Runners take tough stance on doping in track and field
Americans Alysia Montano, Jenny Simpson speak up about the integrity of their sport
Doping is "not good for the sport" of track and field and is making it "a dirty place to be," U.S. track and field athlete Alysia Montaño has told CBC Sports.
"It's very hard for me to cheer for the men's one hundred metres, my own teammates, knowing that there was convicted dopers in it," Montaño said at a summit of U.S. Olympians in Los Angeles earlier this week. "And for us to continue to cheer for athletes that are making the sport a dirty place to be, I don't condone it at all."
This has been a hot topic recently, especially after the Russian track federation was suspended by the IAAF and had it's doping agency declared as non-compliant by WADA.
(Click on the video player above to hear more of Montaño's thoughts on what impact doping has had on the integrity of the sports.)
In light of the WADA report, Montaño, who runs the 800-metre, has also called out Maria Savanova, whom she competed against at the 2012 London Olympics.
Simpson, a 1500m runner, calls doping "inexcusable' and says that it is important to punish cheaters. However, Simpson believes this is a hopeful time for the sport if the uncovering of "cheating and corruption" can lead to cleaner competition in the future.