Posted by Derek Lee-Wo on August 2nd, 2008 in Rants, Running

Antonio Pettigrew admitted to doping earlier this year and now the IOC has stripped the US 4×400m relay team of their Sydney 2000 gold medal.  As much as the spectators may feel cheated when this occurs, I think the people the cheaters lets down the most are their teammates.  As spectators, we are just watching the sports and enjoying it, but their teammates are their peers.  Their teammates are going through the same rigorous training.  And on a relay team, it if the only chance for some of these runners to get a gold medal and then to find themselves stripped of it is saddening.

The situation is the same for cycling where a single cyclist can bring down the destruction of an entire team.