So, if you took steroids or EPO or whatever 'Frankenstein pharmaceutical' there is/was to win a race and you are not caught within 8 years, you get to keep your medals. From Swimming World article:"... IOC President, Jacque Rogge, citing the Olympic Charter Law of the Statute of Limitations of eight years, during a media conference call, stated that it would be legally difficult to take the medals away from the cyclists after eight years. And that it may also complicate matters with the 1976 Olympics as the German media reported, that possibly the Olympic medals given to the East German swimmers in 1976 would not be taken away from them. ..."
But what happens to the athletes that actually won but were the summarily forgotten?
"...The precedent is firmly established and legally sound, that, no IOC law would prevent [IOC President Jacques Rogge] from awarding Olympic medals to Shirley Babashoff from the U.S., Gabrielle Askamp of West Germany, Enith Brigitha of The Netherlands, Anneliee Maas of The Netherlands, Shannon Smith of Canada, Rebecca Perrott of New Zealand, and other swimmers as co-Olympic champions as the IOC has in the past in other cases. That is the right thing to do. There are no obstacles or objections to having the medal ceremony that men and women of goodwill cannot overcome. ..." [Link]
Imagine getting your medals ten, twenty, or thirty years later in some conference room, or worse, by mail? This is the true damage that cheaters do. They usurp the moment, the glory, and the financial rewards. Shirley Babashoff would have been a millionaire if allowed to win her 7 gold medals circa '72.
1 comment:
No reason why they can't receive their medals properly at the next Games. They could either hold a special ceremony for the awards; give them out at the commencement of the applicable sport's competition, or even make them a part of the opening ceremonies. It does sound as if the IOC is planning something to correct past injustices which is great and long overdue.
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