Canadian runner hopes for ‘re-do’ in Rio after Russian ban over doping upheld

TORONTO – Drug cheats robbed Hilary Stellingwerff of her Olympic moment in 2012.

The Canadian middle-distance runner hopes that Friday’s historic decision by track and field’s world governing body to keep Russia out of this summer’s Rio Games, will give her a second chance.

“To be honest, if it didn’t happen, it would cause me to question the value of clean sport to IAAF, and I would honestly question even being in Rio if I made it,” she said. “What’s the point?”

The IAAF upheld its ban on Russia’s track and field team in Friday’s decision that punishes the world power for systematic doping.

Stellingwerff missed the women’s 1,500-metre final at the London Olympics by just one spot. Since then, six of the 12 finalists — including two Russians and Turkish gold medallist Ash Cakir Alptekin — received doping bans.

“I hope I get the opportunity to compete in Rio, with clean athletes and with Russia banned, so that I can kind of do a re-do,” said Stellingwerff, who still must qualify at the July 6-10 Olympic trials. “I know it doesn’t make up for 2012, but it would help that the sport is moving forward in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, the chairs of the IOC Athlete Commission and the WADA Athlete Committee said they “commend and support” the move.

IOC athlete chair Claudia Bokel and WADA athlete chair Beckie Scott, a Canadian cross-country skier who belatedly received a gold medal after drug cheats were stripped of their results at the 2002 Olympics, say they will “hold this decision as symbolic that the voices of the clean athletes have been heard.”

“We recognize that this decision is only one step in the process of ensuring that the Rio Olympic Games will have a level playing field,” Bokel and Scott said in a release. “But, we are heartened to see that the facts as presented by WADA and the IAAF task force have been considered thoroughly, and that the evidence has lead the IAAF to make decisions based on integrity — maintaining clean sport as a central policy.”

They added that they speak for athletes globally who want to ensure that the Olympics remain a place where politics does not trump principle.

“I think that clean athletes going to Rio can be really encouraged and heartened by the decision and what the position taken by the IAAF was today,” Scott said on a conference call. “There was no question about the stance that they took and the principles upon which they based their decision. I think this is a really monumental, historic day in many ways for clean athletes and for clean, fair sport.

“We really commend the IAAF for siding on what we feel is the right side of sport.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee also supported the decision.

“This (world anti-doping) code is in place to protect clean athletes and provide them with a fair and safe sporting environment,” COC president Tricia Smith said in a release. “Athletes who violate the code and nations that institute systemic doping must face sanctions and the consequences of their actions.”

Canadian race walker Evan Dunfee said it was “poignant” that Australia’s Jared Tallent received his Olympic gold medal in the 50-kilometre race walk on Thursday, four years after losing out to a Russian drug cheat.

“This decision today goes a long way in ensuring that we don’t have to right the same wrongs four years from now,” Dunfee said. “Russia is clearly not the only doping problem country for the IAAF, and nor is athletics the only doping problem for Russia, and I think this stands to show what can happen when a thorough, independent investigation is carried out.”

Dunfee added that “clean athletes can rejoice” at the decision.

“For me personally, this means that I can stand on the start line in Rio with a much cleaner field and much greater confidence in chasing my lifelong dream of standing on that Olympic podium.”

The race walk events have been riddled with Russian dopers — coach Viktor Chegin was banned for life in March after more than 25 doping cases by Russian walkers. Russia pulled its entire race walk team from last summer’s world championships, where Canada’s Ben Thorne raced to bronze in the 20-kilometre event.

“As we know now, there’s more to the story than (just Chegin’s athletes) because the entire federation was doing their own stuff,” said Canadian race walker Inaki Gomez.

“We advocate for clean sport, whether it’s for our event, or all other events,” he added. “I think we’ve all hoped or believed that some day we could be lining up in a position where we felt more confident that the majority of the athletes are clean.

“Whether I foresaw an entire federation being banned for it, no I did not. I guess given the circumstances, it was systemic doping unlike other countries, I think it’s quite unprecedented, but I think it’s quite a positive step and I think it shows the strength of what clean sport can be.”

Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin, who is the reigning world champion and tied for third at the 2012 Games, doesn’t believe that every athlete is dirty. Russia’s Ivan Ulhov won gold in Drouin’s event at the London Olympics.

“If it’s as deep as reports have shown, you have to attack it at its core,” Drouin said from the Harry Jerome International Track Classic in Burnaby, B.C. “At the same time I have a very hard time believing that there were no clean athletes, so I feel for the clean athletes. Unfortunately they’re part of a system that needed to made an example of. It’s unfortunate.”

Brianne Theisen-Eaton, a silver medallist at the world championship in heptathlon, thinks the ban is good news.

“I honestly found it kind of sad that one Russian athlete made the statement: ‘How are we supposed to win without doping?’ I’m so thankful to be from a country that believes in our talent just as natural athletes and not feeding us this crap that you have to dope to win,” Theisen-Eaton said. “I find that extremely sad.”

Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s minister of sport and persons with disabilities, issued a statement Friday afternoon.

“I am proud of the role Canada is playing in this important discussion,” she said. “Through our ongoing support to WADA and their headquarters in Montreal as well as the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, our government is firmly committed to the anti-doping movement and efforts to protect the interests of clean athletes.”

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With files from Canadian Press sports reporters Gregory Strong and Joshua Clipperton

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