Wassup with that? Smoke? Fire? A trigger for early retirement? A consequence of a night out drinking beer? Or pawn in a political fight involving doping agencies and sporting Orgs, some overzealous and others not zealous enough?
Either way, it’s been interesting to observe all Australian, political, media and sporting classes circle the wagons in support. So, who will break ranks and be the first to throw a stone at the apparently untouchable monument that is the Thorpedo?
Remember when life was simple and being fat was the greatest of his worries?
7 responses so far ↓
Shaun // Apr 3, 2007 at 11:09 pm
If there is something untoward actually happened it wiill be like trying to determine which shark bit first in a feeding frenzy. We love our heroes and love savaging them when the “betray” us.
Phil // Apr 4, 2007 at 8:58 am
Interesting comment in the Oz’s Peter Lalor’s blog.
This is a story that will be teased out slowly over the next few weeks. Like Chinese water torture, drip, drip, drip………….
Five // Apr 4, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Yikes, who knows what to say in a circumstance like this? Some of those tall poppy lopping types will be salivating. Others will be too partisan to ever see this objectively.
Phil // Apr 5, 2007 at 5:07 am
One other interesting snippet. Apparently Thorpys usual T/Te ratio in previous tests was 1.5/1, the initial sample returned above 4/1.
Now usually this triggers something with the authorities, the athlete is informed and then the B is tested in front of reps. He would have known about the elevated levels from the first test yonks ago.
In all probability this won’t go much further because it looks like the B side came up as normal, still there are rich veins of questions to be asked of all parties involved, it’ll be interesting to see who is going to piece things together and where it leads. Chris Masters anyone?
Club Troppo » Missing Link // Apr 5, 2007 at 6:42 pm
[...] Phil at Sidelined muses about the Thorpedo’s guilt or innocence of drug cheating. This comment under Phil’s post rather suggests that Thorpie might well be in strife. [...]
Thoglette // Apr 10, 2007 at 7:40 pm
“In all probability this won’t go much further”
Huh? Check out what’s happened to Floyd Landis, who has had an almost exactly identical result leaked in an almost exactly identical way after the 2006 Tour de France.
To quote Dick Pound (the WADA chief and supposed independent arbitor)
“You’d think he’d be violating every virgin within 100 miles. How does he even get on his bicycle?”
For anyone interested in what T/E ratios means or just how out of control the whole doping/anti-doping thing is, google the Floyd Landis case.
Thog
Phil // Apr 10, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Thog, I know a lot about the Landis case. I’ve commented at my own blog and in other places about him. No longer, at least until the hearing is finished.
I think you have this the wrong way around.
Anyway, I will come out of my self imposed vow of silence to say this, Landis and his team have been very successful in prosecuting his case via the media and a Wiki approach, the ASADA hearing will be in an open forum….a first.
However, we have not heard from the doping authorities, unlike Pound they have been silent.
I’d reserve judgment until the scientists have their say. The Landis side isn’t the last word on doping, their case is specific to their circumstances.
And believe me it isn’t about reform as they like to say, it’s about total destruction…..with nothing left and a landscape where the dopers win.
Like climate change they always attack the scientists and methodology when many of these tests are used routinely in medicine.
My opinion? Landis got done for tax evasion and not murder. Despite the claims his system was seriously screwy.
BTW, no one that I know in cycling believes his performance that day. And watching it live on SBS that night I laughed my head off and actually said “I wonder if he’ll get done”. Presto!
Lastly, regarding Pounds famous “violating virgins” comment. From what I keep hearing in Sydney our virgins (if there are any left) have nothing to fear from the Thorpedo.
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