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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

IAAF Annuls all Marion Jones Results from September 2000

Posted November 23rd, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Drugs In Sports

Marion Jones should be stripped of five Olympic medals from the 2000 Games in the wake of her confession last month to using performance-enhancing drugs, the sport’s world governing body announced today.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council formally disqualified Jones from all competitions on or subsequent to September 1, 2000, in effect wiping nearly seven years from the sprinter’s competitive slate.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said that the Council will also recommend to the International Olympic Committee to disqualify the U.S. women’s 4×100 and 4×400 meter relay teams from the Sydney Games, “And to insist on the return of all medals and diplomas.”

But the governing body stopped short of recommending that controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was the silver medallist in the 100 behind Jones, be awarded the gold medal.
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IAAF Investigations Into Jones Sactions Ongoing

Posted October 14th, 2007 at 2:30 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports

IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss confirmed today that the sport’s world governing body is investigating what sort of sanctions to impose against disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones.

“What will happen with regards to the money? With regards to the medals? What will happen to the relays? These are good questions,” Weiss said, speaking on the eve of the World Road Running Championships in Udine, Italy.

Last week, Jones admitted to having used THG, a designer steroid that came to light following the Balco scandal in 2003, since 2000, and returned the five medals she won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
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On Eve of Title Defense, Kiplagat in “Right Mood”

Posted October 13th, 2007 at 4:45 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results

When she sets out to defend her World Road Running title on Sunday, Lornah Kiplagat will be also be aiming to join some fine company.

Counting the now discontinued World Half Marathon Championships, only Kenyan Tegla Loroupe and Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, both three-time winners, have managed to defend their road running titles. And the Kenyan-born Dutchwoman, all around one of the finest road runners ever, is optimistic about joining that illustrious pair.

“Everything is going normally and everything is going well,” said Kiplagat, who last year lowered the world record in the 20km to 1:03:21 with her victory in the first edition of the reconstituted championships in Debrecen, Hungary. “I’m in the right mood going into the race. I’ve spent the last week in Italy, so it could be a good result.”

Kiplagat followed up with an overwhelming victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa last March, and is now on the rebound from a minor calf injury that sidelined her from the World Championships on the track in Osaka in August.
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Tadesse, Wanjiru Cautiously Optimistic In Udine

Posted October 13th, 2007 at 2:23 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results

When the gun sounds the start of Sunday morning’s men’s race at the 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships, it will also set off one of the finest road battles of the fall. But the chief protagonists, defending champion Zersenay Tadesse and world half marathon record holder Samuel Wanjiru (Pictured), don’t necessarily view it as a two-horse race.

“I’m not predicting anything,” said Tadesse, whose victory over 20 kilometers in Debrecen, Hungary, last year was the first world title of any kind for Eritrea. “I’m feeling good, but there many strong athletes here.”

Wanjiru, who lowered the half marathon standard to 58:33 at The Hague last March, echoed Tadesse’s sentiments. “Tomorrow I think will be very hard and tough. There’s a half dozen who can make the race interesting. The Kenyan team is really tough.”
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IAAF reaffirms call for four-year doping ban

Posted March 26th, 2007 at 5:23 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Drugs In Sports

The IAAF will push for a four-year ban for doping when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) again takes up the measure next fall, the world governing body announced today.

By a unanimous vote, the IAAF Council, meeting for the second day here said it will make the proposal when the WADA code is revised in Madrid in November.

“We know that we will be almost alone on this matter,” said IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss. “But we are convinced about this. And we trust our convictions.”

The ultimate decision to extend the ban lies in the hands of the global agency which oversees doping sanctions for many of the world’s sports.
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IAAF Council finds Taher guilty of age manipulation

Posted March 26th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results

An investigation by the sport’s world governing body determined that Bahraini runner Tarek Mubarek Salem Taher falsified documents to manipulate his age.

The onging probe found that Taher, the former Kenyan Dennis Kipkurui Sang, falsified a birth certificate in order to obtain a Kenyan passport which listed his date of birth as 1 December, 1989, when he was actually at least three years older.

Competing for Bahrain, Taher won the 2000m steeplechase at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, a competition only open to athletes 17 or younger. He also competed for his adopted country in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships and the 2006 World Junior championships, where he finished second in the 3000m steeplechase where he was also ineligible to compete.
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