Ian Thorpe, the Australian swimmer embroiled in a doping controversy, is going to fight the allegations made against him, according to an article in Britain’s The Mirror.
The Australian superstar swimmer fears that, even so, the allegations have damaged his reputation, telling the paper,
“That’s one of the saddest things, that my accomplishments in the sport are being questioned. I’ve never cheated and I pride myself on my record.
“I was physically shaking when I heard the news, it’s gut-wrenching. I’ve complete confidence all the medical and scientific evidence will establish I’m clean. There are many innocent physiological and pathological reasons why a test may return unusual levels of these substances.”
Speaking to Radio Australia, Thorpe said,
“You know I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to react, and you know I think I sat in my room you know kind of physically shaking because I didn’t understand it.”
And he told the Brisbane Times:
“I have never cheated and have always complied with my obligations to the anti-doping code to the letter,” [Thorpe] said.
“I have complete confidence that all the medical and scientific evidence will establish that I am clean.”
Another athlete whose reputation has been badly damaged by leaks and insinuation is Floyd Landis, last year’s Tour de France winner. It is very interesting that these newest leaks seem to be coming through a similar conduit as the leaks in the Landis case. L’Equipe, which is doing its best to become the National Enquirer of France, seems to have some well-placed sources who are able to dish dirt whenever the editors in Paris need. He, too, has vowed to clear his name. And in 6 weeks time, he will finally get his hearings.
As Peloton Jim said over at Endless Cycle, welcome to Hell, Ian. Even though there has been no adverse finding at all, you’re being slimed by someone at FINA, or someone at the whatever lab processed the results, or someone at ASADA. Those are the most likely sources for the L’Equipe story that’s turned your life upside-down.
Over at ABC.net.au, Richard Ings, the chairman of ASADA was interviewed about the Thorpe case, and told them:
[Thorpe’s] sample was collected in May of 2006. It indicated a slightly elevated or unusual levels of two naturally-occurring hormones. That triggers in an examination which involves up to three months worth of follow-up testing, consultation with medical and scientific experts.
Those experts gave us some conflicting opinions as to whether these … this sample was unusual or not and we don’t like to contact an athlete and burden them until we are absolutely sure that we have a question to ask.
In the Brisbane Times article, Ings appears to suggest that the majority of the experts consulted about the findings thought they were suspicious. He goes on to tell ABC.net.au:
There’s no allegation that this athlete has committed a rule violation. So, all the reports of failed drug tests are simply incorrect.
In talking about FINA’s action, Ings tells ABC.net.au:
FINA has brought an action against ASADA through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to clarify the process that we’ve been working through in managing this sample.
We appreciate and respect the right of FINA to do that, but we’re working through the management of this sample based on the information that we received from our independent scientific experts, and we’re not going to be coerced or cajoled by any party in assuming or proceeding with any matter are speaking with an athlete until we are absolutely certain of the need to do so.
Ings also told his interviewers that he did not think the source of the leak was any of the ASADA staff familiar with the situation, saying:
I am very, very sure that the handful of people in my Canberra-based office who were aware of the details of this matter have not been in contact with a French-speaking journalist from a Parisian-based newspaper to break this story.
Regardless of who the source is, much of the damage to Thorpe’s good name and reputation has already been done. At this point, perhaps the best he can hope for is vindication and exoneration. Over the years, he’s been an outspoken opponent of doping, so for him to fall prey to the anti-doping machine would carry no small amount of irony.
But as Richard Ings said, there’s been no adverse finding, and no allegations of wrong-doing at this point. FINA seems to be bent on twisting ASADA’s arm to force them to begin an anti-doping proceeding against the star swimmer, however. And good for ASADA that they will not be bullied into doing so.
Perhaps the most surreal aspect to this story is the reaction by WADA, who released a statement saying:
“The apparent provision of an athlete’s name to the media when it should have been kept confidential is unacceptable,” WADA said Monday in a statement.
The statement goes on to say:
“WADA is especially shocked that the name of an athlete was apparently given to the media while no adverse analytical finding has been determined at this point,” [their statement] said.
“This particular case has not led to an analytical positive result, but is rather an unusual situation which is subject to further inquiry.”
Interestingly, the statement doesn’t mention whether it would have been OK to release Thorpe’s name if there had been an adverse finding. But my understanding of the rules is that would have been out of bounds, too. But in the Landis case, little or no comment was made about the leak of Floyd Landis’ name and the allegations against him to the press before the process had run its course.
Has the agency learned from its mistakes, or is there a different standard applied to swimmers (remember, Dick Pound was an Olympic-caliber swimmer back in 1960) than for cyclists or track and field athletes?
It’s appalling that Thorpe’s name was released at all, given that ASADA hasn’t even determined a violation occurred. If FINA is playing hardball with the Aussies by outing one of their bigger stars, they’re playing a dangerous game. They are destroying their own credibility as they seek to destroy someone who deserves the presumption of innocence. And by beginning the trial by media phase so early, they are ensuring maximum damage to Thorpe’s reputation, just as the UCI did to Landis in the days following the Tour.
Once this matter is settled, the person who leaked the information should be found and held accountable for the damage that he or she has caused. There is no fair play in the manner that this story broke. And assume for the moment (as we should) that Thorpe is, indeed, innocent. Who is going to restore his good name when this is all over? And who is going to compensate him for the expense and damage that he’s no doubt going to experience? Can it even be done, or will he always be dogged by these allegations?
I hope Ian Thorpe has a good barrister down Austrailia way, he’s going to need it. And perhaps he really should give Floyd Landis a call. I’m sure Landis and his team could be quite helpful in offering suggestions on how to battle the damage that’s already been done.
