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FixedGearFever - :: View topic - An apology from Kenny Williams
Joined: Nov 20, 2003 Posts: 2565 Location: Marietta, GA Home Track:
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:08 am Post subject: An apology from Kenny Williams
Kenny asked me to post this:
To my friends, clients, competitors and USA Cycling officials,
My name is Kenny Williams and I've been racing my bike for 20 years. In June 2009 I broke and had surgery on my left collarbone. In my haste to return to the top of my game I purchased DHEA at the local Drug Store, without consulting anyone. 6 weeks later at Masters Track Nationals in Colorado Springs I was tested positive for this illegal drug. I do not deny the results of the test.
I am ashamed that I’ve done something that hurts the sport of cycling and the community of people who have become the most important part of my life. I’m facing the very real possibility that I can try for the rest of my life to regain the confidence of the cycling community and my friends, but this cloud will be with me for the rest of my life. I am not asking for forgiveness, because I am admitting to my mistake and own all the horrible feelings that come with my bad decision. I am hoping for compassion and understanding. Compassion that I never intended to hurt anyone and understanding that if I could have one re-do in my life that this would be it. As I have done throughout my whole athletic life I will fight to re-gain my reputation as a fair man, tough competitor and drug-free cyclist. You can trust me when I say that I will never take a short-cut like this ever again.
Bike racing is one of the most important things in my life, second to my wife, whom I owe the biggest apology to for being so irresponsible. I am sorry Annette. I also feel horrible about the results I took away from the other athletes that I raced against. I am very sorry to have disappointed all of them. To my sponsors and my clients, I am sorry. To all in the cycling community and my friends, I am sorry.
On the other hand, isn't it insanity and an extreme case of double standards when a competitor of 20 years has to fear his reputation and social grid to disappear from the face of earth because he went into a health store and bought a freely available over the counter supplement, which at best can be described as "anti-aging drug"?
Ask any of the meatheads in the gym about DHEA and they will laugh in your face... He hasn't deprived anyone of a medal because of taking this.
Stupid mistake? Yes.
Should any kind of doping be banned? Of course!!!
But the way people get treated in Olympic sports - especially in cycling - reminds me more and more of a witch hunt.
Even being good as a cyclist you'll be called a doper. Actually: just being a cyclist = doper!
No one cares about all your hard work, dedication and years of deprivation...
Who cares about the stuff they're taking in (European) Soccer for example? All elite sportsmen have to abide to the WADA rules and be monitored 24/24 - something not even a prisoner on probation has to endure - but the the multimillion soccer players? They have their rights for holidays and not being bothered by tests, they can't be tested after midnight, after all, there's no doping in soccer, right?
No one cared about the AC Milan stockpiling steroids and EPO in their medical facilities. Where have all the other people from the famous Fuentes list gone??
What about Baseball, NFL, NBA in the States? No tests = no doping, right?
Oh, and it's not even about sports. In my time in the advertising industry I got to know many managers and art directors taking their first line of cocaine at nine o'clock in the morning... you know for that all important presentation, for being all hyped and creative.
Has anyone ever done drug testing at Universities? 90% of all med students are drugged up to the hilts just to make it through the exams... Does anyone care? No, because in our society it's success and performance that counts - no matter what.
It's all about double standard and hipocritism. After all, you can gamble all you want and rob thousands of people of their mortgages and chuck the whole western economy in a debt crisis our children will still have to deal with - you will still get away with your multi-million Dollar paycheck.
But beware the mother of 4 children taking some cash out of the register after a hard days work!!
It's always the small fish that gets caught....
Sorry about my rant, but I kinda feel for the guy.
He certainly did something wrong, that's for sure - but he shouldn't be burned at a stake like that. There are WAY worse offenders out there, people with connections and doctors and well paid contracts to cover their arses...
Kenny is quality. Whether standing on the infield or doing laps at the head of a pack, he exemplifies what an elite rider should be. I remember watching him qualifying during the Los Angeles World Cup almost two years ago. I think he was the oldest competitor on the track, yet he worked hard enough to make the national team and then to ride the front of the race from beginning to end. And qualify in his heat. He's like that at his home track as well. Nobody rides a harder motorpace session than Kenny (or does it in a lower gear either). Everything he's done, he's earned. The hard way.
Kenny just wanted to get back to racing after a broken collarbone. Performance enhancing drugs can be a basis for unfair advantage and athletes in all sports have used them for that purpose. For that reason, they are illegal. It doesn't work if enforcement is arbitrary, so Kenny is guilty. Simple. But we can all look at his intent and understand that this is an upstanding competitor who knows the right way to be an elite rider and, more importantly, follows that way. I'll look to him for coaching and friendship during his suspension. I can't wait to see him back racing on the track again.
maelstrom •wrote• It's always the small fish that gets caught....
