Brianna McNeal had been recovering from an abortion she had in January last year, when she missed a mandatory drug test from World Athletics two days after the procedure. McNeal, a 2016 Olympic track and field champion, had been in bed, and didn’t hear the anti-doping officials at her front door who had come to carry out the test.
Physically and emotionally recovering from her abortion, among other intense personal struggles, marked one of the most difficult times in McNeal’s life. Yet, where she needed compassion and support, she was met with suspicion, interrogation, and devastating punishment. Following two hearings of her case before World Athletics, which McNeal described to Salon as “insensitive,” “invasive” and “gaslighting,” last month, she was suspended from competing in her sport for five years for allegedly tampering within the results management process.
“In both of my hearings, they didn’t acknowledge my mental health, they tried to discredit it — especially the second time, when they brought in some clinical psychologist to try to tell me what I should have been experiencing,” McNeal said, of a disciplinary hearing in which she tried to explain to World Athletics how recovery from her abortion and her subsequent mental health struggles had affected her. Instead, she was told she hadn’t actually experienced depression, and all the ways she supposedly would have acted if she had.
But, but, getting rid of a few grammes of parasite doesn’t produce emotional distress, let alone depression, does it? It’s a liberation, surely?
To think otherwise would be to agree with those damn conservatives, wouldn’t it?
Physically and emotionally recovering from her abortion
The Menendez brothers should’ve gotten clemency for being orphans.
Just had a look at the comments and have been surprised to find that some comments on Salon are actually sane! The article itself is worthless but sadly unsurprising.
One comment though almost makes me feel caring and empathetic in comparison:
“She made her bed. No baby now and a 5 year ban. She has enough time now to be a feminist.”
finally- the authorities do something to stamp out on this sick filth.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/handball/57890430
But, but, getting rid of a few grammes of parasite doesn’t produce emotional distress, let alone depression, does it? It’s a liberation, surely?
This. After years of the hardcore feminists insisting it’s just a “procedure” like getting a wart removed, why would anyone even consider mental health afterwards? Heck – the abortion proponents get angry if conservatives want to counsel the prospective aborter that perhaps the procedure might not be quite so simple after all, before going through with the process. I’ve got no sympathy for this woman, sad to say.
Hallowed Be.
Disgraceful.
But the Daily Mail had better pictures…
“didn’t hear the anti-doping officials at her front door”: mobile phones are unknown in the US, are they?
I’m used to people playing the race card, the sex card, the me too card; are they now all going to play the mental health card? But what about the poor bastards who are genuinely loopy?
I find the whinging about race nauseating. It’s not the full story. She missed two drug tests within a year, the second being the one after the abortion. She was done for misdating her abortion by a day in her mitigation note. It’s normal only to suspend for three missed drug tests, which she had already done once back in 2017 – which is why the suspension is more severe. But she had missed just two in 2019/20 – it appears that the penalty is for this plus the writing the wrong date down. It looks like they are applying the letter of the law here – hence the CAS decision to reject her appeal.
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/07/04/brianna-mcneal-suspension-olympics/
Feels a bit harsh, but the anti-doping laws are draconian for a reason – the incentives to cheat are extremely great.
What Ratticus said.
This isn’t surprising though given the path we’ve been down:
Menstruating women don’t need special privileges, until they do.
Pregnant women aren’t ill and don’t need any privileges, until they do.
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/04/20/brianna-rollins-ban-usada-track-and-field/
Back in 2017 the authorities were far more lenient with her, the two year suspension was reduced to one year based on her testing clean in other random tests and the excuse that the computer system was confusing. She failed by not updating her whereabouts on a system that is meant to permit random testing.
“McNeal, a 2016 Olympic track and field champion, had been in bed, and didn’t hear the anti-doping officials at her front door who had come to carry out the test.”
Did she go to the same doorbell shop as Mo Farah?
Didn’t know the US athletes used the “impregnate, then eradicate” Natural Doping as well..
Well, for the eastern-european gymnasts ( et.al.) it was less voluntary and part of “coaching” , but…..
Most delivery drivers round my way seem unfamiliar with the concept of a doorbell. A rattle of the letterbox, which is easily missed or confused for the effect of a wind squall, is what I tend to get, rather than a nice loud ding-dong. The drug testers might belong to the school of thought that ignores doorbells
I installed one of those Ring camera door bell. Not for the video, which I occasionally use, but because it rings all the devices when we’re in the garden and studio at the back. Most deliver drivers uses it as well.
Nut case dragging out every shibboleth, excuse and nonsense theory that these black people have conjured up. This is very, very tiring for the sane people left on the globe.
Hallowed Be,
Just shows that the governing body of beach volleyball are a bunch of male perverts – a suggestion I would refute if the men had to wear the same type of bikini bottoms.
“pregnant-capable athletes”
Hmmm.
Has the I didn’t hear the door excuse failed pretty much every time, seem to recall I only popped out for 5 mins to collect the kids excuse failing as well.
The reason for the strictness is that being able to dodge the inspections totally undermines the system so it seems harsh, but is necessary
Talk of gymnasts and beach volleyball (ahem) reminds me of the controversy a few years ago in the gymnastics world. The spangly leotards the girls have to wear are made in the Far East and so not suited for the slightly more robustly built western female. Apart from looking lewd, they were also draughty.
Is there such a thing as Angel Delight Volleyball? Asking for a friend.
“pregnant-capable athletes”
Are these the ones they used to call women when I was a kid, Fred??
Dirty bitch.
Pendseivet- they might just be greedy. What was a little surprising was the BBCs reporting, almost neutral on the matter, which i found refreshing.
People who say it’s “just a cluster of cells” never seem to explain why women who have miscarriages are usually very upset about it.
Also, one easy way to avoid the depression that follows getting an abortion…don’t have unprotected sex. You’re welcome.