CrashingGirl,

A quick, partial translation from the Badmann interview:



Q. did you notice anything about Nina Kraft recently, or has she behaved differently towards you?

A. yes. She and her trainer were very aggressive towards us (my trainer Toni Hasler and I). I didn´t pay much attention, though she gave me the impression that I was her personal enemy.



Q. did you think at any time during the race that Nina´s huge lead might be due to doping?

A. No, never. Only after the race did we start to wonder, following an incident between Toni and Nina.



Q. What happened?

A. Kraft accused Toni of saying that any athlete that beats Natascha must be doped. Kraft wanted a statement saying that is not so, as she was the proof.

So how long does it to change the results? Online race results still show her as winning.

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________________
Adrian in Vancouver

Thank you JimD. I think a public apology to Natascha would be nice.

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__________________________________________________
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is just putting on its shoes.
- Mark Twain

I became very suspicious of Nina when she rode a bike split that was only 90 sec slower than the Women's world time trial champion and Olympic bronze medalist.

Has anyone ever got close to Karin Theurig on the bike at Hawaii before?

don't forget that Karin Thürig had a crazy racing schedule this year (Olympic Games, World Time Trial, Hawaii) I'm not saying this did, but it certainly could have influenced her performance.

I think if Karin would focus and become more efficient at her swimming she would crush the field on the bike. She is very talented and if she focuses on IM training she can win Hawaii.

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�The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.� -Michelangelo

MoodBoost Drink : Mood Support + Energy.

What an complete and total waste of a career. Way to go Nina...you are a complete disgrace...she had become one of my personal favorites over the past couple of years w/ her "gutsy" performances...now she's nothing but a fraud and a sham. Oh yeah, I'm sure this is the first time she ever did any sort of "enhancement drugs"...just like I"m sure that Hugh Grant and Frank Gifford got caught their "first" times w/ hookers.

CONGRATS TO NORMAN. I wish he would get MORE attention for his performance, but the trainwreck is usually more interesting then the good guy.

-bz

Francois,

most of the time I admire your well thought through remarks. There are too many people that post without reflecting a second, and that's true in general not only in this forum. But the sugestive tone of your last post about NB does not match the analytic style of the rest in this doping question.

The TDF is a crazy racing schedule, 20 odd tough days in 3 weeks not just 3 key races in a year. Miller, Armstrong and Ullrich still managed to ride at over 54kph for around an hour at the end of that.

My point being that unless you also believe in the tooth fairy, santa clause and the easter bunny you would realise that only a % of drug cheats ever get caught (probably a small % though I am not going to throw around any numbers). Understanding this then must mean that certain performances must be looked at side ways - this is the sad but true fact of drugs in sport.

If someone like Lance Armstrong ever did the Hawaii Ironman (esp him with his Tri background - and I hope and suspect that one day he will.) and someone else got off the bike only a min slower would you not be suspicious? I know it is only circumstantial evidence but I sure as hell would be.

The problem with catching the cheats is they can use any means fair or foul to avoid detection and the testers must follow the absolute letter of the law with full disclosure of protocols that in the end must stand up to "beyond reasonable doubt". No wonder they are always on the back foot.

you be assured that there is nothing suggestive. the thing is you just can't know. I truly hope she is clean. but I can't be sure. I was certainly not suggesting anything at all. just thinking about the fact that the day before the race Nina said that 'doping and all dopers sucked'.
sorry if I cannot transfer my tone electronically. if you read my other posts on doping you'll notice that I have never suggested someone who has never been tested + to be positive. sorry for the confusion.

[reply]Why can't races as important as Kona test [i]before[/i] the race? Or is this silly due to cost or time it takes to recieve the results?[/reply]

I'm sure it costs a lot, but look at the facts:
$450 X 2000 athletes = $900,000 (race fees)
$40 X ~1000 pre-race dinners = $40,000 (assume half the athletes bring a guest to the dinner)
$40 X ~1000 awards dinners = $40,000 (estimate)
I'm sure there is a lot more, in sponsership, and trademark sales of t-shirts, hats, bags, clothing etc.
I'd bet the M-dot paraphanailia purchases by age goupers is near another $60,000


How about expenditure
$0 X 5000 volunters expenditure.

I think they could afford some drug testing to ensure the validity of their "World Championship". I think they should even test the top 5 age groupers after the race is over.

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-Erik

"I don't half-ass anything. For me its either whole-ass or nothing." -elake