Quote Originally Posted by crowhill View Post
Thanks for the response Chris, but I'm still not blinded by the science for the following reasons:

1. Records are still being broken by Bekele and Gebreselassie, so the argument about records being broken in the 90's doesn't add up. Admittedly, there was drug taking by 100m runners such as Flo Jo, Ben Johnson, and some promininent East German and American sprinters in the last 20 -30 years and those records are still unbeatable, but there is no evidence that it is a factor in Ethiopian distance running.

2. EPO isn't the only way to increase haemoglobin... training at altitude also increases the manufacture of haemoglobin and Ethiopia is, after all, a mountainous country.

3. Most significantly, none of the stats relate in any way to the question I asked about evidence of Ethiopian distance runners being drug cheats.

I still think that if you fling accusations around without a shred of evidence, eventually your arguments lose credibility (ask Mohammed Al Fayed.) I reckon the dynasty of Ethiopian distance running is still down to it's cultural status, hard bloody work, geographical/climate and genetic advantages and not magic potions.
From 1973-1993(20 years) the 10k record improved by approx 22 secs.
From 1993-1998(5 years) the 10k record improved by 45 secs.
From 1973-1978(also 5 years) the 10k record improved by 8 secs.

Some of those earlier 10k records were held by kenyan, altitude trained runners.They weren't much if at all faster, than sea-level trained athletes.

What about all the other african runners that ran to school every day when young and competed at world level.They weren't any faster or better than sea-level athletes.

Sure altitude training will raise haemoglobin levels but not to the same extent as injections of EPO.

A kenyan steeplechase record holder tested positive some years ago, for EPO.If altitude training was equal to EPO use, why did he use it?

One other point.If you think Bekele and Gab are naturally trained, then you either have to say that their training produces just as much endogenous EPO, as it would from exogenous EPO; or- that they are exempt from the physical laws that the rest of us are subject to, and hence, doping themselves wouldn't have any effect on their performance.

You've made some good points Crowhill, but as you can see they don't stack up.