Pekka Viippo tells why he doped before Lahti world meet
Pekka Viippo may be a cheater, but at least he’s an honest cheater. As noted here three days ago, Pekka got a two-year competition ban after testing positive for bad stuff at the Lahti world masters meet in August. Pekka, an M45 thrower, gave an interview to a Finnish reporter, and I’ve been sent a good translation of it thanks to the brilliant and beautiful Anna Barrineau, the Finnish-born wife of M50 high jumper Jim Barrineau. The bottom line: Pekka doesn’t deny doping. And he realizes his name is mud. But you see some twisted justifications for his using testosterone, norandrosterone and methylphenidate, among other things.
Here’s what Anna gleaned from the audiotape:
Interviewer: You gave a positive sample in August in Lahti. How do you feel about being exposed?
Pekka Viippo:Â I do feel regret of course that I did something like that, but there is nothing that one can do about it anymore. What is done is done.
What gets one to use doping in this kind of meet?
Maybe, since I had had a lot of shoulder and muscle pains, and a broken training season, and after the Finnish Championships I started to brag that I will get a medal in Lahti. So, that is a shortcut used, but the only thing I gained from it is that my body is now totally broken.
You were quite serious in preparing for this meet with the cocktail of steroids, testosterone and diuretics.
For the diuretics I do have a prescription, so that part has been wrongly told in the news. I have a blood pressure medication which is a combination medication with the diuretic in it. So that is not a forbidden substance for me, because I do have a prescription for it, but for the other substances I do not have a prescription.
Do you fear that your reputation is now gone with this?
Well, you just have to come back in two years and throw the same meters in every competition whether they test you or not. What comes to reputation, it is probably gone, and now maybe nobody believes that you have ever trained clean.
You are also a many time Finnish champion in boxing. Do you fear that this incident will cast a shadow also on those medals?
Well, whoever knows this sport (boxing) knows that the substances have nothing to do with that sport. I don’t know about professional boxing, but in amateur boxing, I believe that people who know the sport still trust that you have trained clean.
Was it a surprise to you that you actually were tested in Lahti?
It did give kind of a feeling that maybe there was some kind observing going on, even though my results have really not changed for some years. But of course when one brags on the field and puts up a show, that has probably something to do with it.
Were you surprised that you got caught?
There is no surprise after you give the sample, since you know what you have done.
So there you go!
Lose training time? Use dope. Shoulder hurting? Use dope. Ego talking? Use dope.
Guess that’s why they call it dope.
8 Responses
Like Dwain Chambers & Kelli White, I respect the guy for being brutally honest.
My question is: if he wasn’t tested, what would happen? Would he continue for another 2 years?
Ken,
You call him an “honest cheater.” Maybe. But one of the problems with lying and cheating is not knowing when the cheater isn’t lying.
There is no such thing as an honest cheater (after you are caught).
Guys like this do a serious disservice to Masters T&F! Come on bro, get a life!
I finished 2nd in the world masters 3 times, 3rd once and 4th once. All five of those competitions were won by a German who a German friend of mine told me had a reputation for doping. Finally, 2 years ago he tested positive and was banned for life by the German federation. I can never get those 3 gold medals, the silver and the bronze that I rightfully deserve. I now know how Henry Aaron feels about Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and all the other baseball players who “Juiced”. Hammering Hank would still hold his record if it weren’t for the cheaters. No matter how you spin it, cheating is cheating and cheaters are a lesser form of human being. Almost a world champion
To Anonymous….you should be very proud of your performances that got you those 2nd, 3rd and 4th places. Screw whatever someone else does, you performed your best and clean. Congratulations!
I was interested to hear that a master’s event drug doper was caught. Cheaters like Viippo didn’t earn, and do not deserve the ill-gotten honors they may have acheived. I agree with Oscar Peyton: “there is no such thing as an honest cheater”.
Viippo’s suspension is the only instance of anti-doping enforcement in the master’s program that I have ever heard of. This after having been a competitor for fifteen years now. I was beginning to wonder if master’s anti-doping regulations were simply paper posturing. Has anyone heard of other testing or enforcement proceedings?
Pekka Viippo has stolen my second place. I had pain too in my left shoulder but I didn’t even begin to try doping. My docter would give me an injection and I refused knowing that I have to participate at national championchips and world masters championchips. I did 1rst at National championchips and 3rd on World Masters. Last month i had been operated and I am proud of all my results as shot putter during my 20 years competitor because I never cheat. Pekka Viippo,I disprize you. You losed all you have win all time.
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