it what you want.

Yes completely.

When it comes to sports coverage - there are the staples. These are the sports where for example a newspaper has a journalist dedicated almost exclusively to that sport - In the Irish Times see Dermot Gilleece for Golf, Gerry Thornley/ Liam Toland for Rugby; Sean Moran, Darragh OSe for GAA; Ken Early, Emmet Malone for soccer.

These are the mainstream sports. On a given day, their sports will receive coverage, because that's all they write about.


After that, the 'minority sports' get a significant amount of coverage for Olympics, less so world championships. But this is only once a year or every second year; Its a tiny part of overall column inches.

In between, the only thing that's considered 'news' is the negative stuff.

So todays Irish Times is running a big piece this on the Womens soccer team. They've never run a decent match report on the womens soccer team before though. Why not?

Tomorrow there will be a big piece on the marathon runner doping. But there probably wont be any coverage on the Boston marathon next week, for example.

Point being - that most of the 'news' around athletics is negative - Russian doping scandals, Turkey poaching athletes.

So absolutely - the athletics community needs to do more lobbying or whatever the word is to say the press is only covering the bad stuff, not the good stuff.

And not just athletics.
Two irish Swimming records broken yesterday? Its a footnote to three separate articles about Tadhg Furlong, Rory best and Connacht rugby.

Pherekydes

Tombo2001 wrote: »

1. Russia.

Team State-sponsored Doping was banned for this year and last by the sport of Athletics, but not by any other, ergo Athletics is doing more than any other.

Tombo2001

Pherekydes wrote: »

Team State-sponsored Doping was banned for this year and last by the sport of Athletics, but not by any other, ergo Athletics is doing more than any other.

There were two points made

(I) Athletics is doing more
(II) The majority of the best runners are now clean.

rom

Just compare the progression of Jemimah Sumgong and Rita Jeptoo with Stanley Biwott and Priscah Jeptoo on IAAF site. Clearly you don't need drugs to make such improvements.

youngrun

How are Kenya allowed compete ? Surely they should have to prove they have a working system for anti doping before they can compete at Worlds this year. is there not a standard model the IAAF or WADA have? eg Labs, personnel, no of tests, independent checks etc etc .

rom

Sumgong’s provisional positive test came from one of the Abbott WMM-funded out of competition tests.

nop98

I am probably just naive but I am actually really disappointed.

I haven't been following elite-level athletics like some of the other posters but from the moment I saw Sumgong gritting her teeth and win London 2016 after taking such a hard fall at the water-station, I have been a fan. It was such an amazing win and I was delighted she won Rio 2016 as well.

Oh well.

flatty

Well I'm shocked.
😱

RayCun

another failed test, athlete as yet unnamed
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/04/28/kenya-says-another-high-profile-athlete-failed-doping-test