Ban on Carolina Kostner Over

[Sam-Skwantch]

Is it possible they wanted to make sure that both athletes are simply ineligible for each of their next Olympics and the length of suspension was second in order of importance? If this isn't a finalized decision I look for the punishment to be lower than advertised anyway. No one pays sticker price for their car...that's just a starting point in the dealers advantage.

 

[cruzceleste]

Information on Michele Ferrari, he already have been condened for sporting fraud and abusive exercise of the profession of pharmacist in 2004, and in 2012 (same month before 2012 Summer Olympics) he received a ban for life, so is really hard to believe Carolina didn´t knew who this man was, specially when Ferrari is so close to Armstrong and with so much media coverage.

In October 2004, Michele Ferrari was sentenced to one year prison (suspended) and a fine of 900 euros, for sporting fraud and abusive exercise of the profession of pharmacist.[7] Ferrari's conviction in Italian court was based partly on testimony from Italian bicycle racer Filippo Simeoni. Admitting he had been doped since 1993, Simeoni told how he became affiliated with Ferrari in 1996. Simeoni testified that, in addition to a prescription of EPO hormone, "we spoke about Andriol (testosterone), which I was to use after hard training sessions, with the aim of increasing my muscular power. Dr. Ferrari recommended I use Emagel the morning before controls, and another product to decrease my hematocrit.".[8] Ferrari argued, in his defense: "Andriol is easily detectable for several days in a normal urine test, so, it is impossible that I suggested he take one Andriol 20 hours before another race."

Lance Armstrong responded to Ferrari's guilty verdict for malpractice in the Italian Court case:

"I was disappointed to learn of the Italian court's judgment against Dr. Michele Ferrari. Dr. Ferrari has been a longtime friend and trusted adviser to me and the USPS team, during which time he never suggested, prescribed or provided me with any performance-enhancing drugs... However, I have always said that I have zero tolerance for anyone convicted of using or facilitating the use of performance-enhancing drugs. As a result of today's developments, the USPS team and I have suspended our professional affiliation with Dr. Ferrari as we await the release of the full verdict..."[9]
Ferrari then announced his intention to appeal his sentence. Ferrari was acquitted of all charges against him on May 27, 2006, because, according to the court, "the facts do not exist" to support the charges.

On 13 June 2012, Ferrari was officially charged by USADA with administration and trafficking of prohibited substances.[11][12] As Ferrari did not formally contest this indictment, he was issued a lifetime ban from professional sport in July 2012.[13] In December 2012, Ferrari still protested his innocence in an interview with Al Jazeera. He notably stated about Lance Armstrong in that interview: “So, either he was clean – and in my opinion, he was clean and he says he was clean – or the tests are not powerful,” Ferrari added, before laughing: “Or the UCI was corrupt.”[14] In January of 2013, after Lance Armstrong had confessed to using PEDs, Ferrari claimed on his blog that the cyclist could have achieved similar blood values and performance with altitude training.[15][10]

 

[Amei]

The ,,the one who hides and helps someone else because he/she care about him and therefore should get worse punishement'' logic. Does it make sense? No way. I'm not able to understand it.

Via a crime blog:

Accomplice liability in a crime can be described in several ways. A person who knowingly participates in the commission of a crime may be referred to as an accomplice, an accessory or an aider and abettor. In any case, it means that someone knowingly helped someone commit a crime, and that’s not good. Anyone who knowingly helps someone commit a crime in any way can also be convicted of that very same crime.

from what I've read (via the GS forum) she helped him conceal his doping and lied about it - so whatever punishment she is given is well earned on her part. It seems a little strange to give his accomplice a harsher ban than the person that did the actual doping - but did he possibly make a deal to get his ban reduced? Many times if a doper gets caught they can make a deal to name the supplier or other dopers and their ban/fine is reduced.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Via a crime show (not sure if this is truly a law in the real world) if you help someone commit a crime, like rob a liquor store and that person brings a gun and shoots the clerk - you can be charged with murder same as if you pulled the trigger yourself.

from what I've read (via the GS forum) she helped him conceal his doping and lied about it - so whatever punishment she is given is well earned on her part. It seems a little strange to give his accomplice a harsher ban than the person that did the actual doping - but did he possibly make a deal to get his ban reduced?

Her only validated wrong doing was telling the WADA agent her then boyfriend was not at her home at the time.

