Genevieve Jeanson admits to doping (EPO)

[Grog]

This is a very interesting story, especially for those of you who were aware of the rise and fall of Genevieve Jeanson, "Queen of the Mont Royal."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2007/...on-doping.html


Canadian cyclist Jeanson admits to doping

Last Updated: Thursday, September 20, 2007 | 10:20 PM ET
CBC Sports

Former Canadian cycling champion Geneviève Jeanson has admitted to taking a performance-enhancing substance during her competitive career.

"I did doping in my career.…I did," Jeanson said in an exclusive interview broadcast Thursday by Radio-Canada, CBC's French network.

In January 2006, Montreal newspaper La Presse reported that Jeanson had been banned for life by USA Cycling after testing positive for erythropoietin at an event in July 2005.

She told the newspaper she planned to appeal to the American Arbitration Association to have the positive drug test overturned and, if unsuccessful, would take her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

She also said she planned to retire from cycling.

In Thursday's Radio-Canada interview, Jeanson said cheating made her life a nightmare.

"I hated everything. I hated myself for doing it. I hated myself not being able to get out of it. It was miserable," she said.

The former world junior cycling champion places most of the blame on Andre Aubut, who started coaching her when she was 15. Before long, Jeanson said, Aubut suggested she use erythropoietin, a banned blood booster that helps a cyclist's endurance.

"I didn't really want to do it," she said. "However, I did not have the courage to say no, so I just didn't say anything."

Aubut at first confirmed the drug story to Radio-Canada, but then issued a denial.

At the 2003 world championships in Hamilton, Jeanson was prevented from racing because her level of red blood cells was dangerously high, raising suspicions.

At the time, Jeanson went before the Quebec media to deny ever taking erythropoietin.

"It was not Geneviève that lied," she said in Thursday's interview. "It was someone else I did not know. It was something I was told to do and yes, I do regret it."

Jeanson, 26, now lives in Phoenix, Ariz., where she has a business selling bicycles online.

She said she has no plans to return to Canada in the near future and while she does miss cycling, she's glad she doesn't have to live a lie anymore.

[KnottedYet]

sigh...

it's that "dangerously high" phrase that worries me so much. Like I've said before, when I have patients taking EPO the docs monitor them so closely for health risks.

EPO isn't like a water-soluable vitamin that just pees out if you get too much. These coaches are putting kids at huge risk by giving them EPO at such young ages, and I'm sure everyone involved is pretty mis-informed and no-one is being monitored for problems...

...and dopers suck.

[Zen]

That's very sad. I absolutely believe her because of the way she describes her self-hate. I can see how it would happen, especially when someone is only 15 years old.
What kind of coach is that? He should be convicted for child abuse.

[teigyr]

Way back in the day when I ran track (5th grade on) we had some very good pre-Olympic runners. It was back, I think, before there was testing, especially on young athletes. Some of our better female runners started getting very muscular and started looking pretty masculine in their facial features. We had doctors that worked with the teams and I remember my parents talking about steroids and some of the runners - the good runners, that is. I am glad, in retrospect, that I wasn't that good. It's very sad, I wonder how they are all doing now? Some did get into the Olympics and were known but then burned out. Another reason to aspire to mediocrity, I guess.

[Grog]

The English version of the articles does not say much about her coach, unfortunately. But she also explains in the documentary how he has been violent at times (one team member recalls seeing the coach throwing Jeanson's plate of food on the wall - which reminds me of another article on doping where the author tells of the coaches using food or lack thereof to punish the riders when they did not win).

Interestingly, they married last year, for six months. She says today that it was strictly for business interest (they wanted to start a restaurant together or something) but somehow I doubt that. I think it about corresponds to when she started her therapy. Glad she's rid of him.

I find this whole story totally dramatic and heart-wrenching, because I know she's absolutely not alone in that....