songs of experience

Today I received this missive from USA Track & Field:

Dear USATF Member,

As you are aware, several doping cases involving track and field athletes, including Justin Gatlin, recently been in the news. We don’t need to tell you how serious of a concern this is for the track and field world, for USATF and even for American sports as a whole, especially given that these cases coincide the testosterone positive of Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

Since the BALCO scandal of 2003/2004, our athletes, Board of Directors, administrators, coaches and membership have worked to battle doping in our sport. USATF adopted and began to implement our Zero Tolerance policy at the Annual Meeting in 2003. Thanks to the organization uniting as one, and to the efforts of our athletes and their actions on and off the track, we were able to put the drugs issue in the background. But as we have known from the very start, drugs will never be behind us, and these cases – the first “major” doping cases involving track athletes since BALCO – is a prime example.

We have all learned valuable lessons from the past several years, and we cannot overstate the fact that these cases provide the gravest of challenges to our organization once again. We must address them in the most direct and effective way possible. Keeping an open dialog with our members is one of the most important measures we can take, because you are critical to the future of our sport on every level.

In order to ensure the brightest future and to maintain and restore track and field’s credibility, certain steps are crucial, whether you are a youth athlete, masters athlete, coach, official, manager or fan:

* Do not cheat or encourage others to cheat. You may think you can cheat or help others to cheat and get away with it, but you can’t. WADA, USADA, the USOC, the IAAF and USATF are working together to expand testing and are constantly making it more effective. There are ongoing and far-reaching federal investigations that are likely to lead to explosive new developments and lines of inquiry. Cheaters will be caught and punished.

* Report cheaters. The only way for us to get to a level playing field is to get the cheaters out of our sport. You can play a key role by reporting cheating athletes, coaches, trainers and agents to USATF’s confidential anti-doping hotline (1-866-809-8104) or to USADA.

* Embrace the public. Now, more than ever, we all must reach out to the public to define our sport and our athletes in ways that are different and better than other sports. This can be accomplished in many ways, and USATF is going to provide more and more opportunities for our athletes to interact with fans and the public. As a member, you can embrace the public by discussing with your friends, family and colleagues how seriously USATF takes the doping issue, as illustrated by the fact that we catch cheaters, regardless of whether they are “also-rans” or world champions.

In addition to the steps above, the USATF Board of Directors is once again investigating steps we can take to deter athletes from doping and to rid the sport of any individual – athlete, coach, trainer, manager, or agent – who advocates doping. We also continue to have an open dialog with the USOC, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and IAAF about measures we can take collectively.

Doping is not just a problem for athletes or for our sport; it is a problem for all Americans. We must continue to work together in the constant battle to rid our sport of drugs.

Warm regards,

Bill Roe, President
Craig A. Masback, CEO

Oooooh, I can’t wait to find out what (who) the “explosive new developments and lines of inquiry” are!!

The truth will out.

From Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

LAUNCELOT:

“Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of
the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his
own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of
your son: give me your blessing: truth will come
to light; murder cannot be hid long; a man’s son
may, but at the length truth will out,”.