 

[Krunchii]

Hmm, I have a sneaking suspicion that the media is making her punishment sound harsher to generate interest, but that is just my hunch, banning her from competition and fining her is already pretty harsh, they shouldn't strip her of her medals, maybe fine her for the prize money at the very max

 

[gravy]

I would fine her, Ban her for whatever time,

And take away her Olympic Bronze, And then give her her rightful Olympic medal


I don't get the sense in this, She wasn't doped or anything at the time she won her medals,
Are they just trying to scare her into a deal or something?

Yes!! Give her that gold!

 

[R.D.]

Hmm, I have a sneaking suspicion that the media is making her punishment sound harsher to generate interest, but that is just my hunch, banning her from competition and fining her is already pretty harsh, they shouldn't strip her of her medals, maybe fine her for the prize money at the very max

That was my first thought

 

[brightphoton]

Is Olympic race walking as boring as I sounds?

Mostly, but it's kind of funny when people get disqualified during the race because they start real running.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Mostly, but it's kind of funny when people get disqualified during the race because they start real running.

"real" running I honestly think I'm goofy enough to watch something like this.

 

[chairmanmao]

She is still planning to go to Korea in 2018? She should copy Hingis and retire right away to save her last bit of reputation. I think the stripping of medals comes from the fact that after "helping" his bf escape drug test all her medals after that point became suspect and are therefore in doubt.

 

[concorde]

I'm confused. If she never tested positive for doping why ban her?

If it is guilty by association, I am against it. But if she tested positive, then it s a different matter and she should be stripped from her medal(s).

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I think the stripping of medals comes from the fact that after "helping" his bf escape drug test all her medals after that point became suspect and are therefore in doubt.

Why? Let's say, for the sake of argument, that she murdered someone (unrelated to skating) in 2011 and was just now prosecuted. She achieved quite a bit in that time, including a WC and OBM. Although she committed a horrible act, would it be fair to take away her medals? Did her action impact the integrity of any competitions? I'd say no; how she should be punished for committing murder should not impact her fairly-earned competitive medals. Along those lines, whatever she did to protect her boyfriend doesn't seem at all related to her figure skating performances. As a woman, I also think about whether she was physically or mentally abused or otherwise threatened by him in any way, which may have made it harder to do the right thing. It's easy for us to condemn her but we don't know exactly what happened.

 

[Barb]

Italy dont have real crimes to pursue? I bet they have a lot of **** they should be attending. It is ridiculous. And what a garbage of boyfriend.

 

[Meoima]

Is it possible they wanted to make sure that both athletes are simply ineligible for each of their next Olympics and the length of suspension was second in order of importance? If this isn't a finalized decision I look for the punishment to be lower than advertised anyway. No one pays sticker price for their car...that's just a starting point in the dealers advantage.

it's not the final decision if I understand correctly. I hope she will get a lesser one when it's official.
I think it's right to ban her. But it's not right to be so extreme.

 

[Amei]

I'm confused. If she never tested positive for doping why ban her?

If it is guilty by association, I am against it. But if she tested positive, then it s a different matter and she should be stripped from her medal(s).

That we know of she has never tested positive. She did however help her boyfriend/significant other (some have said husband?) avoid drug tests. Do I think stripping her of medals is harsh - yes, but I would be fine with the IOC banning her from competition for any length of time.

Carolina's problem is that (at least according to reports) she went with him to the banned doctor's office and had the drugs in her house - in the US once you become associated with performance enhancing drugs it follows you the rest of your career, with very few exceptions. Some people might start to think - gee, she had those drugs in her house and she never had a taste, and suddenly there is a doubt about how honest she won her medals.

*I want to state that I'm not accusing her of doing drugs - only pointing out an argument that gets made in the US in other pro sports.

 

[treeloving]

Well if Kostner really doped and still bombed like in 2013 - 14 world , this drugs is so not effective.

I think it is totally stupid if they want to strip her medal if she wasn't dope in her competition.

Her ex -boyfriend is such a xxxx.

 

[peg]

Like many others, I think it's ludicrous to give her a harsher punishment than her boyfriend got.

And while covering for him was wrong, covering for someone you have a romantic relationship with is also a very human and somewhat natural thing to do. A lot of romantic partners and spouses hide the other's drug use in the case of illicit drugs not related to sports doping. Or they make excuses for them, partly because it can be psychologically difficult to reconcile their image of the person they love with the fact that they are doing something illegal. Often a hard and painful lesson to learn.

 

[Matt K]

Is the source of this information legit?

I have always been skeptical of the sometimes farcical legal system in Italy.

 

[anyanka]

I keep thinking this is an extended Monty Python sketch but apparently not.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I keep thinking this is an extended Monty Python sketch but apparently not.

Lol...thank you !!