I think Floyd would disagree... _________________ "You're one sick puppy." - Gord Singleton, World Champion
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Joined: Nov 20, 2003 Posts: 2565 Location: Marietta, GA Home Track:
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:16 pm Post subject:
I'm not trying to fight, but I'd have to say the riders in the Tour or those riding the Pro-Tour races are far more likely to test positive (assuming they are running top fuel) than any small time local or even national level guy. I mean, how many out of competitions has Lance had this year? (I'll leave it up to you to count or search twitter).
Kenny admitted he did it - said it was dumb - and because of that we aren't in a Floyd situation where we have to question the validity of his word, the test, the system, etc... So many people "wrongly" test positive - but ones like Lance and Garmin Slipstream riders who are tested almost as often as they have breakfast are not showing false positives. Has Lance been squeaky clean forever? That's for Lance to know... I don't believe he's charging right now. WAY to risky for his charity stuff.
DHEA? Who cares? it is an enormous stretch to consider DHEA to be "performance-enhancing". It is waaaay below the performance-enhancing effects of a single cup of coffee.
IMO, the reason DHEA is on the banned lists is because it looks like some other things that are performance enhancing, and because WADA adds anything it feels like adding to the list simply because they can.
And did anyone notice that psuedoephedrine (Sudafed) is going to be put back on the WADA list again? Look for more cold sufferers to get banned like they did before this was taken off the list a few years ago.
But anyone who wants to can now use Albuterol as long as they declare it when they're tested. A TUE is no longer needed. Yeah, it all makes sense.
Sorry you got caught up in that Kenny. No harm, no foul.
Warren i was going to say that, DHEA is a weak pro hormone with an elimination half life of max 30 mins, so im not even sure how he got busted, unless it was DHEAS... I wouldn't even touch these pro hormones if i was a body builder they are all super toxic, some are just as toxic as real orals (besides halo!!)
Its amazing the amount of guys that are trying to justify what even Kenny admits was wrong.
I do not condone what he did. Being someone who is riding clean and aging naturally, I have pretty hard time accepting it.
I have raced against the Kenny, but do not know him well. What I would say is that I respect the fact that he has the balls to step up and say he did wrong, regrets it, and would like to move on.
What I do not respect him for is cheating in the first place.
I too am a little surprised at some of the responses here. I've raced against Kenny, essentially weekly, for the last four years, and while I couldn't suggest I've ever lost a placing or a dollar, especially this year, I'm sad and disappointed. I am thankful for his action in issuing an apology.
What I don't understand, is how the fact that he took something that doesn't work very well makes it ok, or at minimum less objectionable? After Tyler Hamilton getting popped for the same drug earlier this year Kenny would have had to know that it was illegal. He doesn't suggest he didn't know what he was doing was wrong. There's always an excuse for cutting-corners whether it be injury, lack of time, suspected doping competitors, gaining an edge, etc. I don't see this as a double-standard. I don't think his intent was okay.
I hope he serves his time and comes back clean. I'm sure he will.
WarrenG •wrote• Sorry you got caught up in that Kenny. No harm, no foul.
How can you say no harm no foul?, cuz he is a nice guy? Alot of nice guys juice (Steven Alfred is a GREAT guy) He knew he was taking a banned substance regardless of it's effects. I don't know Kenny personally, (and I'm not saying he has done anything in the past) buts who's to say if he took something now he hasn't taken something in the past and got away with it? You guys accept his apology. but crucify anyone else who denies doping whether you know for a fact (and who really does except for the accused) if they are lying or not.
How many doping offenders have you seen making a full confession and apologize with a public letter? Normally they keep lying to the bitter end and come up with truly bizarre explanations why some banned substance ended up in their bodies.
A bottle of Whiskey the night before a tour stage leading to elevated testosterone? Spiked tooth paste? Unborn twin brother stuck in your own body??
Kennys confession shows him a as person with integrity - and that's something we all should respect. He's made a mistake and has to face the consequences now.
Still - he's been caught taking an over the counter supplement with no proven performance enhancing properties whatsoever. Apparently he didn't know what he was doing, and doesn't seem to be an athlete abusing the 'real' stuff like steroids, EPO and so on...
Those are the offenders that actually damage the sport - in transforming their body to something which wouldn't naturally be achievable. Of course those guys have ressources, are being covered up by team doctors and/or federations and are much harder to catch. So let's just crucify the small time crook while others (with proven positive tests!) make millions and pretend to be big philanthropists...
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