Lindsey Scherf Explains Her Situation
Posted by Jimmie R. Markham | August 29, 2008
Reader John Scherf, father of Lindsey Scherf, who was suspended for a doping violation for refusing to submit to a test, writes:
Recently on July 20, 2008, you published an article on your home page titled “Dick Pound Is At It Again”. In that article you mentioned Lindsey Scherf. I thought you would like to know more about Lindsey’s case. A few days ago Lindsey was finally able to go public with her story at lindseyscherf.org.
While Dick Pound no longer heads WADA, he was WADA’s CEO when WADA decided to waste $100,000 to $200,000 to appeal Lindsey’s case to CAS for a longer 2-year suspension. Given the circumstances and all the mistakes made by USADA, IAAF and ASADA, no suspension, or a warning, might have been more appropriate. Thanks.
Thank you for keeping us posted, John. I agree that a warning in Lindsey’s case would have been much more appropriate than a one-year suspension. I call for WADA, USADA, IAAF and ASADA to do the right thing: reinstate her immediately with a warning.
Unfortunately for Lindsay, it’s a tough climate out there for our sport and the powers that be have a zero-tolerance policy. If they think there’s even a speck of dirt in the bath water, they’d rather throw the baby out with it than have even a single drop of compassion and common sense.
Let this be a lesson to all athletes who are reading this blog: never, ever refuse a test, especially if you are clean, as Lindsey seems to have been. If she would have taken the test and then have been suspended for a positive result for Flovent (her asthma medication) after previously receiving a Therapeutic Use Exemption, she would have had a legitimate discrimination lawsuit on her hands. Chances are, she wouldn’t have been suspended at all.
Topics: Blog, Doping/Performance Enhancement |