Tested Positive: The Fall Of Olympic Gold Medalist LaShawn Merritt

In the short time that it takes me to write this, I should presumptuously be able to get my point across. 

For all the joys of athletic wonder that we have witnessed, for all the staggering sporting feats that we never imagined would be attained; there remains an equally deep and devastating abyss that lies in wait - for the wrong athlete, at the wrong time.

To all those who follow the world of Athletics with a passion, (quite simply because it remains the most divine and purest form of sport), rewind your memory a couple of years back when Jeremy Wariner seemed destined to clinch his second consecutive Gold medal in the 400 metres Men's event in Beijing.

There is a reason why the 400 meters event is arguably considered the most difficult to run and this is primarily because it qualifies as a 'sprint distance'. Therefore, while it doesn't take 10-20 seconds like the 100m or 200m, it also isn't long enough to maintain a constant and quick pace. The 400 brings out the truest of athletes and this is precisely why some of the most famous 400 meter runners in history are widely respected as some of the greatest runners ever - Otis Davis, Butch Reynolds and of course Michael Johnson.

Wariner, by all means was a prodigy and in many circles was talked about as being able to challenge Johnson's magical 43.18 mark set at Seville in 1999. At the Athens Olympics as a 20 year old, he won Gold in the 400m and in Osaka 2007 at the World Championships, he clinched Gold with a dazzling personal best of 43.45 seconds!

And at the 2008 Beijing Games? Wariner set another record. He came second to LaShawn Merritt by the largest margin (0.99 seconds) in Olympic history between any Gold and Silver medalist! Merritt simply seemed too strong down the stretch and at one point of time, it appeared as if he was running twice as fast as a badly fading Wariner. He went on to win the 2009 World Championships in Berlin as well. Wariner came a comfortable second.

Newsflash! - The 400 metres Olympic and World Champion LaShawn Merritt has failed a doping test and accepted provisional suspension. His statement said that he had used an over-the-counter product containing DHEA and pregnenolone (endogenous hormones) following the 2009 season. Till the case is decided, he remains in line for a standard two year ban. 

Furthermore, he hopes his "sponsors, family, friends and sport will forgive him for making such a foolish, immature and egotistical mistake".

Now Merritt doesn't grab the limelight quite simply because (a) he isn't Michael Johnson (b) he isn't Usain Bolt either. However, this doesn't stop the announcement from leaving a bloody bitter taste in one's mouth. We've seen 'mistakes' like this by the dozen, proceeded to criticize them with a disapproving shake of our heads and apparently we move on, leaving the door open without perhaps sending the message strongly enough. 

The message that there is NO place for a drug inside a sportsman's body. And more importantly, there is NO place for such a sportsman inside our hearts.