On Nov. 16, I noted the
four-year doping ban of M55 high jump world champion
Volodymyr Shelever. After Aussie officials declined to give me his email address, I got it from a Down Under friend. I wrote Volodymyr and he replied a week ago: “I didn’t take any drugs or steroids. I don’t know what it is / sorry for my english/. This is for me very hurt time in my life. I have no money for [lawyer] and don’t like to spent my time to [prove] I didn’t use any steroids or drugs. I did very good job like a coach and somebody doesn’t like this. Every session with my students I create something, and I really miss it. Thank you for your attention.” Thrilled to get a reply (but not answers to all my questions), I wrote him again. My main interest: How did the drug get into your system? He replied: “Incorrect question. Correct question is how did drug get in my urine?” I wrote back again, but haven’t heard from him. So there you have it. A denial and an accusation. He apparently thinks someone put Dianabol into his urine sample at Perth worlds. I have no idea if his story is credible. But it would be nice to know if he shared this account with anyone else.
11 Responses
Hmmm, this guy had one jump in 2015, and jumped 4′ 11″. Then one year later he jumps 5’7.3″ ! Well, if he is not on anything, I would sure like to know what his training secrets are.
In 2013 I high jumped 1.30. In 2016 I did 1.45. “My” training secret is, buy low, sell high!
Hi Curtis. I met you at the dinner dance at the HWSG this year. You have one hell of a resume, congrats. Anyway, I also went from 1.45 in 2013 to 1.56 the following year at the same meet in in Wis. So, I suppose it is not too far fetched. You improved 6 inches, and I improved about 4.5 inches. It just seemed that an 8.3 inch increase seemed a bit much, but maybe not.
I am amazed that 1.91 WR was set this year M55
Assuming that he was healthy both years, an 8.3″ improvement is not impossible but seems pretty unlikely. His excuse is one that a lot of people use when they are caught but if the sample and test protocols are followed, mistakes while possible should be rare. He is a relatively unknown masters high jumper not an olympic athlete so why would someone “spike” his sample?
I’m not a high jumper, but this controversy reminds me of what Walt (Buddy) Davis (1952 Olympic Champion) told me a few years ago. His coach called back to his assistant from Europe asking how did Walt just become the world leader. The assistant had no idea. Walt told me that he and a team mate were just messing around and all of a sudden he was jumping much higher than ever before. Apparently, he just discovered how to do it. Knowing his coach, it’s possible that he had been trying to get his athlete to improve his technique, and that finally clicked while the coach was away. We may never know. Other athletic talents are also rooted in a discovery process. I like to think you can’t really coach sprinting. Perhaps it’s just natural, or the athlete has to discover how break into a sprint. I once wrote a comment to National Masters News about a friend who won the national championship in the javelin. There were accusations that he was a “nobody” and must have been doping. I know the man well, and nothing was further from the truth. Some people just mature more slowly and finally get their day in the sun.
To Randy: “Hi” back from a fellow Huntsman jumper!
To Ron: Really, do we have to look any further back than (roll of drums, please) Bob Beamon, Mexico City, 1968? Went from 27′ to 29′ in LJ in one afternoon (and, was never to jump 27′ again).
Back to Randy: While I was jumping my 12-year high of 1.45, fellow HJ competitor (and, fellow Indianapolis native!) David Montieth wasn’t even taking his warm up suit off! David ends up acing the US record (1.58) and oh-so-close missing the M70 world record.
So (as rocker Chuck Berry intoned me) “You never can tell!”
In 2008, the guy was tied for #10 in the world ranking in the HJ with 1.80m (a little less than 5’11”). In looking at that and the 5’7.3″ in 2016 cited in comment #1 above, then the 4’11 in 2015 looks like the oddball. Maybe he was injured in 2015 (which would also explain recording only 1 jump that year).
Matt B – it is possible based on his previous years performances it may be that he was injured in 2015 but to me, it seems pretty unlikely that someone would “spike” his urine sample. Let’s face it, masters high jumping is not a “glamor” event nor an event where one can earn any money so why would anyone that had access to the test sample bother? What are the chances that one of the top four in his age group would be able to bribe the testers so they could get a better medal? Has he been tested at other meets recently and passed?
Michael W (#9): Oh, I agree with you that it’s highly unlikely – pretty much no chance, actually – that anyone would spike the urine sample of a masters HJer. I was just pointing out that his 5’7.3″ HJ in 2016 wasn’t that unusual given his performance in 2008. I think that he methodically shifted shifted Ken’s question from “How did a steroid get into your system?” to “How did a steroid get into your urine?” because any answer to the first question (about it being in his system) would be an admission of guilt (even if he unknowingly ingested the steroid by taking a tainted supplement).
Obviously Putin is to blame.!
Has there ever been an athlete who got caught for doping, admitting guilt first up?
Dianobol was around in the early 70s so its not a new development.
If he tested positive in 2016 and got a four year ban, how come he is listed as the Australian record holder M55-59 for a 2017 performance?
Leave a Reply