Earlier this week, I ran across an incredibly captivating article in the New York Times revolving around track and field records.
This May, Eurpoean Athletics made an stunning proposal: striking all track and field world records prior to 2005 due to inadequte testing for performance enhancing drugs.
At the center of the controversy, as profiled in the NY Times article, is the longest standing record in outdoor track and field, the women's 800 meters.
As a 32-year old in 1983, Jarmilla Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia ran a blistering 1:52.28, which still stands as the world record. Since that time only one woman, Pamela Jilemo of Kenya (1:54.01 in 2008), has come within a second of the all-time mark.
In track and field terms, one second is an eternity.
Kratochvilova denies ever taking steroids. She claims a combination of intense training, a hearty background, and "vitamins" helped her achieve incredible success.
And she's far from the only athlete to be caught up in this proposal. American Mike Powell, who set the still-standing world record in the long jump in 1991, has threatened legal action if his record is stripped.
This story rasies a million questions, and really makes you think about doping in sports and world records.
Do I believe Kratochvilova, living behind the Iron Curtain at the time, knowlingly or unknowingly took PED's? Absolutely. I have no evidence beyond history and my own two eyes. And that's far from enough to convict, and far from the end.
In her particular political climate, should it make a difference if she was an unknowing participant to a doping scheme? Do I acually believe she was an oblivious participant?
Am I conflicted about whether her particular record should be stripped? You bet. Over the course of 33 years, to only have one athlete come within a second of your performance is highly, highly suspect.
Then again, as the NY Times points out, there's no conclusive evidence she ever did anything wrong. Only strong circustancial evidence.
Perhaps the biggest question of all, how can the world just throw an arbitrary blanket over every track and field performance prior to 2005? World records aside, it casts an ugly shadow over the accomplishments of athletes like Michael Johnson, who until recently held the world record in the 400 meters.
Are we really ready to do this? I'm not so sure.
-------
Here's some good news I came across Thursday night...
"Limited Release." Nothing like trying to hype up something nobody could have possibly missed.
Earlier this week, I ran across an incredibly captivating article in the New York Times revolving around track and field records.
This May, Eurpoean Athletics made an stunning proposal: striking all track and field world records prior to 2005 due to inadequte testing for performance enhancing drugs.
At the center of the controversy, as profiled in the NY Times article, is the longest standing record in outdoor track and field, the women's 800 meters.
As a 32-year old in 1983, Jarmilla Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia ran a blistering 1:52.28, which still stands as the world record. Since that time only one woman, Pamela Jilemo of Kenya (1:54.01 in 2008), has come within a second of the all-time mark.
In track and field terms, one second is an eternity.
Kratochvilova denies ever taking steroids. She claims a combination of intense training, a hearty background, and "vitamins" helped her achieve incredible success.
And she's far from the only athlete to be caught up in this proposal. American Mike Powell, who set the still-standing world record in the long jump in 1991, has threatened legal action if his record is stripped.
This story rasies a million questions, and really makes you think about doping in sports and world records.
Do I believe Kratochvilova, living behind the Iron Curtain at the time, knowlingly or unknowingly took PED's? Absolutely. I have no evidence beyond history and my own two eyes. And that's far from enough to convict, and far from the end.
In her particular political climate, should it make a difference if she was an unknowing participant to a doping scheme? Do I acually believe she was an oblivious participant?
Am I conflicted about whether her particular record should be stripped? You bet. Over the course of 33 years, to only have one athlete come within a second of your performance is highly, highly suspect.
Then again, as the NY Times points out, there's no conclusive evidence she ever did anything wrong. Only strong circustancial evidence.
Perhaps the biggest question of all, how can the world just throw an arbitrary blanket over every track and field performance prior to 2005? World records aside, it casts an ugly shadow over the accomplishments of athletes like Michael Johnson, who until recently held the world record in the 400 meters.
Are we really ready to do this? I'm not so sure.
-------
Would somebody please tell what it takes to get the "death penalty" from the NCAA these days?
On Thursday, the NCAA handed down their judgement and levied penalties against Louisville basketball
------
Here's some good news I came across Thursday night...
"Limited Release." Nothing like trying to hype up something nobody could have possibly missed.
Earlier this week, I ran across an incredibly captivating article in the New York Times revolving around track and field records.
