Topic: News: Chris LeRoux Ruled Ineligible

[Pete Church]

Diplomacy and compromise....to a point! Do what you must to compete again and also save face.....a balancing act which requires wisdom......and maybe less emotion.....may the force be with you! Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. javascript:void(0);

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Thank you. I am tired of it all. At times, I suppose it was exciting, but it is a pain in the butt mostly. When the USOC ombudsman called me and starting going berserk on me, I was almost ready to give in. I thought he was supposed to be on my side and so when he attacked me so ruthlessly, I thought I had no chance. But after a good nights sleep, I realized he is simply out of his mind or just trying to intimidate me. I became more steadfast in my defiance. I am willing to compromise. I would like to end the matter. My compromise requires a public apology for their mistakes. It also requires sacrifice on my part. I don't think they have any support for any of their actions in the rules. But, I am tired. If they come up with any reason, other than their standard threats, I will offer the compromise. If they are unwilling to meet my compromise, including a public apology for all of their mistakes and rule violations, I will take it to the next level which is utter defiance of their right to test me. If they go there and then libel me in the press, I will sue.

Cheers

[Paul LaDuke]

Chris,

Keep up the fight and stand up for your rights as an American!  Your fight has been very public due to this forum and it has exposed a few to the un-American ways of the USADA.  All of our legal systems have checks and balances because our wise forefathers knew that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  So the legislature keeps the president in check.  The president keeps the courts in check.  The courts keep the president and legislature in check.  Defense lawyers keeps law enforcement in check ensuring that even the most henious of criminals' trial is too the letter, otherwise the police could weild power at will.  Checks and balances and holding authority in rein is vitally important to our freedom.  Any erosion of such destroys our freedom.

From what I have read of your case, it seems clear to me that the drug testing program has no one to hold the drug testers accountable and responsible for their actions.  This lack of checks and balances has led to what our forefathers feared - absolute power corruption!  The USADA must be held accountable for their lack of following the rules or they will continue to do so without regard for anything but their own power.  Fight the fight, not just for you, but for other athletes who must succomb to this dictatorship in modern-day USA!

I, like all others who have said, do not endorse drug use at any level.  It is cheating - period and there should be no place for cheaters in sports!  But that in no way give drug testers free reign to catch cheaters who cares who they hurt in the process, acting for the greater good mentality.  A strict set of guidelines must be set and adhered to just as in our criminal justice system.  And just like the criminal justice system, The athlete should be deemed "drug-free" until they have been proven to be "drugged" by a jury of their peirs.  We seem to have a system that leaves out answering to the people.  It would be like the police gathering evidence and then placing someone in prison without a trial.  The police and DA must stand before a judge with the accused and prove their case before the accused is guilty. The current USADA system leaves this important step out, doesn't it.  Don't you only get that on appeal? and that whole process seems biased towards the USADA/WADA to me. The system should have in place the ability to have a trial-like hearing and the USADA must prove beyond a resonable doubt that the athlete is guilty.  Otherwise, the athlete is innocent.  Sounds American to me.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

I found a lawyer I believe I would be very pleased to have represent me. He understood the key issues very, very quickly and was able to see though the massive complications involved in a moment.

[Pete Church]

Chris,
I wish you well today on this!

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Thanks. It appears we have reached a peaceful settlement.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

This entire matter is settled now, just the paperwork left to sign. USADA agreed to my compromise offer. They will never admit their mistakes or rule violations publicly however they did so privately and thus their willingness to accept my compromise. They admit they have no authority over my body when I have not competed in over a year and am not a member of any NGB and will remove me from the OOC program. If I decide I wish to compete again, I agree to inform them in writing and be part of the OOC program for three months prior to any such competition if they wish me in it. So, the compromise was to meet them halfway from six months. It is not perfectly fair but I think its a fair compromise that I can live with.

The last thing I will say is I am extremely disapointed with the support of the USOC ombudsman, who seems anything but a helper to the athlete, and two of my three USAW athlete reps, one of which says I should not even contact him regarding this matter since I am not currently a member, though he has no problem with me being forced to submit to OOC testing when I am not a member, and only says even once my membership is renewed "maybe then it is appropriate to get in touch." I will tell you he had almost no involvement in this matter anyway and never responded to the last issue I contacted him about either which was the now changed USAW BOD decision allowing athlete's competition days to be changed at the tech meeting. And, I was a member at that time. He explains that he simply has much more important things to do. So, rule violations by the organizations supposed to enforce the rules affecting athlete eligibility seems to be of little concern to him. So, all in all, the athlete is not given much respect within the system in my view.

Thanks for all your support.

[Matt Erdman]

Good work Chris!