Salazar banned for four years

[Trickstat]

Though it would not stand up in a court of law, all of us know steroid use was rampant in the 72 and 76 Olys. Blood doping and probably other stuff too.

My family had a copy of Chris Brasher's* book on the 1972 Olympics. I remember he didn't cover the throws in that book and explained that the reason why is that it was well known that steroid use was widespread in the throws but that testing was inadequate.

*1956 Olympic 3000m S/C champion & London Marathon founder for anyone who doesn't know the name. And also one of Bannister's pacemakers for the 4 minute mile.

[jazzcyclist]

I remember being glued to the TV watching Salazar win those epic New York Marathins and this makes me what what he was taking back in those day.

[Lassie]

I was in Helsinki several years ago and went to the 'Sports Museum of Finland'. It is near the Olympic Stadium. There was a nice little exhibit on Virén. I said to the young lady at the counter that the exhibit neglected to mention his blood doping. She was young and the comment was lost on her.

[Conor Dary]

My family had a copy of Chris Brasher's* book on the 1972 Olympics. I remember he didn't cover the throws in that book and explained that the reason why is that it was well known that steroid use was widespread in the throws but that testing was inadequate.

*1956 Olympic 3000m S/C champion & London Marathon founder for anyone who doesn't know the name. And also one of Bannister's pacemakers for the 4 minute mile.

Fwiw....Al Oerter gave a talk in Boulder in 1995...and specifically said he didn't compete in 1972 because of the rampant steroid use.

[gh]

Fwiw....Al Oerter gave a talk in Boulder in 1995...and specifically said he didn't compete in 1972 because of the rampant steroid use.

I had a long talk w/ Oerter about a week after '72 on his not going to Munich and the topic never even came up. Note that his Wiki page (compiled by whom I do not know) says he tried steroids himself in '76.

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

[Olli]

I was in Helsinki several years ago and went to the 'Sports Museum of Finland'. It is near the Olympic Stadium. There was a nice little exhibit on Virén. I said to the young lady at the counter that the exhibit neglected to mention his blood doping. She was young and the comment was lost on her.

Why would they mention Viren's blood doping? There is zero evidence for it.

This is not to deny that he might have done that, but so might any sportsman or woman during that era.

[Conor Dary]

I had a long talk w/ Oerter about a week after '72 on his not going to Munich and the topic never even came up. Note that his Wiki page (compiled by whom I do not know) says he tried steroids himself in '76.

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

Indeed...I am just repeating what he said...I remember it well...it came after a question on why he didn't compete in Munich...

Also he came back in 1980 when the drug scene was perhaps even worse....so who knows what the real story was....

[JumboElliott]

It would be hilarious if Rupp went to Bowerman TC.

[JumboElliott]

I like Craig Masback, but it's a huge conflict of interest to have him in the booth as a Nike employee. It greatly limits discussion of the biggest story in American track and field.

[donley2]

I like Craig Masback, but it's a huge conflict of interest to have him in the booth as a Nike employee. It greatly limits discussion of the biggest story in American track and field.

I have no love for Salazar, but having limited discussion of this on TV is fine with me. We get plenty of bad press from main stream media. Especially relative to the amount of press we get in the US for actual competition.