{"id":312,"date":"2010-04-22T12:56:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-22T19:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=312"},"modified":"2010-04-22T12:56:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-22T19:56:00","slug":"not-another-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=312","title":{"rendered":"Not Another Mistake !"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once again we get the report of another positive drug test. This time it\u2019s Lashawn Merritt who according to his press release<\/a> inadvertently used a product that contained DHEA. While it depresses me that, yet again, we have an individual testing positive in this sport it\u2019s more depressing that this is a situation that clearly could have been avoided with a little knowledge. <\/p>\n

Judging from the reports, this is a matter where Mr. Merritt clearly wasn\u2019t using a product to improve his performance on the track. However, with the sport having a policy of strict liability when it comes to substances that one puts into their body, it is imperative that he, or any other athlete, be completely knowledgeable about any and all substances that they ingest. It doesn\u2019t matter if they are over the counter or prescription medications, vitamin supplements or foods that one is not familiar with. Athletes MUST be aware of what items contain before putting them into their bodies!<\/p>\n

I am disappointed with the response<\/a> of USATF CEO Doug Logan who has chosen to castigate Merritt and focus on the negative when instead this is a moment that should be used for educating Merritt, and in turn the rest of our elite athletes on just how perilous the day to day use of ANY substance can be without proper knowledge! Throwing Merritt or any other athlete under the bus does not fix this problem! Clearly the programs in place at USATF are not getting the job done, and that is where our CEO should start. Merritt is not the first to make such a silly mistake, nor will he be the last, unless we find a way to make sure that our athletes are armed with all the information they need to make the correct decisions.<\/p>\n

So my message to the athletes and coaches is this. Let\u2019s stop making foolish mistakes! Not only is your reputation on the line, but so is that of USA Track and Field as both an organization and a sport. We already have a reputation that has been sullied by drug scandals and innuendo. We can ill afford any further negative publicity OR the loss of critical potential medal earners. <\/p>\n

Make sure that you are completely aware of the chemical make up of anything that you eat, drink, or even rub on your bodies. Make sure that you have the most current list of banned substances in your possession. Clear ANY items you may intend to put into your body with your physician and USADA. When you are travelling and in unfamiliar locales make sure you check ALL items for what they may contain before ingesting. Your livelihood, your career, is constantly at stake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once again we get the report of another positive drug test. This time it\u2019s Lashawn Merritt who according to his press release inadvertently used a product that contained DHEA. While it depresses me that, yet again, we have an individual testing positive in this sport it\u2019s more depressing that this is a situation that clearly could have been avoided with a little knowledge. Judging from the reports, this is a matter where Mr. Merritt clearly wasn\u2019t using a product to improve his performance on the track. However, with the sport having a policy of strict liability when it comes to substances that one puts into their body, it is imperative that he, or any other athlete, be completely knowledgeable about any and all substances that they ingest. It doesn\u2019t matter if they are over the counter or prescription medications, vitamin supplements or foods that one is not familiar with. Athletes MUST be aware of what items contain before putting them into their bodies! I am disappointed with the response of USATF CEO Doug Logan who has chosen to castigate Merritt and focus on the negative when instead this is a moment that should be used for educating Merritt, and in turn the rest of our elite athletes on just how perilous the day to day use of ANY substance can be without proper knowledge! Throwing Merritt or any other athlete under the bus does not fix this problem! Clearly the programs in place at USATF are not getting the job done, and that is where our CEO should start. Merritt is not the first to make such a silly mistake, nor will he be the last, unless we find a way to make sure that our athletes are armed with all the information they need to make the correct decisions. So my message to the athletes and coaches is this. Let\u2019s stop making foolish mistakes! Not only is your reputation on the line, but so is that of USA Track and Field as both an organization and a sport. We already have a reputation that has been sullied by drug scandals and innuendo. We can ill afford any further negative publicity OR the loss of critical potential medal earners. Make sure that you are completely aware of the chemical make up of anything that you eat, drink, or even rub on your bodies. Make sure that you have the most current list of banned substances in your possession. Clear ANY items you may intend to put into your body with your physician and USADA. When you are travelling and in unfamiliar locales make sure you check ALL items for what they may contain before ingesting. Your livelihood, your career, is constantly at stake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-52","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":434,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=434","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":0},"title":"IOC Decision on Merritt \u2013 Wrong Yet Again","author":"CHill","date":"January 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Doping is proving to be the biggest problem facing track and field \u2013 because it\u2019s an issue that it just can\u2019t seem to get right. And that\u2019s saying a lot given the problems it faces in marketing; getting it\u2019s best athletes to compete against each other; and finances \u2013 specifically\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=434#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":921,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=921","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":1},"title":"Dai Greene and the Drug Issue","author":"CHill","date":"March 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s \u201cChampionship Week\u201d for the indoor season, and I\u2019m going to spend the rest of the week talking about the upcoming NCAA and World Championships. But I feel compelled today to comment on an issue that continues to destroy our sport \u2013 DRUGS \u2013 because one of the potential headliners\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Anti-doping\"","block_context":{"text":"Anti-doping","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=anti-doping"},"img":{"alt_text":"D Greene","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/D-Greene_thumb.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1561,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1561","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":2},"title":"Aries Merritt Back on Track in Birmingham","author":"CHill","date":"August 27, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The double meet weekend that started Thursday in Lausanne, ended early today in Birmingham - and just as it was in Lausanne, speed was on display in Britain. In a meet with several Olympians in attendance the highlight of the day was turned in by Aries Merritt who is on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Fraser\"","block_context":{"text":"Fraser","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=fraser"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aries Merritt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Aries-Merritt_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":200,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=200","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":3},"title":"Berlin Match Ups – Men’s 400","author":"CHill","date":"July 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the things that makes track and field exciting is great head to head competition. Nowhere are the head to head battles any bigger than at the World Championships and Berlin will have its fair share. With four weeks to go before the Opening ceremony, I will be taking\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"IAAF World Athletics Final 2008 Day 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/4\/c\/4\/4\/IAAF_World_Athletics_5f53.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1515,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1515","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":4},"title":"London Olympics – General Wrap Up","author":"CHill","date":"August 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"They're not finished with the closing ceremonies yet, and they won't be shown here on the West Coast for several hours, but I'm already looking back on these Games. So much happened in what was a great meet. I want to take a look at several specific topics individually, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"London\"","block_context":{"text":"London","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=london"},"img":{"alt_text":"David Rudisha2 ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/David-Rudisha2-_thumb1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":345,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=345","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":5},"title":"Coaches Registry Latest Misstep of USATF Leadership","author":"CHill","date":"June 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"When discussing \u201cLeadership\u201d from a management perspective, it is often defined as the ability to motivate a group of people towards a common goal. Once again USATF management has shown that it is sorely lacking in this skill set. The latest drama emanating from the head office is the \u201c\u2019Coaches\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=345#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}