Marion Jones. Dwain Chambers. Linford Christie. Three athletes who became successful at the top of their sport have later all been labelled cheats after all being failing their drug tests.
They were punished for their crimes. Jones was stripped of the medals she won on the track. Christie and Chambers were banned for a time, although the latter’s ban was served and wanted to get back to racing again. They have all been viciously criticised by their fellow competitors…. and they are also black.
There have been white athletes who failed their tests and received bans, but they haven’t been treated so shabbily as these three have of late, both from their peers and in the UK media. This is the sort of subtle, anti-immigrant racism which many find so acceptable…. but it isn’t. It’s like they have to be reminded of their misdeeds over and over again… and it stinks.
The hysteria over Chambers’ selection for the Great Britain team to go to the World Indoor Championships in Spain has got out of hand. He has been behaving professionally over the situation he finds himself in, but how long can he keep this up without getting himself into further bother? He did the crime, he did the time, so please let him get back to what his does best.
This disgraceful media conspiracy against black athletes must stop….right now.
An interesting thought, but I am not clear what the shabby treatment is you are complaining about. If people are cheats, they are cheats. Describing them as anything else would be dishonest wouldn’t it? I don’t expect other athletes to praise these people. It seems to be in the nature of athletics for people to always go on about the past. So we will be reminded of their misdeeds over and over again, just like we get bored solid with reminiscences about the achievements of successful athletes such as the Daley Thompsons, Dame Kelly Holmes and Tessa Sandersons of this world. To make a race point about this is interesting, but I am not sure you have yet provided the evidence I would need to be to accept your premise, I’m afraid.