This May, Eurpoean Athletics made an stunning proposal: striking all track and field world records prior to 2005 due to inadequte testing for performance enhancing drugs.
At the center of the controversy, as profiled in the NY Times article, is the longest standing record in outdoor track and field, the women's 800 meters.
As a 32-year old in 1983, Jarmilla Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia ran a blistering 1:52.28, which still stands as the world record. Since that time only one woman, Pamela Jilemo of Kenya (1:54.01 in 2008), has come within a second of the all-time mark.
In track and field terms, one second is an eternity.
Kratochvilova denies ever taking steroids. She claims a combination of intense training, a hearty background, and "vitamins" helped her achieve incredible success.
And she's far from the only athlete to be caught up in this proposal. American Mike Powell, who set the still-standing world record in the long jump in 1991, has threatened legal action if his record is stripped.
This story rasies a million questions, and really makes you think about doping in sports and world records.
Do I believe Kratochvilova, living behind the Iron Curtain at the time, knowlingly or unknowingly took PED's? Absolutely. I have no evidence beyond history and my own two eyes. And that's far from enough to convict, and far from the end.
In her particular political climate, should it make a difference if she was an unknowing participant to a doping scheme? Do I acually believe she was an oblivious participant?
Am I conflicted about whether her particular record should be stripped? You bet. Over the course of 33 years, to only have one athlete come within a second of your performance is highly, highly suspect.
Then again, as the NY Times points out, there's no conclusive evidence she ever did anything wrong. Only strong circustancial evidence.
Perhaps the biggest question of all, how can the world just throw an arbitrary blanket over every track and field performance prior to 2005? World records aside, it casts an ugly shadow over the accomplishments of athletes like Michael Johnson, who until recently held the world record in the 400 meters.
Are we really ready to do this? I'm not so sure.
-------
Would somebody please tell what it takes to get the "death penalty" from the NCAA these days?
On Thursday, the NCAA handed down their judgement and levied penalties against Louisville basketball
------
Here's some good news I came across Thursday night...
"Limited Release." Nothing like trying to hype up something nobody could have possibly missed.
Earlier this week, I ran across an incredibly captivating article in the New York Times revolving around track and field records.
This May, Eurpoean Athletics made an stunning proposal: striking all track and field world records prior to 2005 due to inadequte testing for performance enhancing drugs.
At the center of the controversy, as profiled in the NY Times article, is the longest standing record in outdoor track and field, the women's 800 meters.
As a 32-year old in 1983, Jarmilla Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia ran a blistering 1:52.28, which still stands as the world record. Since that time only one woman, Pamela Jilemo of Kenya (1:54.01 in 2008), has come within a second of the all-time mark.
In track and field terms, one second is an eternity.
Kratochvilova denies ever taking steroids. She claims a combination of intense training, a hearty background, and "vitamins" helped her achieve incredible success.
And she's far from the only athlete to be caught up in this proposal. American Mike Powell, who set the still-standing world record in the long jump in 1991, has threatened legal action if his record is stripped.
This story rasies a million questions, and really makes you think about doping in sports and world records.
Do I believe Kratochvilova, living behind the Iron Curtain at the time, knowlingly or unknowingly took PED's? Absolutely. I have no evidence beyond history and my own two eyes. And that's far from enough to convict, and far from the end.
In her particular political climate, should it make a difference if she was an unknowing participant to a doping scheme? Do I acually believe she was an oblivious participant?
Am I conflicted about whether her particular record should be stripped? You bet. Over the course of 33 years, to only have one athlete come within a second of your performance is highly, highly suspect.
Then again, as the NY Times points out, there's no conclusive evidence she ever did anything wrong. Only strong circustancial evidence.
Perhaps the biggest question of all, how can the world just throw an arbitrary blanket over every track and field performance prior to 2005? World records aside, it casts an ugly shadow over the accomplishments of athletes like Michael Johnson, who until recently held the world record in the 400 meters.
Are we really ready to do this? I'm not so sure.
-------
Would somebody please tell what it takes to get the "death penalty" from the NCAA these days?
On Thursday, the NCAA handed down their judgement and levied penalties against Louisville basketball
------
Here's some good news I came across Thursday night...
"Limited Release." Nothing like trying to hype up something nobody could have possibly missed.
